The National tribune., 1892-04-28

On June 2 came the news that the Roma
Catholic establishment at Tangyang was
burned. Tangyang is about 90 miles south Of
| Clinkiang.
On the night of June 5 serious riot at
| Wusueb resulted in the death of two foreigners
and the narrow escape of three women and
four children, who made their way to the river
| in their night. clothes, and were. after great
exposure, taken on board by passing steamer
Mr.. Greene of the Customs Service, and Mr..
Argent of the Wesleyan Mission, were most
barbarously killed. Their bodies were recov-
cred the pext evening. by the late Capt. ).
Marthon, of the U. s. S. Palos.
On June there was an outbreak at k1u
Kiang, which. after considerable damage to the
Roman Catholic property, was queled by the
soldiers. A threatened outbreak at Soochow
was prevented few days later. Serious trouble
was indicated st Ichang June II and IL. but
il was then averted, only to break ont in an
aggravated form a few weeks later. No lives
were lost, but some of the Sisters were injured
and much property was destroyed. This was a
very serious affair. 1t was conducted III sys-
tematic manner, under recognized leader
ship, and it is the first of the riots which gives
positive indication that it was auti-foreign as
| well as anti-missionary in character. Soldiers
| were engaged in it. and those soldiers who were
appealed to to stop it would not fight against
| their brethren-in-arms
This is not complete list of the uprsings.
| but it suffices to show that the condition OF
affairs in China was then serious enough.
| Nearly all the places mentioned are on or near
the Yangtse Kiang, the great river of China.
| While the events recorded were taking place
uneasness was manifested by some OF the res
idents at Shanghai, and measures of defense
| were adopted there and at other foreign settle
| ments. At Sicawei about five miles out, there
| is large Roman Catholic establishment, which
! was threatened with destruction. The children
were all distributed in Chinese houses, and the
| priests armed themselves with rifles to defend
their property. About the same time 1t was
announced that the French settlement of
Shanghai was to be burned at o'clock on a
certain day. 1t has been the custom for Chinese
| to declare their intentions to attack in advance
and similar threats were made at other posts.
The Chinese servants in Shanghai fully be-
lieved that the threat would be carried out,
and urged their employers to keep their chill
| dren home on that day.
But an attack on Shanghai would be under
| any circumstances only among the remote
| possibilities. Foreign men-of-war are usually
near enough to afford ample protection there,
but at the other open ports, such as Newch-
wang and Tientsin, which are ice-bound all
| Winter, and up the Yangtze, the case is differ
| ent.
Foreign residents at such places are practi-
cally at the mercy of the Chinese populace, and
deserve protection. The missionaries scattered
about in the interior are beyond foreign protec-
tion. They go into the country at their own
| risk, and must rely upon the Chinese authori-
ties for their safety.
The greatest divergcnces of opinion as to
the cause of the riots still exist There is really
! but little reliable information on the subject
We know some facts, however, which have an
obvious bearing. When the great TAPPING
army was dishanded at the close of the rebel
| lion which was so nearly successful, about
| 100000 soldiers were thrown upon an i'm
| poverished country to make living as best
they could. These were very largely men
! from Human Province.
This province has an area of $4,000 square
miles, a population of 100000. and furnishes
! probably the best fighting men in China. IN
! der the best of circumstances the setting free
| of such great number of men accustomed TO
war and piilage, would be dangerous expe-
| dent. However, sum of $4,000 taels, equal
TO about as many gold dollars was set aside
cut of the provincial treasury at Marking to
be paid annually in pensions to stated num-
Der Of the disbanded soldiers This money has
been regularly paid into the treasury of secret
society known as the ko Lao Hui.
The name aud origin of this society are both
obscure. 1t is said to have originated long
ago from strong anti-foreign memorial pre-
sonted to the throne by Prime Minister,
| hence it was named the Prime Minister'S So
J
now more anti-Government in character.
I A more generally accepted view is that the
| society was originally military, formed for be-
| nevolent purp0ses-to care for the sick and the
| aged. 1t is now the most powerful and dam
| gerous society in China.
| The Viceroy of Nanking. Tseng-kuo- chuan,
| paid the $4,000 taels regularly until his death,
in November, 1890. The Picking Government
had commanded hiu to stop the payment, but
! he declared it impossible. He was succeeded
by Shen PingcheEg, as Acting Viceroy, who
| also found 1t necessary to pay; but in few
months Lin Kun-yi became Viceroy, and he
| stopped the payments. He was warned of the
| conseq uences of this act, and the events here
recorded are the result.
It is obvious, therefore. that the Government
had ample time to prepare for these outbreaks.
Whether it had the ability to prevent them
| is not so clear. Certain it is that when they
began, when the news of the Wuhu outbreak
| had already spread, the Viccroy Ii Hung
| Chang left his yamen TO inspect the feet, and
| lie foreign men-of-war were going up the
| Yangtze to protect the open ports the Chinese
| squadron deliberately sailed away to Japan.
| The riots, instigated, as it is generally sup
posed, By the Ko Lao Hui, are obstensibly di.
rected against missionaries and foreigners.
| The most offensive indecent and untruthful
| publications conceivable by the most debased
| and sensuous minds, yet written by highly
| were scattered broadcast over central China to
rouse the people against foreigners-foreign
| devils and the devils religion. But the doubt
| still exists whether the true motive is not to
| involve the Government in foreign war, when
| a revolution against the Nanchu rule would
| have assured success.
That such revolution is constantly before
| the Chinese people cannot be doubted. have
myself seen book of one of the secret socie-
/ ties in which the main purpose of the society
| is declared to be reinforcement Of the Manchus.
There has been some organization in prepar-
| ing for future action. Firearms and ammuni
tion have been quite largely smuggled into the
| interior, and no one knows the extent to which
! this business has been carried on. When the
! time for general uprising comes il will prob
| ably be found that the rebels are well armed
| and ready for serious work.
If the rebels now under arms in the north
are in fact, as supposed, Sbantung men, it will
not be surprising to learn AZ any moment that
/ the north and south are working together to
undermine the Manchn power.
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