New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-30

the vast political organism had become The
ruIcy is absolute only so long as he feels no
tremor Of discomfort beneath him. Mr.. Boulgcr
h,inrs this out later in a single sentence In the
narrative OF the Manchu conquest AS long as
the people Of the Empire were united the vlctori-
QUO invaders could advance Dut siowiS Ih9
re;cninr Emperor might feel that the contest
could be prolonged for generations Dut there
cam, n day of faction and rebellion, ana the rul-
in4 dynasty, that of the Mings, was threatened
by an insurgent leader. Ii Iscching' !, was
singular situation" says Mr.. BonlgeI' .ha' me
Mngs should feel safe against inc Mahch"s VINO
had been gaining victory after Vic'oiS ,o' ior'y
years. and that they should NJ once "esh 10
despair when native rebel snch ae III '"io"'cheu
them in their capital At later time general
who was advised to food the country III or'er 10
obstruct the movement OF the -na"0", "'"i,S
uttered an aphOrsm which cmpouicS WV "noi'
lesson of Chinese history In seven "or'. ~
First the people, next the "!"''V
Narchus could and did substitute one dynasty
...hor hr, ,bov conld not and did not make
any important change in the life OF Chiha as a
uat,on And the dynasty which they created
s.,l, >, i,s predecessors had done 10 polnt wher"
:. hoe soemcd more than once to be- ON the Nerg"
~ oxtirction ITO them the opulent citl"s oil
chin, nrovcd A. fatal as Capua 70 IN" ar'IS o.
,hc Cortharinian.- 1t was the presence Oh inc
wostorn FOREIGNER. with his notions oil "oN"h-
mont ca different from that of OrlcntalS' which
sovcd n rulinr race practically worn ont III ''ihi'
inst as in Southeastern Europe IT mas preserve"
tho Tur, Left to itself Asia deals VIII" '"'S'
mottors in n way OF its own. IL wears ny '''S''''
out and takes new ones with the indifference OIL
q man changing his coat As 1t has no 'o""p
,ion Of individuality, so it has no '"o"S"' vi
ncrson,l LOYALTY in the West 'rn sense.
Hut there were some things known 70 the r'S'
Of Asia which the Chinese never wouI" ''i''''''
The Mongol Empcrors found that 'he prio'i'' W
farming the revenue was Impossible. o'ci>io"'''''
tbcr, have arisen men who talked much III ''''
manner Of the National Socialists oil inc "''''
but they appcar. as rule. to have iound 'h''i'-
selves surrounded by nation oil sccPu'' "
heart the Chinese have some sympathy WIN '''
nrmitive communism which makes the h1SS'ah
ro,sants saw 10 the mobiles: I'VE are yours, ou.
the land is ours" Otherwise the propoSaiS VI
Vanoanchi n Minister in inc time OF Tue '"'-
dynasty. would hardly have been listened 10 WIN
attention II was his plan that the o'a'c ''o"'"
take the entire management OF commerce li'""'
fry and agriculture into It's own hah"S' WI" VIZ
vic,v NJ suocoring the working classes ana pre-
venting their being ground to the duS' ny ''''
rioI, The practical Chinese said in effect .
.vn,,. Gro We will try it," And Wangancm
was made chief Minister. Ills first act was 10
exempt the poor from taxation. lie dlFlue' INV
land: he supplied farmers with seeds ana i'"Pi'
ments: he appointed local boards To "hcoura-' ','
aerioulturiSts; but the upshot "f the wIo'' "u''
ness was that the laborcr would not w"rA uni,''
he was forced to do so, the area ol IAN" ""'''
cultivation gradually decreased ana i'il'i''
s,,lL,d obout among Wanganchis untaA"d WORK
irc nconlc II is lesson worth remembering
Wonoanchi wished 10 abolish both riches ana pow
ertv He is rcportcd 10 have said n mueh. II
Inc had pcrsisted lac might have accomplished HI
nurno.c for China was in fair way 10 h''on"
a desert where neither poor nor rich conh ""''i'
On the other hand. if the people haN" a'"h'
been sccptical as 20 extreme remedies Tor poverty
thcv have AZ times shown strong opposition To
large land ownership. This feeling came 10 VI"
surface under the same monarch VINO "h'hd'" wv
pcoulc with his Council Of Eunuchs II" began me
practice Of making large grants OF mh' WIZ"
were to hc held in pcrpctuiiy. Instantly STORM
arose which was only alaycI hy an "dict t0r-
bidding these territorial concessions. lie app"h>
70 have, violated his own decree on occasion. H.
other rulers Of the Ming dynasty did after HIM
but IN. principle was not forgotten: and II !,
II
Emp.ror and the people really on" on this
point-tlat the ruler cannot AFFORD To max" IN"
nobility powerful. and that the p"-plr cannot
AFFORD 10 waste on one man lands that would
support many families.
Uo,oovcr thc whole thincse system implies.
mucb ~ that Of Egypt did. the equality of cii-
,o,a in tho most vital matters Iv the progresses
If education. the really superior class. that 81
oec n If. and let cs il lctantiy recruited fr III
on,o,, in. p.oplc themselves. \ privilege OF
this sort forms an insupcrablc barrier To return
, fanvthing like IL general fcudal system. TN th'
other hand when the literary class bcci Ir unduIy
powcrful when il cndeavOrcd 10 defeat IA" law
of supply and demand by which 1t WAS limited
or when il seemed likely 10 be ov"rbalanrel
tcrritorialy, both Emperor and people seemed 10
have known how 10 deal with H. III" act 81
the ancient IIwangti i'll nmssacring 30" men
of learning, banishing nearly all the rest, ana
burning all the books in the Empire, has Doubtless
lost nothing OF it's aTocity in the narratives OF
men who felt called upon 70 avcnsc, as far a.
words could. the wrongs Of their predecessors Int
IIwangt politically had the hest Of III" ease. lie
had Suppressed the old principalirs and hid united
China While no looked 10 the future, the
literary class had eyes only for the fcudal past
lie was strong enough 10 defeat them and Ii"
made his victory thorough. He was cruel, but
he can hardly bc condemned without cXcus'. Long
afterward in the time Of the Ming dynasty, II
was discovered that aptitude for learning and the
cmolumcnts that followed it might become
territorial perquisitc. Before the reign Of Sncnt-
song the public examinations had been OPEN
to men from all parts Of the Empire
But il was discovered that the scholars from the
South had the advantage and that they were
in a fair way 10 fill all the Offices under the
There we're threats of rebellion.
TO allay the excitement, it WAS decided to handi-
cap the men of the South by means of district
IIcncciorh man might surpass
his competitors in his own region but he WIS no
longer allowed to show by the records that II"
was the hest scholar in all China. But from
first 10 last there was one abuse in the official
i I...r...L IL.