The Hawaiian gazette., 1894-10-09

4uiS laueuIAOle war between O0lDs
and Japan is the first serious conflict
that China has known for long time
There have been opium, Tonquin and
other small, despicable wars forced
upon China for mercenary purposes
10 acquire territory, exact indemities
or crystalline a majority in the House
Of Commons, says a recent New York
Herald. China has dealt with them
as the respectable housekeeper in the
Scottish lOwlands dealt with Rob Roy
and the freeboOters. He made his best
terms with the thieves and bade them
return TO their thievery and leave him
the remainder in peace. The situation
changes. China and Japan are of the
same race. We know there is no ami
mostly so unrelenting as that between
kinsmen. China might bow to the
guns Of Europe, and return to her dor
mant, peace-loving ways. 1t will be
different as regards Japan. 1t will be
IN its largest sense an internecine war.
However or whenever il may end, the
outcome can only be the disintegra-
ton Of China by Russia, aided per-
haps by France, or a vendetta between
China and Japan TO last for centuries,
with consequences not to be contem-
plated without sorrow by those who
love Japan for her beauty, her art and
the charm Of her sincere, geutle, ex-
quisite ways.
Apart from this consideration, how
ever, which affects alone the combat
ants, there is a thought inspired by a
remembrance of what the Tartars did
in other days under the lead of Gen.
ghis Khan. For centuries China, so
far as the outer world is concerned,
has lain at peace-dOrmant, repellant
to what we call our civilization
wanting in enterprise, her people
walking in the paths of their fathers,
silent, Indifferent, perhaps contempt-
uous of mankind. The more than four
hundred millions who compose the
empire-compact, integral, bound to-
gether by laws, customs, literature
and faith, their ceremonies ordained a
thousand years before Christ-have
not for centuries troubled Christen-
dom. With territory as large as that
OF the United States, with every va
riety Of climate, with the finest of
water systems, and a soil as rich as
that of France-a soil whose every
acre Is fertile-the rivers and seas teem-
ing with fish her fish and rice alone
enable her to support a population that
may be estimated as One-third, or,
more probably, One-fourth, of the hu-
man race)-to awaken in this people
the war like spirit, TO compel the trans
formation Of China from the ways of
peace to those OF war, i 10 assume a
great responsibility.
HAS LONG REMAINED AT PEACE.
The apathy Of China has been ex-
plained upon many grounds, mainly
fanciful. In recent times she is the |
first nation, heather though she is, to
accept the divine admonition that !
peace on earth should be the highest |
aim of human endeavor. So, while |
civilized States, living under the ac- |
cepted sacred light of Christian truth, |
have undergone centuries of throat |
cutting and pillage until ii has become |
4 canon of our ethics that war must >
have its season for the good of society, /
that the generation is barren which I
knows no war, China has remained at /
peace.
Not only has she remained at peace,
but she has taught her people that |
war is a crime, and, the calling being /
criminal, that the profession of arms /
Is ungracious and undeserving of /
honor. This reverses the faith of 1
Christians since the days when the 1
Caesars won their crowns by the /
sword. a foolish, heathen fancy, no
doubt, but there is a good deal of the 1
New Testament in ii, and it has 4
proved an assurance of peace.
For If China since the Ming dynasty /
had been so far advanced in civiliza- |
tom as to realize that 10 god is so 4
deserving of worship as the God of .
War, history would now tell differ I
ent tale. II some modern Tartar ruler,
like Napoleon, had won the peoples .
confidence, shown them the imminent /
peril of their fine PHILOSOPHERS in the 4
mad, raging, warning outside world, 4
and, so doing, had armed China, civ 4
ilization would have had her problem.
The Chinaman contains within him
self every faculty OF the soldier. He
is fearless. He does not dread suicide.
He has extraordinary endurance. He
can march all day upon portion of
rice. With reverence as the basis of
his faith, he knows the law of Obedi-
ence. Moreover, the walking from
Moscow to Peking is good, as the car
avans Of the present day will attest.
II HUNG CHANG PREACHED THE
GOSPEL OF WAR.
China has not had her Napoleon to
awaken the memories and possibil-
ties of GeDghis Khan. If there has
been no violent movement as the re-
suit of so mighty an inspiration there
has been a slow, steady, glacier-like
tendency to edge away from the tradi-
tions and give the sword the e'plaee it
holds among Christian people. This
is due 10 the influence of Ii Hung
Chang, the Emperor's most powerful
subject and among the first to preach
the gospel of war.
/ saw q striking evidence of this
change some years ago. 1t was my |
duty to make an official visit to Ming
DO, and exchange eourtesies with the I
ruling Mandarin, in company with {
the late Admiral John Lee Davis,
then commanding our squadron in I
Asia. 1t was part of our mission to
impress our Chinese friends with the
4. = ,rsnlf ] Z