The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-08-03
The China and Japan War.

Hostilities having actually begun,
and somewhat too suddenly to suit
China, and before we are fully aware
of the cause, we have gathered the
following information upon the mat
ter for the edihcation of our readers
and which we believe to be the gist Of
the trouble.
The seat of the present conflict is
the Kingdom of Corea, peninsular
province of China. 1t has been so
badly governed as to incite rebellion
not unlike that of our own struggle
for independence against tyrannical
and intollerably oppressive rulers. The
causes are quite similar, though actu-
ated from dissimilar religious and po-
litical motives no doubt. God only
knows the weight of religious senti-
ment and influence that may be fac
tor in the matter, since the most no.
bic and worthy evolutions have thus
far been wrought out in Gods provi-
dence through the terrible medium of
war
Whatever the ultimate effect may
be is, of course, only to be conjec-
tured according to individual proph-
ecy based upon what we may know of
past evolutions for mans common
betterment through war. But this fact
is quite apparent, namely, the Coreans
were stripped SO clean of everything
by their tyrannical rulers called mobiles
(no doubt gentlemen of leisure pos.
sessed Of a superabundance of wives,
wine and opium that not even enough
to eat was left the poor serfs. AS for
rats, rice and tallow, there is no infor-
nation from the seat of war to show
that even they are within reach of the
hungry Coreans. And as to religious
innovations looking towards a more
mercllul condition for these subjects,
they too, have met with disfavor, and
Christian missionaries are in immi-
nent danger
The lower classes in Corea have for
years untold been but little more than
slaves to the so-called nobility. But
the exactlons of the government of
late years have been particularly mean,
stripping everything they could scratch
out OF the earth away from them, and
so closely as to leave them actually
distressed with hunger for the little
and simple food they require to sus-
tain life.
If the God who gave the cruelty
oppressed Children of Israel their lib
erty, and all other enslaved nations
from that day TO this, has for pity sake
come to the rescue even in heather
lands, then all hell and heathendom
combined cannot successfully resist
the inevitable.
The present outbreak was therefore
the result OF internal strife between
China and her subjects on the PENN
sula Of Corea, and because of oppres
sion. No less than 1900 incendiary
Coreans took up arms against the gov
ernment and its officials; and they
succeeded in twice defeating the
Kings soldiers and in massacreing
many Of the officials. The Coreans
in turn were also overpowered and
most cruelly treated as rebels on sew
eral occasions.
But the Coreans have been SO com
pletely robbed of everything edible
that ;he Kings troops sent there soon
find themselves hungry also.
The rebels are said to have the
sympathy of the vast majority Of
heathens and Christians alike in Cores
as well as the fighting sympathy o
Japan. Japan carries an old teuo
dating back many years. And the
| Formosan troubles Of the past has lef
! b'15cr prejadices in heathendom pref
judices in fact, SO deep and lasyirg a
10 make actgal warfare, with all it
Y terroIs lom the Chriatian's point o
! view, a revengeful qualification.
Ihorsh some apparent effort ha
bcen made il beha,! Of peace and hu
name settlement of the trouble by en-