The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1894-11-24

standing the sympathy for Japan
which prevails among us,-a sympa-
thy that doubtless arises largely from
our shameful hatred of the Chinese
among us; and the counter-char-
ges of Chinese treachery with which
Japan seeks to excuse her own offense
will not exonerate her.
The charge against Japan is we'll
summed up by the Washington cor
respondent of the Boston Transcript
in a half-scientifc, half-historical ar
ticle on Japanese antiquities in the
Smithsonian Institution as follows:-
"With all their politeness, the Jap.
anese have established a reputation
for ferocity. It will be remembered d
that quite recently they have been
saying that it was hardly necessary
to strictly regard the laws OF civilized
warfare in fighting against such bar
barians as the Chinese, and the charge
that in late battle they killed several
hundred pig-tailed sailors as the lat
terwere struggling in the water seems
to be pretty we'll substantiated.'
The quarrel between China and
Japan over Corea is of long standing.
A few hundred years ago the Japan
ese practically destroyed Corean civil
ization by forcibly deporting to Japan
all of the Corean artist and artisan
class. From this blow Corea has
never recovered; and Japan is chiefly
responsible for the low state of the
Corean civilization oftoday, although
the present generation of Japanese
cannot Justly be held responsible for
the deeds of their ancestors.
If the present war should be con-
fined to the two nations now engaged
in hostilities, it is to be hoped that no
serious results to civilization will fol-
low. Certain it is that no friend of
humanity could do ootherwise than de-
plore any real disaster to either China
or Japan. But, if Europe should be-
come involved in the quarrel, the effect
on both European and Asiatic civili-
zation may be appalling, and those
responsible for the failure to al bitrate
the dispute will deserve the execration
of their fellow men.
1t is the fashion for the Western
world to commend Japan for her pro-
gressive spirit and condemn China
for her excessive coRser 1tism. But
it should not be forgotten that com
petent critics declare that the Chinese
have solved social, economical, and
political problems that are taxing the
brains of our students today More
over, newspaper correspondent who
recently visited Japan gives it as his
opinion that the adoption of Western
ideas has not proved an unmixed bless
ing to Japan, for he finds more want
and misery in that country today than
was to be seen during a previous
visit about twenty years ago. 1t may
be the highest wisdom for China to
be slow in adopting doubtful Western
ways. Furthermore, Christian mis-
sionaries find Chinese conservatism
an Invaluable trait in their converts
of the Celestial Empire who prove
far more steadfast in their Christian
life than other races who are more
easily converted, but also more given
to backsliding. A Chinaman once
converted can be depended upon.
Finally, after all this criticism, let
it not be thought that the writer con-
siders the American people more hui
manethan the Japanese. On the con-
trary, we have within recent years
been guilty of far worse atrocities
than that for which we condemn Jap
an in the Kow- Shing affair, the star
wing by our government of peaoeable
Indians on their reservations, the
slaughter of Indian women and chill
dren in our border wars, and the
lynching and torturing to death of
negroes, forbid our condemning Jap
an very severely.
BELFAST, n. Y.