New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-09-23

THE Chinese themselves bracket missionaries
"and opium together as the twin curses OF the
'co,iniry, and although 1t Is true that among
christian converts have been men who have
shown under persecution all the characteristics
''of the early Christian martyrs. II Is equally true
that the ordinary foreigner carefully avoids the
employment Of the native Christian In any sub
"ordnate capacity, having found by experience
that In many cases he has only lost his native
"vrtues TO acquire foreign vices in their place.
Conversion to Christianity IL looked upon by
many natives merely as a means OF an easier
livelihood" Mr.. Curzon, in his problems OF the
Far East" says: in a country IKE China the
"instution Of sisterhoods planted alongside or
male establishments, the spectacle OF unmarried
persons Of both sexes residing and working to-
"gether both in public and in private, and OF
girls making long journeys into the interior
without responsible escort are sources Of mis-
understanding at which the pure minded may
afford to scoff. but which In many cases has
more to do with anti -misslonary feeling in China
than any amount of national hostility or doc
"trnal antagonism" THE London Standard
SAYS: I'VE have on all occasions maintained that
'our missionary work in China Is failure. In
"thls we are supported by the testimony Of trav-
"ellers, merchants. naval officers and represent
"atlyes of the civil branch Of our Government.
"The Chinese people do not want the Christian
religion" "'The Pail Mall Gazette says: THE
"mssonary is undoubtedly person of lnordinate
land announcement zeal. He must know that MS
"crecd acts as a blister upon the convictions OF
"the Chinese Even some OF his practces-es-
"pecially the adoption Of children by the Roman
"Cathollc priests-lend themselves TO the stories
chat circulate from village to village before inc
"secret societies raid the mission station. Inc
"goings and comings of European ladies are re-
"pardcd as - direct condemnation or Chihese
"fomjly life The missionary, however, dsre-
"gards his unpopularity and persists IN invading
"the Interior as II he had regiment or TWO at
"bs hack" In the same tone are the comments
~ "rbe ST Jamess Gazette" which says that the
missionaries are nearly useless for their supposed
.,urnose and force their way into regions where
they know they will be beyond the support OF
.ho,r Consuls and pursue their work without the
suchtes, regard TO native prejudices and an
tlpathies.
These are n few among many comments or the
British press and Of recent travellers In the has'
and while the other side IS not without lis cham'
MONS and expositors, the actual showing 'he'
mako IS not so favorable as these partisans ana
supnorters would like. IT seems an undouD'eu
fact that the Chinese do not want the CHRISTIAN
religion. nor any other except their own, Whlch
Is If great antiquity embodying a moral code
against which nothing can be said. ana that they
record the intrusion Of any other upon them as
an unworranted and exaspera< ng procedure TO
yvbich nothing but fear reconces them. In most
cases they would rather tolerate the missionaries
than have their heads cut off, but not IN all, as
the case OF the recently decapitated assasslns al
Ku-Cheng duly attests If there are any lessons
for the missionary workers or those VINO support
them in these censures. they VIII no douo' hho
them out and make good use of them Ihey nave
been nj work in those fields for nearly four hun
dred wears and the visible result does not seem
commensurate with such proracted and costly
effort. They may however. be safely trusted 10
state their case against all critics and antagonists
and the obligation to do so was never more ur-
gently laid upon them than now.