The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-06-16

OUR TROUBLE WITH CHINA.

News Of the massacre OF missionaries
IN China has failed OF confirmation and
the probability is that the later dis
patches. limiting the trouble to destruc-
ton Of property are correct But there
4 reason to believe that the trouble is
not ended yet II has its origin in long
standing grievance for which the Amer
.can missionaries are not to blame but
which is charged TO the account OF all
foreigners.
While the missionary is. from our
standpoint. a gentle evangelist. carrying
10 the heather tho story OF Christ and
the promise OF redemption. he does not
always present the same phase TO the
benighted heather. On the contrary, the
benighted heather is very apt. I'm his
stubboruness OF heart and pride of ira
ditlon, to look upon the missioner as an
annoying intruder who Is seeking to dis
turb tho profoundly cherished religious
belief Of thousands of years By intro
ducing a new heresy barely nineteen
hundred years old aud split mp into num-
berless sects and creeds. all claiming to
be the Christian church.
Something OF this kind has occurred
in the province OF Szchnan. the scene of
the recent disturbance. Remotely 1t had
It's rise in the appropriately OF the mis-
sionaries. but moro Immediately IL was
oscasioaed by the news that foreigners
were TO have special privileges under the
Japanese treaty. 1t seems that the peo-
pie or the province consider that they
have been cheated by the treaty OF 1860
with tho French and English. wherein.
(, is claimed those foreigners acquired
for their missionaries tho right 10 own
land by virtue OF "a provision surrepti-
tlously introduced. Tntii that time the
Chinese refused 70 grant ownership of
land 10 foreigners. especially mission
aries. outside OF the treaty ports. but I'm
the treaty Of 1859. the words "and else
whore" extends tho right. They are said
80 have been inserted by the secretary of
tho French treaty commissioners. 1t had
been agreed 10y the nations that In case
az any question or trouble regarding the
text OF the treaty, tho treaty being in
three languages. French. Chinese and En-
slish. the French version would be the
criterion. When the treaty was signed
tho English discovered that French in
tcrpolation and offered 20 release the
Cinnamon. hut the latter said that they
signed Il with their eyes wide open. And
80. ahlle II is legal for the missionaries
20 hold land under that treaty, II is true
that there Is popular odium attaching
IN the Chinese mind 20 any such proceed
ing. ana the more Eo on account OF that
ola and really dishonorahle transaction
The province OF Szchnan has a popula-
ton OF about to0oo.e'a. and the city wher,
tho trouble occurred. Chengtoo. has al
suost as many people as Chicago. 80 tha'
the handful Of missionaries would be 81
quite disadvantage. The wonderful whit,
wax comes from this province. II Is on,
OF the nsarvels OF insect life. as II Is ~,
secretion due - disease artinciauy propa
stated among species OF blind coccus.
French gunl~oat has started up rive,
10 Chenx'oo. a distance os 100 miles. al
though only ilo0 miles distant from IN,
coast en- a bee line. Il will probably b,
found that the trouble was foneuted p,
students who. every three years. gather a
the chief cities to submit TO examination
for ONCE. because China has a sort OF civil
services reform system OF her own. sn,
badly needs It's extension.