The Portland daily press., 1895-01-21

remained in their places. In Pekin, and
elsewhere throughout the land, mission
airy work is carried forward without on
struction. A letter recently received
from the deputy director of the emma
Inland Mission, which has more than
600 missionaries scattered throughout
China, says: $50 far our missionaries
in the interior are allowed to remain and
labor i'll peace. Letters from other mis-
slonarles are to the same effect. Ihus
far the missionaries of the seven stations
of the A merican board in North China
have continued at their posts, engaged
In their usual labors. 1t is very true
that the minds Of the people in North
China are more or less disturbed by the
fact of the war and by the many rumors
IN regard to its evens. None the less the
presence and Kindly attitude OF the mis-
sIonarles create confidence i'll them and
III the message they bring. When peace
returns it is not unlikely that the seed
sown will yield rich harvets. AS
matter of prudence the operation of the
girls school, in some cases, has been
curtailed by returning pupils from
distance to their homes.
The enemies of Chinese Christians are
ready on every occasion to raise rumors
to their detriment, but no cases of de-
lection of converts owing to such rumors
have come to my knowledge. The pro-
clamation of the Emperor, posted every
where. TO the effect that the war had
nothing to do with Western nations or
with the missionary work, which was to
go on as usual without molestation, had
very reassuKing effect upon the timiu,
and acted also as great restraint upon
any who would foment disturbances.
1t is nc t to be expected that the war
will bring men Into the church. War is
not sucE an agency. Still it may re-
move obstacles and prepare the way for
preaching. At all events men will be
convinced that Christianity has come to
stay. Before the war it was there; dur
ing the war it pursued it's onward course;
and after the war the same gospel will
be preached Stability in times of
trouble will give confidence, and men
will be more ready to listen to it's truths.
What will be the effect upon the
Chinese nation at large? Without doubt
ated. They are SO already. To be de-
feated in almost every engagement, to be
driven out of tributary kingdom, to
have their strongest fortresses captured
their armies driven back, their capital
menaced, and all this by nation which
they have always despised as far inferior
to themselves-can anything more
humiliating be conceived than this?
With the common people the Iaboring
classes the matter will end here. With
them the getting of their daily bread is
the one concern, and they leave national
interests to the government.
Will the government the literary classes
and the business men of China also re-
main unaff cted? They have been taught
by grand object lesson the futility of
their old methods, and the necessity of
adopting the new. They have had OBJ
ject lessons in naval warfare and warfare
by land; object lessons in military dis
cipline and in providing suitable aTmor
for their troops; object lessons in con-
Quoting a campaign and in the treatment
of prisoners and the wounded. Better
lessons could hardly have been given.
The nations have been surprised, not less
at the thorough equipment of the Japan
esq army and navy, the bravery of their
soldiers and the strategy of their gen
erals, and at the humanity displayed in
the treatment of Chinese prisoners, and
the kind care of the wounded, and that
under the greatest pro@ocation to a con-
trary course.
In the month of Novemb Der last, the
writer in passing through the city Of
Osaka was permitted to visit the wound
ed Chinese prisoners. There were 40 of
them in all. They were quartered in the
largest temple in Osaka. Japanese mat
tresses were laid upon the floor for them
to sleep upon. They were furnished with
sufficient bedding and abundant food.
The best medical and surgical aid was
afforded thep, the surgeon in charge,
DR.. Chang Kou Huai, having received
his medical education in Berlin. They
conversed freely with me and seemed
cheerful. happy and very thankful. Only
one of them, it was thought, WAS NOR
tally wounded. The prisoners not
wounded were treated with correspond
ing clemency and were well cared for in
l. l. L
early in the war Chinese governor
offered 100 taels for the head of a Japan
ese private, and double that amount for
the shead of an officer, such treatment
of Chinese prisoners by the Japanese is
the more remarkabl BILE. Nor is it greatly
to be w wondered at if in a single instance
at Port Arthur, the cruelties Of the
Chinese provoked retaliation.
!! Will these object lessons, set before the
Chinese by people who IS years ago
looked up to them for their civilization,
and who still study the Chinese classics
in their schools be lost upon the nation?
Will they still stand looking backward
to their ancient kings and sages? Or will
they see that new times aresupon them
and act accordingly? The first alterna-
tive will mean gradual partitioning
of Chinese among the European powers.
The second, the awakening of great
nation to consciousness of its strength
and it's coming forth to play conspiGu-
Gus part in the politics of Asia.
The Christian church is mainly con-
cerned with the spread of the gospel in
these two nations. They may become
warlike, but not Christian, may adopt
in part the civilization of che west. With
each new crisis, we Christians should
arouse ourselves anew to obey the Great
Command.
The board, which is conducting large
work in Japan with and for the Japan
ese, has just received a communication
from Rev. j. H. Pettee. one of this efficient
missionaries in Okayama, which says:
"All extra time and strength and
money Iand some that isn't extra) is de-
voted to work for soldiers at Hiroshima,
100 miles west of Okayama. That city
is now the military headquarters of the
nation. Rev. II LOOMS, field secretary
of the Bible Society, has personally dis
tributed about 400 Testaments or por-
tions, nearly all being gratefully re-
ceived. The four Protestant denomina-
tions working there are united in this
unique service, and seem to he accom-
plishing much good. "All the mission
aries in this half of Japan have expressed
their interest and willingness to help BY
appointing committee of five, one from
each of as many leading missions, to
sunerintend and direct all such