The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-07
THE EASTERN SITUATION
VIEWS OF A FORMER MINISTER TO
CHINA AS TO THE PROBLEM.
AIIuring and Yet Full of Menace
What America Owes to the Flowers
Lnnd-LesSons II Has Taught.

John Russell Young, in New York Herald.
/ Much is written in these days upon China
I and the East The discussion sweeps INTO
the realm of romance We recall the fancl-
| full speculations when Mars was last IN
neighborly relation-the canals OF Mars
the mountains, the canyons, the sunshine
and the snow-the sublime hope, accepted
with breathless anticipation, that there IN
| Mars--and the ultimate stars-even as IN our
ow,. frail in1ammable earth, the principle
of human life had found eternal expression.
There was a fascination in the theme Ihey
could not reply. Averment was evidence and
! imagination had its way.
| Something Of this surrounds the discus
sions of China What is known of China !?
Wherein do we find standards of COMPARE
son? To be sure. we read Marco Polo ana
the Able Hue and many other writers, but
so far as the real China is concerned, it IS
unknown China as missionary field, as
a commercial venture, or tea plantation;
| China as a silk factory. or the authentic
home of fireworks and old blue. is not en-
tirely' unfamiliar But when that is known,
what do we know?
| China is the glacier among nations. 1t
| in a century. There is no problem as full OF
meaning. and perhaps of menace, so allur-
ing and yet deceptive. 1t was my privilege
to know for some years upon terms of init
macy an eminent statesman, who. begin
| ming his career in the East as a cadet in the
British consular service, became ambassa-
dor. mean Sir Harry Parkes, strenuous,
able, resolute man, renowned among those
makers Of empires whose genius has added
| so much to the luster of Great Britain.
| what do you think of Gilman? he was
asked one day.
II have been in the presence of it," he re-
piled, for nearly fifty years, and know
nothing about it,
! 1t is not reasonable that what perplexed
one of the most gifted statesmen of our
| century should be solved in moment by
| any buoyant young war lord at the head or
q crusade, even if bearing the cross In one
hand and the sword in the other. The work
| of the service is iconociasm, and history
! fails TO show wherein the cross has not lost
more than it gained as the outcome of con-
| quest and rapine.
There can be no conquest of China that does
| not imply rapine and no enduring authority
| that will destroy it's venerable civilization
LESSON TO BE LEARNED.
| If the holy emblem of our faith is invoked
as pious conformation of the crusade. then
we are to learn of China a lesson unlike
those taught by the experiences of Western
enterprise in other lands. The English in
voked the cross when the spirit of adventure
carried them to the Ganges. But when the
sword had done its work and English as
tendency was assured the cross was re-
manded to it's shrine and heathensm pro-
tected in it's rites and ceremonies. 1t was
not the cross that was considered, but COM
moditieS for London.
to the deepest sentiment in human nature,
but it has no practical bearing upon Chinese
adventures. Western ascendency In the
East under whatever standard = German,
English or French - means protection 10
heather gods and immunity to heathen rites.
The last time the cross was seriously in
voked as a pretext for rapine was under
Torquemada. That benevolent soul shares
with the Duke of Alva the pious dignity OF
welding the cross upon the sword. IL VIII
| not be repeated in China. The cross VIII
| have a humble Office in the new crusade.
/ German aScendency will mean the domina-
| ton of German arms, German monopoly OF
| industry and trade, the rule of China for
| what will best serve the German markets.
| The cross is not factor, and out or respect
| for the sacred symbol it may be put aside.
| We have at last, from the foremost states
man of China, a clear, definite opinion as to
| the merits of the present crusade, as seen
| from Chinese point of view. Ii hung
| Chang has Tor a generation Deeu the 0Sdu VI
| the government of China. He commanded
| the army which suppressed the TAPPING re-
| belion. He was summoned TO the north
| when the imperial authority was menaceo
steadily, resulting in massacre. He has
| steadily guided his country, so far as a
statesman may guide glacier. He has done
more than any other to bring China into
| friendly relations with the Western powers.
There is no injustice he has not striven to
remedy, no just demand he has refused, and
although swept into an unnecessary, disas-
| trous and humiiating war with Japan, he
| has made the best possible peace, ana FOL
| lowed that peace by an eIforL 10 impress the
| lessons of war upon the minds of his people.
| know of no more pathetic illustration of
| what patriotism can do in the dark hours of
a nations fate than what has been done by
| this illustrious statesman since the close of
| the war with Japan.
| Remembering this, we can understand the
import of the. message addressed by him
| through the columns of the Herald to the
| civilized world - none so important or
| worthy of respect since Theirs made his
| journey from palace to palace in Europe and
| pleaded the cause of his country.
PRAISE FOR FRANCE.
France has justified in the grandest man
rer with patience, assduity and industry,
! all that Theirs promised in her name. There
| is no reason why China should not real
| ize every anticipation of the Viceroy Ii
Hung Chang, if let to the working out of
her own destiny.
| Yes, but France was an enlightened
| Christian power, while in dealing with Chi
| na we are dealing with the forces Of bar
barism. What does China owe TO cur West
| ern civilization? She lived without us for
| centuries. She never fired a gun upon us in
| anger She followed her own ways and ac-
| oordng to her own light. even as people
| live in Armenia and Mexico Her religion
| was part of the faith which has consoed
| the largest part of mankind for ages. Her
| moral philosophy was the inspiration of a
] teacher venerated as among the wisest of
| men. She has taught as the virtues of do
nestle life. the honor due the father and
| mother as sacred those which came
from Sinai.
| She has learned the subtle laws of trade,
] and could teach Western communities the
| meaning of commercial integrity. She has
! attained the consummate lesson of peace
that war is crime, that the Staying of men
| is as compared with animating the souls of
men, an ignObe office.
Our civilization has never known a sorrow
| or felt stain because of China. To remain
1 at home. to mind her own business to move
1 with the tranquil years needless of the war
! ring world outsde-the world OF Alexander
! and Caesar and Napoleon--SO to administer
| her affairs that the greatest good falls upon
/ the greatest number to have achieved the
! felicity of a people without history-that is
the real China TO those who have seen it,
| know ii and mourn over the fate which
/ threatens to drag her under the rude com
! pelling swords of the West.
| What again. does China owe to the West
ern civilization? She has given us greatly,
/ and we are better because of her innocent
| benefcent Offices. Our answer has been
4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT and rapne. Opium for i'm
| stance British rule in India must be main
tanned The land must pay its millions.