New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-19
REVOLT AND REFORMS ~ CHINA.

Current reports of reforms instituted ana
progress ordered by the Chinese Emperor may
be taken ms an indication Of the seriousness OF
the rebellion in that empire, which the I'm
perlnl Government is thus endeavoring to
smother with kindness" The nsurrection.
which has been under way for some weeks Is
known to be attaining formidable dimensions.
The latest report is that it has become general in
Ouang Sc and Human. Those are TWO important
provinces in the south of China, comprising parts
Of the valleys Of the West and lang-tse rivers.
Three or four other provinces in the central part
of the empire are also known TO be affected.
What is of the highest significance is the fact,
stated in the latest dispatches. that the literary
classes have joined in. and. indeed are actually
leading the Instruction That indicates that not
only the true Chinese but many OF the Manchu
Tartars are striving for the overthrow OF the
present dynasty and the opening Of China
after the manner OF Japan-for such are the
avowed purposes of the rebellion
In order fully TO appreciate the present sit
alton we must turn back the pages Of history
two and n half centuries. There was in the
first half Of tho seventeenth century a civil
war in the Middle Kingdom. or China proper
caused by a revolt against the Ming Dynasty
TRUE, UdllNt tUliltSt Wy HuSlai WIN ~ ihi 'Ni'
the throne for nearly three hundred years.
Being hard pressed, the Mngs welcomed to
their aid the Manchu Tartars Of the north TO
keep whom ont Of China the Great Wall had
formerly been built. The Tarars sup
pressed the rebellion. but then instead Of con-
firming the Ming Dynasty in its place, they
overthrow IT, and in 1643 established the pres
ent Tartar Dynasty of their own The Chinese
| fol
by their own domestic strife that they were
not able to eXpcl them. and so had TO yield TO
their sway. The Tartars then, to make their
stolen sovereignty secure, deliberately put 10
death all the native Chinese who were edu-
Gated, to the number. it is said Of several
| millions Only the iterate were left, and
| these were so ignorant that they did not know
the Manchus We're foreign invaders but We're
| deluded into believing they had descended from
heaven to rule the whole world. Since that
time the Tartars have kept the Chinese in pro-
found ignorance making II capital offence
for any Of them TO study or 10 teach history
| geography, or any such branch Of knowledge
Only the official class the Mandarns. are per.
mittcd to be educated. and they are all either
| Tartars or Chinese who have given full adj
! herence TO the Tartar Dynasty.
II Is in pursuance Of this same scheme OF
| Tartar domination that the prejudice against
| foreigners has been created and fostered. The
| Tartars realized that the Chinese could not bt
kept In ignorance If they had intercourse with
| the outside world. Under the old Ming by
| nasty IL will be remembered. the Chinese were
hospitable to foreigners But the Tartar con
| querors industriously propagated the notion
that all foreigners were devils, who visited
| China only to work evil. Thus they created
a prejudice In the minds OF the ignorant pop
| ulace. Europeans We're driven from the EN-
pire. And at frequent intervals since popular
| uprisings against foreigners. with riots and
massacrcs, have been melted and directed h,
the Tartar officials. There has scarcely beef
| one ant-forelgner outbreak responsibility fo
which has not been traced directly 10 some
| provincial vicerOy or other high official.
In spite of all this repression. the true Chi
nese are now beginning to understand the sit
| uatlon, and as already stated. many Of tn
| Tartar Mandnrns are coming to see that TIT
old Tartar system cannot be longer maintained
| without involving the empire in hopeless ruin