The National tribune., 1900-10-04

of Pekin by itself was n matter Of con
graduation or not On the contrary, th'
fact that many are mourning over the
death of their friends and kin lately be
sieged in the Capital, while no hopefu
news of peace being restored make tn,
affair ridiculous, to say the least, in the
eyes of soberminded people.
Business is paralyzed. Stores keep OF
closing, and there are many cases of peo
pie escaping at night bankrupted. From
Il conservative estimate, it will take somt
years before the market will return to it
normal state. The presence of troops has
not restored confidence, but on the con
| trary capital is afraid and is locked away
| Even the courts and lawyers feel the trou
bic. There is no case going on in the
courts of any account. Matters are toe
| uncertain for people to go to law. 1t is
believed, though, that many cases invOiv-
| ing heavy damages in breach of contract
will come up when peace is restored
Goods. several millions worth, are stored
| in warehouses waiting for the consignccs
| to call for them. These have failed TO
appear. owing to the troublous times and
feeble market. Fortunately the foreign
importers and commission merchants are
alive to the critical state of affairs and
have refrained from taking to the courts
as yet for the remedy. No doubt there
will be heavy reckoning when the time
comes.
BLoODSHED AND VIOLENCE.
The bcheading of some 20 followers of
the reformer, Hang Yu-Chang Chih-tung,
has created bad impression among the
foreigners. This Eiccroy is supposed to be
one of the most progressive of Chinese
officials. OF course, he gave out that these
men were endeavoring to burn Harlow
and murder all foreigners, two acts in
consistent with the rcfOrmer'S followers.
Among the plottcrs were several students
sent to Japan for education by the Vice
roy himself. These tried to pass them
selves off as japanese, but were found
out Immediately on examination. The be-
headed ones have the general sympathy
of all foreigners.
From the north come horrible stories
Of violence and atrocities perpctrated by
foreign soldiers. The Russians especially
have distinguished themselves by the enor-
nifty and thOroughness of their henous
crimes. Natives are shot down on the
suffered the most. Not only woman
and young girls, but even old men,
women and young girls, but even old men,
are shamefully maltreated. In fact, no
body is safe in the north now from vio-
lence of foreign soldiers. The day of
reckoning is near, though, and then Woe
to the brutal Russians and others. The
CnineSe VIII then give surely no mercy,
and the terrible stories invented by for
cign correspondents during the late be-
sieging Of Pekin will be acted out in real
life.
Such violence will embitter the hitherto
Indifferent or even pro-foreign Chinese.
Sympathy and fellow feeling for one an
other is very strong in China, and the
of Chinese round Tien Tsin
and neighborhood will be amply revenged
in the future. 1t is a great pity that the
armies of so-called civilized
nations should behave so shamefully in
the land of benighted heathenism. No
wonder the ill-feeling against all foreign
ers should increase instead of diminish.
What good can come of Chinese reading
about the great good of foreign nations,
when their personal bitter experience gives
the contrary view? 1t seems such q pity
that nations should see nearly always the
worst representatives of each other. In n
and like China it is especially important, |
owing to the limited amount of travel and |
general pessimistic opinions of foreign M
ions, that the people should be favorably |
with our foreign friends. This |
chance is never given to our people, and |
intercourse only serves to make |
matters worse. Y. |