The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1900-08-23

Chinese have always held their own.
When the Tartar hordes swept down
from the north, they destroyed moth
ing in China except what they cut
down with a sword and wiped out with
torch. They did not impose Tartar
civilization upon the Chinese, and when
the final conquest of China was made
the conquerors adopted the civiliza-
ton. of the Chinese rather than force
their own upon them. 1t is this same
conservatism that causes the Chinese
in all parts Of the world to live in colo
MES by themselves with their own
forms of government, subject of course
to the general laws of the country in
which they live. But they do not
adopt foreign civilization and they do
not want foreign civilization imposed
upon China. Recently a Chinaman in
London, stating the case of his people
against Europeans, said:
Consider your missionaries. They come with a
new religion upon the main principles of which
they are bitterly divided among themselves. They
tell us that unless accept their doctrines we
ohdll ouhti tANiuhl punishment lnty iIiSHltu
our children and the weabminded of our
older people and create all kinds of discussions
between families and individuals. No wonder that
we will not tolerate them.
If we wanted your railways and machines we
could, of course, buy them. But we do not. We
have for them We have learned to do
without them. Yet you say you will force us to
buy them whether will no. Is that Just
I say it is an impertinence, an outrage. good
deal is made of the fact that we are not soldiers
Well, we have ceased to be soldiers because we
have become civilized War is barbarism The
effect of our having arrived at our present stage
Of civilization is that we have increased and
multiplied beyond every other race on the face Of
the earth. In spite OF great mortality, which
seems to be very shocking to you, although we
recognize in it only wise provision of nature
the Chinese race is increasing at greater rate
than any other people in the world.
We could if chose overwhelm the rest of
mankind. That we do not do is due to the per-
lection of our civilization, philosophy and our
morals. We number 40O,00O,00O human beings
and who could withstand us If we chose to assert
our power? Do you think we are unconscious of
it? On the contfory, understand it only too
well. Let the white races of the earth appreciate
the fact that we and not they are its masters
There have been 20 so called successful invasions
of China. But what has happened? Have invad
ers dominated the Chinese? No. The conquered
have absorbed their conquerors. All have become
Chinese. The very Jews who have come among us
have been absorbed by our race. thing which has
never happened elsewhere.
Let repeat that all the forces which divide
men in the west have practically no existence in
China Politics. religion, private ambitions, the
necessity for expansion, land hunger, gold hun
ger-all these have existence in China. You
think that beca use the Chnaman is inert, care
less and simple he is child. There never was a
greater mistake
He has learned the secret of being happy His
life is placid, and nothing troubles him so long
as his conscience is clear. There you have our
character in sentence. Let us alone, and we will
let you alone.
Ii Hung Chang is still more en-
phatic and speaks for the highest
minds in China. He declared in re-
cent interview, printed in the New
York Journal, that foreign missionaries
ask the Chinese people every day of
their lives to refrain from obeying the
laws of China. AS to the charge that
the Chinese play false in politics, the
viceroy says it is only what other ma
lions do constantly. Besides, tits done
under duress for self preservation. zone
great nation after another comes along
with knife at our Threats and wants
to rob us. AS long as we feel the point
of the steel we say, of course, what
you want us to say, but when the
danger is over we forget all about the
incident"
No nation, he says, respects the con-
tracts made at the point of the sword
after becoming strong enough to fight
the foe Only the envy, rivalry and
hatred of European powers save Chi
ma.
Ii Hung Chang has faith in his own
people. Looking forward to a clash
with the European nations, he says:
You criticise our sullen attitude. Do
you expect us to make love to you be-
cause you robbed us? All, we know
your programme we'll enough The
north for Russia, a good part of south
and central China for England, the
rest for France and Germany-so
it has been planned. We are to
retain nothing. Everything for the
foreigner, nothing for the Chi
nese. But one cannot do away with
5OO,O00,000 people by sleight Of hand.
1t may not be very difficult to defeat