Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-12-04

Inc Following message from the
President of the United States was read
in both houses of congress yesterday,
the reading by the secretaries consum-
ing one hour and ffty-four minutes:
MESSAGE.
To the Senate and House of Represent
tatives:
AT the outgoing OF the old and the
incoming of the new century you begin
the last session of the Fifty-sixth con-
gress with evidences on every hand of
individual and national prosperity and
Win PROOF OF the growing strength
and increasing power for good OF re-
publican institutions. Your country
men Will join with you in feicitation
that American liberty is more firmly
established than ever before, and that
love for it and the determination to
preserve 1t are more universal than at
any former period of our history.
Inc republic was never so strong,
because never so strongly intrenched
IN the hearts of the people as now.
The constitution, with few amend
ments, exists as 1t left the hands of its
authors. The additions which have
been made to it proclaim larger free
uom and more extended citizenship.
LoPular government has demonstrated
IN us one hundred and twenty-four
years of trial here it's stability and Sc
curity, and its efficiency as the best in
strument OF national development and
inc pest safeguard TO human rights
Wnen the Sixth congress assembled
IN November, 1850, the population Of
the United States was 5,3OS, 4S3 1t is
now 7G.304,799. Then we had sixteen
States. Now VIC have forty-nye Then
our territory consisted of 9O9.O5O square
miles. 1t is now 3.S46.59 square miles.
Education, religion and morality have
Kept pace with our advancement in
other directions, and while extending
us power the government has adhered
to it's foundation principles and abated
none of them in dealing with our new
peoples and possessions. nation so
preserved and blessed gives reverent
thanks to God and involscs His guild
ance and the continuance of His care
and favor.
TIE CHINESE PROBLEM.
In our foreign Intercourse the domi-
nant question has been the treatment
of the Chinese problem. Apart from
this our relations with the powers have
been happy
The recent troubles in China spring
from the nnti-foreign agitation, which
Tor the past three years has gained
strength in the northern provinces.
Their origin lies deep in the character
OF the Chinese races and in the tradi-
tons OF their government. The Tai
ping rebellion and the opening of
Chinese ports to foreign trade and set
tlement disturbed alike the homo
geneity and the secluson OF China
Meanwhile foreign activity made it
self felt in all quarters. not alone on
the coast, but along the great river
arteries and in the remoter districts.
carrying new ideas and introducing
new associations among primitive
people which had pursued for centuries
q national policy Of isolation.
The telegraph and the railway
spreading over their land the steamers
plying on their waterways, the mer-
chant and the missionary penetrating
year by year farther to the interior,
became to the Chinese mind types of an
alien invasion, changing the course of
their national life and fraught with
vague forebodings of disaster to their
beliefs and their self-control.
For several years before the present
troubles all the resources of foreign
diplomacy. backed by moral demon
STATIONS of the physical force of fleets
and arms, have been needed to secure
due respect for the treaty rights OF
foreigners and to obtain satisfaction
from the responsible authorities for the
sporadic outrageS upon the persons and
property Of unoffending sojourners.
which from time to time occurred at
widely separated points in the northern
provinces, as in the case OF the out
breaks In SZc-cnucIl anu oHdU-luIlS.
Posting of anti-foreign pacards ne
came n daily occurrence, which the
repeated reprobation Of the Imperial
power failed to check or punish. These
innammatory appeals to the ignorance
and superstition OF the masses. menda-
cious and absurd in their accusations
and deeply hostile in their spirit could
not but work cumulative harm. They
aimed at no particular class OF for
eigners: they were impartial In attack
Ing everything foreign.
An outbreak in Shan-tung In which
German missionaries We're slain, was
the too natural result of these malevu-
lent teachings. The posting OF sedi-
tious placards, exhorting to the utter
destruction of foreigners and of every
foreign thing. continued unrebuked.
Hostile demonstrations toward the
stranger gained strength by organiza-
ton.
The sect. commonly styled the
Boxers. developed greatly I'm the
provinces north of the Yang-Tse. and
with the collision of many notable Of
ficials, including some in the immedi
ate councils of the Throne itself be-
came alarmingly aggressive. No for
eigners life. outside of the protected
treaty ports. was safe. No foreign in
terest was secure from spoliation.
The diplomatic Representatives. OF the
powers In Pellin strove In vain To