The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-11-08
THE FATE OF CHINA.
Pro 'essor Williams Says 1t Is snfe--tTho
Peculiar Ideas of the Chinese.

| 1ecua1nF IDEAS OF the Chinese.
The first lecture Of the course of six
on the Political Development Of Mod
ern China" to be given by Professor r,
Wells Williams, was delivered last eve
ming in room B, East Divinity hall. The
subject was The Manchu Conquest"
Professor Williams said in part:
THE fate OF China is supposed by
Europeans to hang in the balance to-
day. but a better knowledge of history
shows that she Is passing through one
of her periodical crises. from which she
is likely to emerge purged and benefit
ed, filter than ever for continuous ma
tional life.
The value of historical study is no.
where more satisfactorily indicated
than in such seeming riddles as that of
the despairing dynasty which startles
the world by it's misdeeds at Pekin. In
any other land the chaos and misrule
of China would be interpreted as a sure
sign of national disintegration. 1t is
painful and costly Of life. But in the
east the individual Is insignificant; the
great mass of the people understand
tenn of local conters and village home
rule protects the poor rather than the
rich middle class; and, further, the
peace-loving peasantry will not arise
unless actually driven to desperation by
want. Revolution, when it comes, is,
therefore, not desired as a means of
securing civil or religious freedom, as
in the west. 1t is solely to get rid of an
intolerable burden of misrule on the
and revere their institutions, AS they
obey their high laws they are willing to
submit to the punishment due to their
violation"
1t Is for this reason, of the Chinese
ideal of state that Professor Will
iams believes In this crisis the Chi
nese nation will continue united He
says: 1T Is this adherence to certain
ideas, moulded into system Of ethics,
philosophy and politics, that In China
takes the place of loyalty to a liege and
of patriotism. The Asiatic loves his
country and cheerfully serves his king,
as does the European. But far above
king and country is the ideal of the
perfect state, to attain which ne Is will
ing to overthrow the one and submerge
the other by rebellion. The process, he
ION ituSG2, uEdiuuuo, Jul Wy ~
as through a series Of rebirths, he Sc
cures eternal empire for his idea. The
normal life of Asiatic dynasties Is linn
tied to the career of their great found
ers and their immediate successors.
Then follows the deterioration In fibre,
mental and physical, that is inevitable
in the lives of absolute monarchs the
world over.
I'm so great and old land as China,
however, the national fabric is not de-
by either long periods Of mis-
rule or spasms Of change. This Is true,
first, because the admirably elastic sys-
part of the people; and on the part of
the mandarins to get possession of the
tax machine and source of power. The
professed motive of revolution Is to re-
turn to the ancient principles Of gov
long neglected by the relgning |
house, and success is always right In
this issue.
This theory Of righteous revolution |
Ia based upon the idea that the sover
sign reigns for the good of his people /
not the contrary, as In some ruling |
families. If the Son of Heaven rules
badly revolt is not criminal, but the
instrument of heavens awful villas
are drought plague, famine and flood,
It is thus that q conception of divine
is coupled with the ORR
,ntal idea Of right divine to rule SUI
oreme.'
Professor Williams then pointed out
hat the Manchus who had got the as
,endancy in China obtained 1t by the
consent of the Chinese, and that the
Chinese have not been living, as is often
lleged under the yoke of a hated for
igner during two and O half centuries.
hey accepted him as q deliverer from
nisrule and they have never as a ma
ion regarded him as an alien. The
danchu in turn has thrown off every
race of his primitive civilization and
malgamated thoroughly with the Chi
aman, his creed and his institutions,
lie has been maintained In power by
ubjects who understood the meaning
f contract and have supported him
S long as he was faithful to Chinese
radtions.
If the recent deterioration and distress
apparent in the empire now {
an be traced by the mind Of thought
ii Chinese to Manchu misgovernment ,
he doom of the dynasty Is sealed. The
involving the present cri- T.,
s are complicated by the intrusion of
,reigners from across the sea, q per-
city new element in East Asiatic pol
les and one, therefore, with which the
hinaman cannot safely reckon, To
,mprehend the historical revolution of
e present situation we should follow
70 main lines Of investfga tion the
anchu conquest and the coming of the
lropeans.