The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-10-29
DIVERGENT VIEWS.

Length of stay in an Oriental country
does not always argue thorough know
ledge of the ways of thought of the III
habitants. At the time of the Indian
mutiny there were men who spoke the
venacular fuently, had been either as
military men or civilians connected in
timately with the natives for from
thirty to forty years yet these men
could not see the coming storm, and
could not believe it when it finally burst
over their heads sweeping ther1 away IN
the cataclysm.
The same is quite applicable to the
condition in China. One can now sne
the mutterings of the storm which cul-
minated in the attempt to massacre the
foreigners in Picking, and indeed the in
tention to drive all foreigners out of
China. But people who had lived a life
time in China, who were thoroughly ac-
uuainted with the vernacular, and were
on intimate terms with many Chinese
of prominence, had no inkling of the
coming catastrophe, and fully believed
in the lying DEGREES of the Chinese
court.
the diagnosis of the reform movement
in China, which is made by some of the
old residents is correct. They have been
so accustomed to the arbitrary power of
the court, that it must seem invincible
to them. But to the locker on from
distance this does not appear so irwin
chile. The power of the court has been
seriously shaken, and with Germany's
determined attitude and possible spring
campaign, is likely to the further
broken.
Again, Southern China has always re-
scented the rule of the Manchus. 1t is
in Southern China that the Reformers
are working. The Southern Chinese will
If they see DR.. Sun and the reformers
have initial success, flock to their stan
dard. 1t must be remembered that the
propaganda of the reformers is carried
on in the vernacular and that it is car
rled on by Chinese themselves, not by
foreigners Leung Chi-tso for instance
was entirely ignorant of English. There
is no word of religion in the propagan-
da. 1t is intellectual and practical.
Under such circumstances the spread
OF reform ideas may be far more rapid
than any of the old residents can be
made to believe. The regeneration of
China will come from within and NOT
from without. Because the regenera
ton from without has almost made no
progress, there is no reason why the
regeneration from within should not
make great progress.
The Tai Ping rebellion shook the
throne of the Manchus to its very foun-
dalton, and it probably would have con-
tinued far longer, and might even have
succeeded, had it not been for the Ame-
rlcans and English soldiers of fortune
who enlisted in the Imperial forces and
helped to drill them into effective troops
The imperial forces on this occasion
will have practically no assistance in
this direction, and what has already
been done for them, has been greatly
thrown out of gear by the success of
the allies. The revolutionary forces IN
the other hand, are likely to have
good deal of this kind of aid, both from
pollcy of the national governments and
from sympathy with people trying to
break through the tranimels of an ultra
conservative power, tyrranical power
which they hope to break.
In spite, therefore, Of adverse criti-
clsm upon the part of old residents in
emma the teachings of history show
us that the reform movement in South
ern China may become of very formi-
uaDie proportions and may ultimately
mould the future of part, if not the
whole of the country