The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-05
A DEFENCE OF THE BOXERS.
Claims in Their Favor Made by an
Associate.

Associate.
There is living in London-in fact. he
holds d high position in firm OF Eastern
merchants-a Chinese gentleman who has
for many years belonged to the Boxers
secret society in China. and with whom
representative OF the Express has had
most interesting interview. II is as
tonishing how much this terrible Boxer
mad to say for himself and his associates
lou English" he observed, speaking
our language with remarkable fiuency,
only look at Chinese matters from your
own point Of view. Oh, IL you could only
look at them from oursi Western ciyiliza
tfon Is to us mere mushroom 1t il a
thing Of yesterday. Chinese civiiiza-
tfon Is unnumbered thousands OF years
old. We consider ourselves at least 1000
years ahead of you.
There was time when we had. like
you. our struggle for life.' our race for
wealth. our ambition for power, our
haste and hurry and worry. We, too,
had your clever inventions-gunpowd
printing. and the rest-but we have lived
unnecessary all these things are. We have
also had our periods OF doubt. fanaticism.
and dissension in matters OF religion. We
have had cur martyrs, our reformation5.
our non-conformists. our intolerance and,
finally. our liberation. Yes, thousands OF
years ago.
But. as / say. We have outgrown 1t
all. From the experience OF past centuries
we have learned wisdom: from the mis-
takes and disasters Of our ancestors we
have learned that none OF the things for
which we strove were really worth striy
ing for. Our passions and ambitions have
settled down into a calm desire for hap
piness in this world; our religion is re-
duced to philosophy of life which the
test OF the last two thousand years has
proved to be absolutely sound.
I'VE believe that the best thing to pur-
sue in this life Is happiness. and We teach
Dur children that their happiness can
,nly be secured by the performance OF
iuty, by the observance Of moral and bust
less obligations and by surrounding ones
elf with a circle OF equally happy friends
md relatives. II Chinaman prospers be-
'Ond the lot which falls to his kindred he
Inds his greatest happiness in sd airing his
,ocd fortune with them. And in China
ve never cease to work. There is no such
hing as retiring from business. Work
8 part Of our pleasure, because it is part
# our duty.
I'VE believe in making the best OF this
life. which is the only one We know any
hing about for certain. That Is the Be
Ill and End All OF Chinese philosophy.
All through China you will find the same
evel, uniform pirit OF content. You may
hink We live lives of ignorance and
qualor and idleness. but / assure you It
s not SO. We are swell of as we want
o be, and no man can In owe on that.
Now, these being our circumstances.
'ou OF the Western world coine TO us
With what you call your new ideas. You
,ring Us your religion. ali infant OF nine
cen hundred years. You invite US 10
,uild railways so that We may fly from
'lace to place at speed which for US has
leither necessity nor charm. You want
o build mills and factories so as to de-
'ase our beautiful arts and crafts, and
roduce tawdry fnery in place Of the
eautiful textures and hues which VS.
ave evolved after ages Of experiment.
Against all this we protest. We want
o be let alone. We want to be free to
njoy our beautiful country and the fruits
our centuries Of experience. When we
SIX you to go away you refuse and you
ven threaten us II we do not give you
And now. having carefully considered
he matter. we OF the so-called Boxers
ociety have decided that the only way to
ct rid of you is to kill you. We are not
aturaliy bloodthirsty. We certainly are
ot thieves. But when persuasion and
-gument and appeals to your sense Of
Istice are of no avail we find ourselves
&c to face with the fact that the only
source is to put you out Of existence.
Consider your missionaries They
me. as 1 have said, with a new re-
yion, upon the main principles Of
hich they are bitterly divided among
They tell us that unless
e accept their doctrine we shall SUI
r eternal punishment. They frighten
IT children and the more weak-minded
our older people. and create all kinds
disselsions between families and in
Nc wonder that We Will not
'lerate them.
"If we wanted your railways and ma
lines we could, of course, buy them;
1T We do not. We have no use for
lem. We have learned to do without
lem. Yet you say you will force US
buy them. whether We will or no. Is
lat just2 I say it is an impertinence-
/ outrage good deal Is made Of
&c la: that ne are not soldiers Well,
e have ceased to be soldiers because
g have become civilized. War is
The effect of our having ar
we'd at our present state OF civiliza-
On is that We have increased and multi
led beyond every other race on the face
the earth. In spite OF our great
ortaiity (Which seems to be very
ocking to you. although we recognize
it only a wise provision OF nature),
T.
eater rate than any other people in
e world.
We could il We chose overwheIm the
st of mankind. That We do not do so
due to the perfection of our civilization.
r philosophy and our morals. We num-
4UO.oOO.oOO human beings. and who
lld Withstand US il We chose to assert
r power? Do you think we are uncon-
ous of it? On the contrary. We under
and 1t only too well. Let the white
,es of the earth appreciate the fact that
and not they are its masters.
There have been twenty so-caIled sue
sful invasions OF China. But what has
opened? Have invaders dominated the
inese? No. The conquered have alb
bed their conquerors. All have become
inese. The very Jews who have come
ong us have been absorbed by our race
thing which has never happened else
eTe.
Let me repeat that all the forces which
ride men in the west have practically
existence in China. Politics, religion,
vate ambitions. the necessity for ex-
nsion. land hunger. gold hunger-all
ase have no existence in China. You
nix that because the Chinaman is inert.
-eless and simple he is a child, There
yer was a greater mistake.
He has learned the secret of being
ppy. His life is placid, and nothing
,ubles him so long as his conscience
rIe,r There Won have MIR character in