The Savannah morning news., 1900-07-21
MANCHU AND CHINESE.
The Racial Division in Its Relation
to Contemporary Events.
Letter in New York Sun.

Letter in New York Sun.
If it be true, as is now generally be-
lieved, that the foreign ministers have
been murdered at Pekin, it will not be
the first time that the Chinese have been
guilty of such outrages. In fact, the
Manchu dynasty. of which the Emperor
Kwangsu is the present representative,
owes its origin in part TO the murder of
an ambassador in the early part of the
seventeenth century.
In 1918 Noorhachu. Prince of the Man
chu tribe of Tartars, declared war
against Waulch of the Ming dynasty,
then Emperor of China He issued proc
lamation known in Chinese history as
the proclama ton of the Seven Hates"
because it contains seven reasons for his
hostility, one of which was that the Chi
nese had murdered his ambassador. For
these reasons" said Noorhachu, II hate
with all intense hatred and now make
war on you" In the course of this war
Noorhachu captured Li-on-Yang, the cap
itol of the Chinese province of Li-on-ting.
The garrison was massacred 10 a man,
and the people of the town were required
to shave their heads in token of submits
sion 90 their conqueror.
Boulger. in his history OF China says:
rs
a practice that is now universal in China,
and that has become what might be called
a national characteristic tic. The badge of
of conquest has changed to a mark of ma
tonal pride but it is strange to find
that the Chinese themselves, and the most
patient inquirers among sinOogues are
unable 10 say what was the origin OF the
pigtail. They cannot tell us whether shaw
ing the head was che national custom of
hot Haar aal1ta 11x-
conceived the happy idea of distinguish
ing those who surrendered to his power
among the countless millions of the long
haired people of China. All that can be
said of the origin of the p!gtail is that 1t
was first enforced as a badge of subjuga-
ton by the Manchus at the siege of Lii
on-Yang, and that thenceforward, until
the whole of China was conquered, 1t was
made the one condition of immunity from
massacre
No1rhachu kept up a successful war
against China until his death in 1926 His
son and successor, Taitsong, prosecuted
the war tn gor, and after overrunn'ng
the gre ter part of the provinces of Shan
s. and Pechhh, was about to at ack the
city OF Pokin, when he died in 1913. He
was succeeded by his son Chuntche. dur
ing whose minority Prince Dorgun, broth
er of Tel Song. acted as regent. Under
his administrator Poku was captured
and the young Emperor was inaugural
ed in that Il with great pcnp and err
ernony The captur, e gekin was fol-
lowed by the subjUgation Of the southern
provinces and the last Ming Emperor
Ecu Wang, put an end to himself and his
dynasty by suicide at Nantin.
The Manchus of that day, though COM
paratively insignificant in numbers. were
not only better soldiers but shrewder
statesmen then the Chinese. They owed
their triumph as much to their success in
bribing and corruptinE the Chinese gem
Gals as to their suDeriori I'm arms. Whed
a rebel chief brought 10000 Of his fol-
lowers to the Manchu standard, Taitsong
aid to him: NO thought Of re- gret should
enter your h. art at Passing into my SER
vice With the help Of COL. | hope To
preserve for us all a great empire and
il / succeed there are no h nors or ri hes
to which you cannot look forward If you
serve me faithfully" Such promises at
tracted many adventures. At the same
time Tait5org spared no rains to make
himself pc pular in the terri cries his arm
les overran. He posed the friend of the
people. established schools in which Chi
nese was taught; instituted civil service
examinations and bestowed military ana
civic dlgnties on the NATIVES who attach
cd themselves to his fortunes. In addi-
on to ell this he profess,d h mself te-
ever in the doctrines OF Con fucius. and
even his enemies were obliged 10 admit
that his practice conformed much more
10 the teachings of their great sage than
that Of the Ming Emperor. For nearly
four hundred years the Manchu dynasty