St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-07-25
Sparks that Caused the Chinese Ex-
pIoSiOn.
An Able Statement of the Case by an
American Diplomat.

Hon. Charles DENLY, ex-minister to
China, writes the New York Sunday
World on the causes Of the Chinese upris-
ing and his resume of the situation will
prove very interesting reading.
However we'll acquainted with China
an observer may be, unless he has been
on the ground recently and has watched
events his opinions may be entitled to
little weight. Even the views OF men
now in China should be received with
many allowances. for all shades of opn-
ion are represented there.
The missionaries, who constitute a
preat-perhaps the most numerous-part
of the foreigners, look only to the spirit.
nal side of the questions. To them the
supreme object is the spread of religion,
and they would welcome any govern
ment which would insure them and their
converts freedom and protection.
Counsels from other foreigners are con-
trolled by the influence OF trade and COM
MERGE and by the action of their respect
i've governments. The merchants and
promoters want greater freedom of inter-
course, the right to manufacture, to
build railroads and work mines.
To the foreigner generally the Chinese
are interiors. Nothing that they do is
proper, and they have no right that any
white man should respect. 1t is perfectly
natural, right and proper to him that
the empire shall be partitioned. 1t is
even the duty of the white race to take
this inferior race under its protection.
Every European nation is supposed to
desire to do this, because Europe is
crowded and room must be found for the
young athletes of the West.
Evidently the most of the foreigners in
China are convinced that the Empress is
antagonlstic to the foreign element She
has been dubbed Anti Christ" and she
is supposed to stand in the way of pro-
gress and OF all foreign ideas.
She ruled China from 1861 to 1899 It |
was a troublesome time. For the first
time in the history of the empire diplo-
matte relations existed in 1861 between |
China and the so-called barbarians. For |
the first time the flags of all the import
ant nations flew in the imperial city.
For the first time there was a Foreign |
Office From an isolation as deep as |
that of Thibet China suddenly entered |
the arena of international intercourse.
The war waged against her by the allies
had left her overwhelmed with astonsh-
ment at her impotence. Up to that time
her rulers believed that the whole world |
was subject TO the Emperor. Now she
had to treat with foreigners; to discuss
International questions with them to
protect their enterprises; to see new laws
enforced by strangers IN courts in which
she was powerless.
She had made treaties with the Eu-
ropean and American powers of whose
bearing and effect on her people she knew
nothing whateyer. If she had known
the true meaning and the probable effects
of the treaties she never would have
signed them. A few of the Chinese Off
Gals studied the treaties, but the most of
the inferior officers and all the people re-
manned absolutely ignorant of their
contents.
Great credit is due the Chinese states.
men that they were able to administer
intellgently the provisions OF the treaties
and they were greatly assisted by the
foreign representatives.
Who can say, then, that China did not
do fairly we'll during her novitiate into
the family of nations? The electric tele-
graph was introduced in all the provinces.
Every stream was open to the keels of
all nations. The imperial maritime Gus
toms and a national post-office were
established. Unfortunately, riots were
common, but China paid liberal dam
ages. Missionaries went where they
pleased, settled down, bought land and
built houses. Many fine institutions
were started commerce flourished; for
elgn banks became common elegant lit
tie foreign cities were built here and
there; railroads began to be reconstructed.
II did seem that China, like Japan,
would work out her own salvation. 1t
seemed that with peace and tranquility
the time would come when in her borders |
the foreigners would be as safe as in Eu- |
rope or America.
But the Japanese war OF 1894 rudely |
broke into the pleasing contemplation OF S
progress. 1t dissolved all illu- c
sions and lett the great giant shriveled S
INTO pigmy. Let Japan take to her J
soul the wretched lesson that for momen- c
tary gorihcation she wounded to the O
death her Eastern sister. S
After the navy was annlhilated, and Il
the army, what there was OF it, had TAX Il
en- its lances home, it was apparent that a
all the world could insult, ravage and
loot China with impuuity. 1t was the t
Did story of the traveller tied to a tree r
and robbed by passer- by who had been S
asked to assist him SO the merry round S
and without explanation, ST
argument or reason Germany, Russia, r.
England and France demanded and re- p
.elyed concessions of territory. a
VI all these the only one that had any t
,xcuse is Russia. terminus for her p
great railroad which would not freeze up II
vas a necessity. She might have got it
II Corea and left the nation which she +
lad promised to protect against all COM Il
RS untouched. 1t would have been bet Ct
err Tor her, and for China, too. Il
There is about Russian diplomacy d. CO
ectness, a aghtforwardness which is
dmlrable. She simply makes up her k
nlnd as to what she wants-and then W
axes it. What other people say about a
ne matter does not concern her. Her II
lplomatists work for their august e.
naster," and nobody else. tt
VIII the world ever do an honest So
hing? When Germany siezed Kaiochow tt
Why did not the powers, or some of them, W
rotest? Was there ever in history III
1ore spendid opportunity to do an act W
i simple justice?
And now see the result of all the rob- re
cry that has been going on. The En- r