Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-08-25

L
| his post on the representations of Ger
many, but has nevertheless been held
| in high favor by the court ever since.
| As a matter of fact the empress dow
ager was far from desiring the sup
| preston of the Boxers, and in edicts
| promulgated from time TO time against
| secret societies. which are all Illegal
in China. a fine discrimination was
| shown between other societies of a less
| seditious tendency and the Boxers,
who are described as peacefully prac-
ticing athletics and learning gymnas-
tics for self indulgence and TO protect
| their homes and villages. The empress
| dOwager, not only as the representa-
tive of the Mantchoo Tartar dynasty.
so hated by the Chinese, but also be-
| cause of her pro-Russian sentiments
and the foreign encrCachments she
| has permitted. has become intensely
| unpopular throughout China.
Ever since the coup d'etat she has
felt more and more the pressure from
without. and. deprived by the evident
pOwerlessness OF the government and
her antireform measures of the SYM
patty and support Of n very large sec
ton of the Chinese people, she mag
ined that by secretly encouraging the
antiforeign movement she might at the
same time get rid of uncomfortable
neighbOrs and reinstate herself in the
sympathies of the Chinese. Under her
protection, however, the society which
was TO have done her dirty work as
sumed proportions which she was not
able to control. The Boxers took for
their motto Uphold the dynasty, ex-
tirpate the foreigner" and in so doing
they alienated at once n large proper
ton of the better class of their cOun-
trymen. who realize the effeteness Of
the Mantchoo dynasty, and at the same
time they attracted TO their standard
q motley crowd Of the lowest and poor
est of the people, who merely wished
to participate in the lOotinG of the
foreign devils and of native Christians.
China has been well called the
classic ground of revolution" The
country has hardly ever been free from
such disturbances in one part or the
other, and with the experiences of the
past and the warnings uttered with no
uncertain voice by those on the spot
for the last six months II is eXtraor-
binary that the present crisis should
have taken this country so completely
by surprise. \ lesson might well have
been learned from the disturbances in
the Yang-tse valley. throughout which
l passed last year on my journey from
Moscow across Siberia and through
China. These disturbances were al
lowed to cOnvulsc the country for some
time before any adequate measures
were taken. and inquiries at the Pc
81,
assuring answer. TO borrow the historic
expression anent the Potomac, Every
thing quiet OH the Yang-tse,'
This rebellion had many features In
common with the Boxer rising. Here,
rs in the north. the movement was first
against the Roman Catholics.
was winkcd ut. if not encouraged. by
the local officials and finally grew
beyond their control. Once the demon
Of destruction is let loose the distinc-
lions between creeds. indeed any dis
tinction save that which divides ORR
entail from European. is soon lost sight
Of. The rebellion of 1888 grouped itself
around Yu Mantle, who was its head
and leader, although not personally
possessed Of any particular ability or
character. The people were diSaffect-
cd and restless and ready to follow any
man who cared to rise.
As las been said already, the Box
ers did not trouble after last autumn
to conceal their presence or their
raison detrc. Their headquarters were
ut Paotirg-fu. some 50 miles south of
Picking. where there is n large mis- |
sionary station. and here they estab- |
lished Il big camp and recruited and |
drilled just as If they were a properly |
local militia. The move |
ment spread into the two neighboring |
provinces. more camps were establish |
ed and frequent attacks made on the |
smaller and more scattered communi- |
ties and especially upon native Chris |
tians. In February last one of the |
Roman Catholic bishops reported that |
5000 fugitives had sought his protec- |
ton. The missionaries and others |
with practical knowledge of China |
foresaw the inevitable moment when, |
drunk with success. the rebels would /
turn their attention from native Chris /
tians and their teachers TO all foreign
FRS without distinction of creed, but /
their warnings produced no result.
The actual details. the inner history
II the Boxer instruction. sink into
beside the immense is
sues which are likely TO come out of It,
One thing should be inevita ble-the |
deposition OF the empress dowager.
Her connection. direct or indirect. with
he rising is too clear to be explained
AWAY, and IL another reason were
wanted it would be found in the dis
of the great bulk of the
'hinese with her aims and methods.
That she is falling more and more
Inder Russian influence complexities
he situation, but does not strengthen
Ter position either with her own people
" with the other powers.
When the rabble rout Of Boxers have
been made to feel the presence Of
stronger than themselves