The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-08-08
CHINESE GoRDoN's pnorHEox.
A Remarkable Forecast Twenty Years
Ago OF Current Events la China.3


Ago OF Current Events La China.5
New York Sun.
There was probably no European
more qualified to express au opinion
Of the Chinese than Col. Gordon more
commonly called Chinese Gordon,
whose strange career closed at Khar-
toum In January, 1885. His military
association with them during the two
years, from 1863 to 1865, when he com
manded the Ever Victorious Army, as
1t was styled, gave him q unique ex-
perience OF the Chinese and an in
sight into their somewhat complex
character.
With the crudest OF material and In
spite OF the strongest opposition, an OPP
position that would have been fatal but
for the royal support he received
throughout his short term OF service
under the Emperor OF China from Ii
Hung Chang, he organized a torce that
under European officers Of nearly every
nationality, including some Americans,
suppressed the Tapping rebellion then
threatening the existence OF China and
the dynasty. The opinions he express
ed, therefore, have at the present mo-
ment exceptional value.
One which he gave contidentially to
friend In 1880 when he was lust on
the point OF leaving for India, where
he had accepted the post OF secretary
to the yiceroy, Lord RtDon, is just now
OF particular interest. Speaking of the
Tapping rebellion and OF the courage
OF the Chinese troops, he denied that
they were towards In one sense. He
| held that they did not fear death,
though he had seen them stand up
bravely sometimes and then flee like
sheep afterward. But what Europeans
would have to consider was, he said,
the awful consequences of general
movement, when least expected, in the
vast inert mass OF hundred of millions
OF men to overwhelm the foreign devils
whom they hate like poison.
The danger Of such an outburst, Cor
don said, became greater every year
on account of the way the Chinese
were being continually harassed by the
! European States with demands for
pensations, in some cases Just, in
others quite frivolous. When they saw
that their only means of meeting the
aggressions was to organize an army
with improved weapons, then they
would bnv guns and rifles and ships
and, with the aid of Europeans, whu
would always be found ready to drill
and organize them, they would create
u loi
or one thing Gordon felt quite sure
The days when Europeans could march
up to Chinese troops In position, or in
defence Of q position, and sweep them
away like flies, would soon b. over.
There would be no more military
promenades by a few hundred British
and French troops through the coun-
Try, driving thousands of Chinese be.
fore them.
Speaking OF the authorities, Gordon
said mandarin was never TO be trust,
ed, and he was only too glad whe he
left their service. The English, In his
opinion, made the mistake OF tn linking
they were welcome wherever they
went, but In fifteen or twenty years
they would find proof to the contrary.
With oil their rsuperstitiOns, their vices
and their ignorance, the Chinese were,
in Gordon's estimation far too good to
be ruled by the class that governed
them. The governments of France,
Russia and England he emphatically
declared, had for the forty years be.
fore the time he spoke treated the
Chinese most scandalously.
Current events are proving how &C.
curately Chinese Gordon judged the
situation, and the regret is that Ger
tain defects Of his character and tenn.
perment should have caused him to
abandon position in which he could
have rendered great service to China
and civilization. In the light of wha,
is passing in China today, Gordon's
words of twenty years ago have q
prophetic ring.