The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-06-26
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THE CHINESE WAR.

American mind, the event most
fraught with danger, not only to
this nation but to the world, is the
war with China. The menace is
not from the Chinese themselves,
but from the fact that at present
the forces of not less than six
great powers are supposedly act
ing in concert, and that with their
conflicting ideas and ambitions it
would be a miracle of diplomacy if
differences of opinion leading to
open combat did moi arise. Each
nation is distrustful and Jealous of
the other and the natural tendency
is toward a conflict of interests
which may plunge the whole civil
lized world in war. The only saw
ing virtue in the international
army seems to be the presence of
the American forces. Through
the constant pursuance of the Mon
roe doctrine, this country has
maintained a position where it is
not complicated with the ambitions
OF any other power, and for this
reason other nations look to it as
an arbiter and peace-maker. 1t
can be readily seen, however, that
with Russian, English, French,
German and Japanese forces acting
as n army it will require the ut
most diplomacy to prevent some
blunder from occurring which will
upset the status quo and precipi-
tate a death struggle between the
Russian bear and the British lion.
The whole origin of this trouble
is unfortunate in u opinion and
comes from the mistaken idea of
the obligation of nations. While
We are heartily in sympathy with
every effort made for the uplifting
OF mankind and the spread OF
Christianity, we do not believe it
to be the duty of this country to
guarantee the safety of every in
dlvldual who sees fit to go into a
hostile country and surround him
self with all manners of dangers.
A missionary goes to China and
tlnds himself in the midst of a civil
llzatlon absolutely different from
our own. Along with the doctrines
OF Christianity he teaches the peo-
PIE that they are all wrong, that
they are back numbers, that their
science Of government is out of
date, that their customs and WAYS
and mode of life are antiquated, if
not vicious. Converts spring up
about them and these converts as
often as not, mistake the spirit of
Christianity.,and spread a feeling of
discomfort among the people.
Imagine a Hindoo or a Mohamme-
dan coming to Denison; imagine
that he stands on the street corner
and tells US that everything we
have is wrong and outrageous;
imagine that he makes converts to
his ideas; imagine that these peo-
pie insist on polygamus marriages,
and other customs totally at var
lance with our ways of thought,
would it be long before an indig-
nant community would rise in its
might and sweep this people from
the tace OF the earth? 1t is not a
question of which Dis right and
winch - wrong, IL is merely a
question of human nature, and no
people will tolerate for any length
OF time an influence which has for
Its first article of faith the fact that
they are inferior and degraded.
We believe that the missionar-
les sent out by this and other coun-
tries act for the most part in per
tect good faith; we believe in the
doctrines of Christianity and IN
their ultimate triumph throughout
the world; We believe that it is a
good and a holy thing for men to
offer up their lives as sacrifices in