The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-07-01

aries, it may be inferred, BECAME the
victims of designing men who profess
ed Christianity in order to obtain aid
in avoiding just punishment; and in
some cases it is probable they were
able to secure from these noble and
self-sacrificing men and women a pro-
lection which they did not altogether
deserve. This condition intensified
the feeling which has always existed
against the missionaries.
The feelings grew to some extent
out of the general contempt with
which the Chinese regard foreigners.
The Chinese literary class are keen
critics and give close scrutiny TO the
teachings of the Christian Bible They
confess to the beauty of its moral
teachings, but cannot see in what
they are superior to the teachings of
Confusius. They also notice the ac-
counts of the miracles in the Old Tes-
lament, and say the Chinese legend
of the moon being eaten by a dragon
is not much more unreasonable than
the Bible story of how Joshua compell-
ed the sun to stand still. They choose
to regard. Christianity as ga, wave
of darkness" and their feeling, wrong
though it undoubtedly is, is much the
same as would exist in Philadelphia
if a dozen merchants of Race street
should set up an orphanage and a
temple and endeavor TO fill both by
adopting American children by pros
elyting along Chestnut street.
In order to overcome this feeling
the missionaries have, in most cases,
adopted the Chinese dress. But Celec-
tial ideas are more strait-laced than
our, and the missionaries, des-
pite their native attire, have not
always been able to live up to them.
This has been especially true of the
women. whose western freedom of
action has been shocking to the ma
tives, although quite correct from our
point of view. Every effort has been
made by the missionaries to adapt
themselves to local conditions, but
in China first impressions can rarely
be eradicated and complaints made
against the early Catholic mission
aries, two centuries ago. are quoted
against their successors today.
This hatred of Christianity among
the literary class finds expression in
the most shocking ISLANDERS, which
are constantly circulated in order to
keep alive the hatred of the masses.
For the name Of God the Catholics
have adopted the word Tien-Chu,
which signifies Lord of Heaven. and
kau signifies religion. The Christian
religion is. therefore, known as the
Tien-Chu-Kau. Unfortunately there
is a word resembling Chu which
means squeak: so the Chinese trans
late it Squeak of the Celestial pig"
and declare that the Christians are
hop worshippers. The most sacred
ceremonies are slandered in the same
way. 1t is declared that in receiving
the holy communion the people drink
a philter that makes them slaves to
the priests, and that during extreme
unction the priest cuts the eyes out
of the dying men. In China there
are thirty-one different parts of the
human body which are said to possess
medical virtue, and in the orphanages
the missionaries are charged with
numbering children and cutting up
their bodies for medical purposes.
1t is such wild tales as these that
have been used to excite the Boxers
against the missionaries, and the
same charges have been used in all
parts of China, and have resulted in
murder after murder. But in reality
the root of all the hatred with which
Christians are regarded is that they
disapprove of what they regard as
idolatrous worship of ancestors. This
ceremony is part of the Confuscianism.
The educated Chinaman is willing to
laugh at Buddhism or Taoism, but rev
erence for his ancestors is one OF the
passions of his life. One may call a
native Chinaman all the bad names
in the vocabulary, and he may not re-
sent it, but a word against his an
cestors will arouse his most vindictive
fury. When a man dies in China his
son prepares a wooden tablet resem-
bling headstone. which is elaborate
ly decorated and marked with The
words ''Shen Chu," meaning spirit
lord" and 'Shen Wei,'' meaning 'spir-
it throne" This is set up beside the
coffin,but there is one dot absent in
the word "Chu,' and one in the word
'Wei"
At the appointed time the mourn
ers gather about and the same high
official approaches the tablet.
Hand up the vermillion pencil"
SAYS the master of ceremonies, and a
red lead pencil is given to the Of
fetal.
"May it please our distinguished
guests to turn to- the east and receive
the breath of life" says the master.
The official turns and brcathes upon
the pencil.
Impose the red dot says the mas
ter and the official completes the two
words "Chu' and ''Wel." Afterwards
he covers them With black, and this
ceremony, it is Supposed, invests 'he
tablet with the individuality Of the
deceased In the, funeral procession
the tablet occupies place of honor
beside the coffin and Afterwards it
is installed in the nome of the eldest
son, who for three YNars, morning and
night: makes an foffeffVS before it.
Then it is placed en- shrine with the
tablets of his ancestors, and liz I'M
mon with them is reverenced at Va
rious times during the year.
There has always been question
as to whether fhis practice, idolat-
rous or merely reverential. whether
it is religious mere social and had
the early mis- eonaries beer willing to
accent Il ~ China mipht DOsSibiy