The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-07-10

from feklnR are not from rollaOle
or over regular lines of
but are given as COM
ing from reliable Chinese, by runners,
etc. The fact that Seymour's force was
prevented from entering Peking and
was driven back on Tien Using would
indicate that Peking itself is undergo
ing siege by the Boxers. Otherwise
such small force would have been
allowed to enter the city, and would
have been surrounded and extermin-
ated.
The rumors that Peking is in the
hands of the Boxers, and that all the for
eigners have been killed, may be true,
and may not.
The Empress Dowager has been a per-
son of such influence that she made Of
the young king figure head, and her.
self ruled the Empire. 1t is not prob
able therefore, that she with well or
ganized army has been overthrown by
the Boxers.
The fact that all the Southern Prov
inces have remained loyal to the EN-
pire, shows that the Boxer movement
is not stronger than the Government.
But the Boxers may have surround
ed Peking, and cut off the Government
from communication with the rest of
Empire, and such situation would ac-
count for their driving Seymour's force
back, and keeping up the fight against
Tien Tsin and its railroad communica-
tion with Tahu.
There is enough doubt in the case, to
warrant q hope that the foreigners in
Peking are yet alive.
If the stories about the immense
force the Chinese have in the field, and
their full supply of modern cannon and
machine guns, is true, then the $1,000
to be sent by the Emperor of Germany
would be licked up like grease spot
by big fire; and it will require big
war by all the Powers to conquer an
honorable peace.
1.-THE above was written for Fridays
issue but crowded out.
It will be remembered by those who
have watched the news closely, that
none OF Admiral Kempff's dispatches
have contained any statements about
the destruction of the foreign legations
at Peking, and the slaughter of the
foreigners there, nor has he sent any
scare. dispatches about the immense
Chinese forces that will have 20 be met.
The estimates of China's strength,
based upon her immense population are
misleading. The Chinese Government
is of peculiar character. 1t begins
with the family, then the city or local
government, then the district, then the
province, and above all the Empire.
The people rule in the local govern
ments. The officers of the Empire are
despotic and appoint the Governors of
the provinces and districts. The troops
are raised and governed by the prov
inces, which hold relation to the En-
pire very loose, somewhat like the
Southern States would have held to the
Confederacy had their rebellion been
successful. The Empi therefore,
though a despotism, is weak, and the
stories about It's immense armies are
| foolish. She has never had such arm
les; she hasn't the revenues to equip
and pay large army. When she went
to war with Japan, she sent some of
bor coJdioro into battle u;thout opv
arms, only to run on the first fire. The
stories about the immense stores of
arms are doubtless much magnified.
If she had the army and the modern
arms and ammunition, she would not
have troops who could use them to ad-
vantage. Lord Beresford who visited
| China about year ago, related anus
ing instances of their putting guns to-
gether wrong, mounting them wrong,
and showing such ignorance of the
pieces and their use, that they would
not be effective in their hands, if they
had powder galore to burn, and Krupp
and Armstrong guns standing around
in each others way. BeresfOrd ad-
vised them to get foreign officers to
train them in the use of modern arms,
but their hatred for foreigners prevent.
ed it.
These facts show that the marvellous
stories about the formidable armies the
foreign forces will have to encounter in
marching on Peking, are doubtless but
the imaginations of fertile newspaper
correspondents.
These facts led us to the conclusion
that the stories alleged to be from
lPeking were false. And the news now
confirms our opinion. The members o1
the legation, their families, and other
foreigners at Peking, were alive ant
safe on the 4th of July, and the attacks
on them had ceased.
1t is very probable, therefore, tina
with the 10000 troops from Japan, 6, OO|
: Russians, 11,OOO British 5000 Ameri
cans, and the forces of France and Ger
many, the foreign forces will numbe
so, 900 within a week, and will soon pusl
on to Peking, which is only three o
' four days march from Tien Tsin.
The Governors of all but one or tw
, of the Provinces remain loyal to tn
Empire, refusing to join the Boxers
. and when the foreign forces reacl
Peking and crush the Boxers, the in
surrection will collapse.
! The settlement of questions that vii
, arise after peace is restored, is anothe