The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-07-08

affairs. At this time his views in the
situation there are particularly pertinent.
Bishop Joyce was seen in his study
at his home on NIcollet avenue, Mime
apolis. The bishop is in position to speak
most authoratively, having returned not
long ago from a tour of the world, in
the course of which he spent part of
three years in Northern China.
ct is highly improbable. for several
reasons" said he, that our missionaries
have been massacred. The Chinese. as
a whole, feel very kindly toward America
and Americans. They appreciate the I'M
aggressive mood In which we have ap-
preached them, and consequently do not
feel toward us that natural hatred fer
grasping, territory-seeking nations.
"Of all persons, the majority Of the
ChiIese reverence and respect the self
sacrificing Christian workers, and would
most certainly leave them uninjured, eX-
cept in a frenzy of the most turbulent
kind In spite of the general impression
that all the besieged foreigners crossed
to the British legation, it is a mistaken
idea. All the civilians, all the officials,
all the correspondents of all nations
sought shelter with Sir Robert Hart,
while all the missionaries, all those as
ISOLATED with them, of all the nations,
hocked to the Methodist Episcopal COM
pound on Legation street.
'One party depended for their safety
on their arms, ammunition and the fear
Of the consequences of injurfng them,
while the other party relied entirely on
the results Of their past labors. While
one division may have persisted, 1t does
not necessarily follow that both were
1nassacred."
The bishop spoke most eloquently of Sir
Robert Hart, the British minister at
Picking, aseribing to him in large meas
ure China's advance along all lines dur
ing his stewardship of nearly four de-
cades.
He is" said the bishop, lone of the
grandest. brainiest men that ever en-
tered China, and 1 should say of him all
that could be said of any man.
The defenses of the legation it seems,
do not amount to much and in case of a
siege the straits of the beleaguerej would
be dire, as only a small supply of pros
visions is generally kept there and the
ground, having been used for over 4,O0O
years, the soil is completely saturated
with poison, and what little slime they
could get from the few wells would hard
~ be called water. Our authorities in
China have done all they could to pro-
tect the missionaries since the disturb
ances have been imminent, but the diff
CuLly was III bringing their aCEontlOn to
the conditions sufficiently in advance.
Boxers is poor translation for the.
name of an athletic club of national char
aCter. big Knife Society is a fairer
meaning Of their symbol. At present
any one can join by simply declaring
himself a member. AS q rule they are
followers of Confucius and abhor any
suggestion Of change in their old customs.
Thus they clash squarely with the pro-
gressive-minded foreigner.
To set at the root Of the trouble 1t is
necessary to look back TO the increase
Of the Hanlon or literary men and their
rise in Importance through coming in
contact with the emperor and convincing
him Of the superiority of the foreigners
methods and ideas. These progressive
men have gradually usurped the civil Of
fees Of the realm. Ii Hung Chang is OF
their number, accounting for his friendly
attitude toward foreigners in general.
When last heard from he was in Can
ton, requesting that an American gun
boat take him to the scene of the trouble.
Squarely opposed to him stand the milf
tary, with the dowager empress.
In the future inquiry, If 1t be clearly
proven that the dowager empress caused
tho feet Of the allied powers to be bonn
parded, China VIII assuredly be sliced up
Otherwise justice will demand only the
payment OF damages for property
destroyed and lives lost.
I'm my opinion said Bishop Joyce,
1.-THE quickest solution OF the present diff
dculty, as soon as Picking is relieved, is
to seize the person of the emperor take
him to the ancient capital of China, Nan
Kin, and there recognize him as the ''em-
peror," thus relieving poor, tortured
China, Of the dastardly power Of a band
Of usurpers and removing the disturbing
element. In any event it is a case of e
heather civilization against modern
civilization and the Christianizing in
11uence must overcome all difficulties of
the present as it has in the past"
The bishop expects to discontinue send
ing out missionaries until after the pres
ent crisis. His duties, in charge of the
Methodist mission during 1S9G-97-qS, took
him over every inch of the disputed ter
ritory, in some parts many four to
six times, and he spoke very interestingly
Of his experience. especially In the head
waters Of the Yang Isl Kiang. scarcely
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