Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-06-29
TWELVE PAGES.
FRIDAY. JUNE %. 1900.
FROM cHINA's POINT OF VIEW

Mr.. Mckinley has elected to make
the United States an aggressive par
ticipant in the quarrel of the Powers
with the Chinese Empire. He finds the
justification In the alleged attacks of
Chinese rioters upon the persons and
property of American citizens. He
doubtless finds great satisfaction in
the recrudescence OF the hypocritical
cant of spreading civilization, and all
the rest of it, with which sensible men
were nauseated just after the subju-
CATION of the Filipinos was begun.
The approval of the lingo element,
who always approve fight from q
safe distance, is to be reckoned on as
a matter of course.
The United States is now practically
at war with China. Mr.. Mckinley
is making war, whether he call it that
or picknicking. Before the senseless
whoop and hurrah reaches the deafen-
ing volume which recent experience
has made familiar, it is not inappro-
pirate to glance at the merits of the
quarrel, from the point OF view of
the Chnaman as we'll as of the Ameri-
can. The case of America is largely
the same as the case of Europe. All
are making common cause and from
common motives.
In Europe and America the popular
picture of the Chinaman just now is
that of a murderous barbarian seek
ing to roll back with bloody hands
the blessed wave OF Western civiliza-
tion that is breaking on his shores
this because he hates civilization. not
because he has been wronged and in
z suited by It's alleged representatives.
He is wholly in the wrong; Europe
and America are entirely in the right
Let us see how this comfortable as
sumption squares with facts.
In the first place. the Chinaman is
not a barbarian. He is civilized
though in very different fashion from
the American or the European. He
loves neither. and there is absolutely
no reason why he should They re-
gard him not as human with them
selves. fIe is merely a Chinaman. He
has no rights they are bound to re-
spect. They shut their gates in his
face: they force open his gates with
the mailed fist" They build railroads
across his meagre plots OF ground with
no regard to his rights or his protest.
They seize the ports of his country
and force their wares upon his mar
kets. They ridicule his person. his
habits. his clothing. his religion They
have made and make no secret of
their intentions to cut up his country
into spheres to be exploited for their.
sole benefit. Such is the partial record
OF his wrongs.
The Chinaman is peaceful, frugal,
Industrious. methodical. He is not
bloodthirsty by nature. It is not in
the nature Of things that he should
suddenly go mad. as he seems to have
done just now. without bitter and re-
provocation. as we have seen, and
plenty of 1t. The revenge that he is
taking is unspeakab1y horrible; ii Is
hardly necessary to say that 1t Is the
worst thing possible for his own inter-
ests. Nevertheless. he has been more
patient than the people OF any West
ern nation would have been under the
circumstances. and it is by no means
certain that he is indulging in more
cruel excuses.
It is the methods rather than the
motives of the Chinaman that are to
BIO condemned. Whatever the begin
nings OF the trouble may have been, he
Is now fighting for his country. He
believes in China for the Chinese. lie
: objects to being made the victim OF
ths brutal commercialisin Of the West