The Washington weekly post., 1900-09-11


Is a thing impossible, and that. the coun-
try once aroused. not ali Europe could fur
nish men enough 10 conquer the people or
to hold them in check. This is probably
an extreme view, and too much reliance
is placed on the unguided movements OF
ignorant masses generally inert and aim
less so long az allowed to pursue the Vo-
cations OF their individual members. a
chain Is only as strong as It's weakest link
and the weakest link in the Chinese chain
Is the man nimself-an unambltious fatal
st. heedful only % to-day, with no
thought Of the morrow.
The JapaEese Minister - London .s
credited with having said the powers
must come 20 a final understanding quick
ly. Riots. anarchy. bIoOdshed, and misery
throughout China" he says, "will be the
inevitable result Of a policy that does not
Immediately disclose itself govern
ment must be established. The Empress
Dowager is the heart and soul OF China.
So long as she lives, so long as she re-
mains In the country, whether the SUI
preme power Is taken from her or not, she
will always be the greatest force the one
above all others. 90 be reckoned with"
II is true that the great Tsze Hsi An,
Empress DOwager, whose masterful mind
projected the rebellion and directed its
fury against the foreigners, has been the
greatest force in modern China; but IL IS
hardly the intention of the invaders to
ray heed 10 her in shaping the future
policy OF that country, for that policy
has been already foreshadowed. and the
breaking up of China, it's virtual parti-
ton among the European powers, has
ngnn frag
years. AT any rate, the Chinese toad Is
now under the harrow, and the foreign
agriculturists seemed determined TO scar
ify the country with the latest appliances
OF modern civilization. Whether he will
or not Mr.. John Chinaman must come
under the benefcent rule Of ,progress. and
no matter how strongly he may protest.
ne VIII be obliged 10 submit TO the cleans
iEs process prescribed by the great pow
ers.
In Need Of Regeneration.
As we view Mr.. Chinaman and contrast
him and his surroundings with other ma
tionalities and other nations. he really
stands In need of regeneration, both
physical and spiritual. According 10 cur
rent reports from Chefoo and Shanghai,
he has violated every commandment in
the decalogue, and several others which
have not been codified. II seems high
time that he should be taken in hand
brought 10 a true appreciation of his sit
uatlon, and r.ade to keep step with the
formative influences OF the century.
This IS the Occidental view; but there
Is another which places the subject under
consideration in different light. 1t may
seem preposterous, but, according to this
Oriental view, the Celestial has rights
which have been persistently ignored by
the representatives OF the powers in their
dealings with him for at least century
back. II was not his fault II Is claim
cd, that he should consider himself as
The greatest of all created beings and his
rulers coequals with the Most High. II
was owing to his environment 10 his
isolation, end centuries of self-contempla-
tion, that he came to this conclusion and
regarded all the peoples beyond his great
wall as ''barbarians."
The foreigners were well enough re-
ceived in their first visits to China. Moth
ing could exceed the gracious hospitality
OF the great Kublai Khan In his reception
and entertainment OF the Venetian Mar
co Polo, in the last quarter of the thir-
teenth century, and the first missiOna-
ries, of whatever denomination, were al
ways allowed TO proselyte TO their hearts
content. They were driven out of the en-
pire now and then. with pillage and mas
sacres in their wake: but this was always
done by the mobs and not by the ruling
classes.
PPyiBg Open the Oyster.
1t was only when other nations insisted
lieving they had a right 10 its rich con-
tents, that the Chinaman rose and pro-
tested For 1900 years, more or less, he
had been sufficient unto himself, and he
did not see why he should not be allow
ed TO continue in his chosen status of isO-
lation. The arguments advanced by the
outside barbarians, that the world was in
need OF his products and that vast mutu-
al benefits would result. fell upon deaf
ears He was content TO live alone. sand
wiched in between his great artificial bar
rier on the north and the sea on the south
and east; let the traders go elsewhere;
he would have none OF them. Then, seeing
that these arguments were without avail,
the outside nations used those OF differ
ent character-first. diplomacy, then force.
The first English embassy 10 penetrate To
presents
behind, but accoD. plished nothing in the
way of preaching the wall of exclusive
less, while the next. in the second decade
Of this century, was ANONYMOUSLY re-
pulsed.
years ago. Great Britain succeeded in
forcing her Indian drug upon China, in
opening a few treaty ports and acquiring
1aHr ~ II
first real wedge, and BY successive blows
II was driven home, until, by the little
war OF 1850. Pekin was reached by the
allied French and English. and. with me
virtual concurrence Of the United States
" no sent the first accredited envoy 10
the Chinese capitaD, the principle of
equality was enforced. and China's En-
ptror was obliged to acknowledge other
rulers as his peers
Al last the Chinese wall was broken
down. and innovations succeeded vita
startling rapidly. Religious freedom was
guaranteed by the Burlingame treaty Of
lsH. treaty ports We're thrown open the
entire length of China's coast, and all the
great trading nations fiocked thither 10
participate IN its commerce. There were
occasional outbreaks as the massacre AZ
Ilenlsin In 1870. only three years before
the foreign ministers were granted a per-
sonal interview by the Emperor. and mis-.
sionaries In the interior never felt per.
iectiy secure. After that. sporadic out
breaks occurred at intervals and al last
eliminated in the Boxer uprising of the
present year.
As 10 tho real cause OF this insurrection
whether owing 10 the zeal OF mission
aries IN proselyting. 10 the mercenary ex-
actions OF traders. or TO the advent OF
railroads-opinions are divided: but n was
probably 20 all these causes combined
added 10 another, which viii shortlv ha
mentioned.
huiIerinss Of the Masses.
" should be borne in mind chirasa
apologists say, that the country had been
thrown open despite the protests and
earnest opposition Of It's rulers, who were
forced to sign treaties against their Will
and admit foreign ENJOYS who were never
welcome Behind them were the d,,,,h