The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-11-24

~ HE capital Of China was first oc-
cupied by British and French
- troops in October, 1860. 1t has
Just been occupied again, under circum-
stances widely different from the first.
During all the forty years which have
interviewed. the relations between China
and the Powers have been regulated
for the most part by communications
through the Tsungli-Yamen, an anoma-
Ious affix to the Department Of Inferior
States and Dependencies. This board
has generally been composed of about
a dozen members Of various degrees OF
rank, many of them with no experience
In foreign affairs, or, indeed. knowl-
edge OF them. sometimes appointed to
their posts for the express reason that
they were so absolutely ignorant of the
topics under discussion as to make 1t
Impossible for them to block the prog
ress Of necessary business. which they
might do from outside by acting as
censorate. In recent years
more especially II has been true of this
wearisome board that. like the chariots
of Pharaoh, its wheels "drave heavily
so that Lord Salisbury was abundantly
justified in characterizing 1t as simply
"a machine to register the amount of
pressure brought to bear upon it."
NO SOCIAL RELATIONS.
Several generations of Chinese and
Manchu statesmen have come into inti-
mate relations with foreigners during
the many years of diplomatic and other
intercourse. and for many of these ORR
entails, occidentals have come to en-
terrain a high regard. But the rela-
tons have for the most part been pub
lie and formal. Although the Yamen
Ministers have gone to the Legations
for occasional banquets, 1t has always
been noticeable that there were no re-
turn visits at their own homes. and the
effort To Introduce such an innovation
a few years since was a bank failure.
With the exception of the missionaries.
IL has still remained true, after more
than a generation of life in Picking.
that its homes have been closed to out
siders. The number of treatments In
the various hospitals, especially in the
pioneer one of the London Mission, has
amounted to hundreds of thousands
perhaps even to million or more-and
many wide and effectual doors have
thus been opened to the Chinese heart.
but, taking Picking as a who.e. 1t must
be called an anti-foreign city from
first to last. 1t has long been known
that the native pundits who teach for
eigners the language would not recog-
nize their pupils on the street should
they meet them. because, whatever
their private views might be, to do so
would cause the pundit to lose face,
or self-respect. And what was true OF
scholars was to a considerable extent
the case with the tradesmen, who were
willing enough to absorb the foreign
dollars, but who despised their owners;
the same was also true to a large cx-
tent Of the working class-even the
coolies-who felt themselves immeas-
urably the superiors of those for whom
they toiied-a view. not. perhaps. un-
like that entertained by the Jews In
Babylon toward their conquerors
There has never been a time when for
eigners in North China have not beer
called opprobrious nicknames. often &c
their faces. and constantly behind
their backs: one OF the most common
lies first arrived. to wit, "Mao-tzu," or
more fully. Hung Mao-tzu," Red
haired DeviD. This phrase one ha:
heard screamed at him by infant:
learning to talk. and muttered by ole
men and women. until 1t has seemed
too deeply ingrained to be disused II
the lifetime of any now living.
The southern city Of Picking has al
ways prided itself upon being far more
pronouncedly anti-foreign than th'
Tartar city. 1t has steadily resisted
every effort TO buy a foot of Its sacred
son for missionary purposes. and Il
there have been occasional exception:
In the success of such attempts. they
have but served to emphasize the gen
eral rule.
CHINESE PUBLIC SENTIMENT.
Public sentiment in a country like
China, while very real and very despot
ic. Is so unlike that in any Western
land that 1t is almost impossible TO
an Occidental to comprehend 1t. 1
can be gently led. but 1t cannot h
driven. II the reforms of two year
since had come at suitable intervals
with time to prepare the public min,
riots and no serious reaction. AS
was. being delivered in loads OF fort!
tons each on the deck of the ship o
state they well-nigh upset 1t. The re
action once having set in, II carries
everything before II, and the laten
hostility to railways. telegraphs, cleo
tricity. and all the new fads took tangi
BILE shape as soon as an opportunit,
occurred.
Even previous to recent condition
there have from time to time been Sc
rious collisions In and about Pekin
between the natives and foreigners
There were always adjusted, but 1
some cases, especially the attack upo
railway employees in the autumn O
1898. there was a sting left which coul
not be extracted except after the shed
ding of more blood.
THE BOXERS.
The Society Of Righteous Cor Public
Harmony. briefly known, from the
use of the word Fist" as Boxers.
spread from Shantung into Chilli, an