Mexico weekly ledger., 1900-06-28
A STUDY OF CHINA.
Something Of the Vast Empire Now
Defying the Great Powers Of the
World History and Tradition.

The Chinese reckon 1t something
more than 2,2e7 900 years from the
creation to the coming OF the sage
Oonfucius, This long re-.cS the
Celestial historians have filled In
geniously with dynasty after dynasty,
forming mythical history the like Of
which ia perhaps to no other people.
But yeare count for little to the Pig
tail wearers OF Cathsy. OF old they
marked the flight OF time by tying
knots in ropes. They have never
learned or cared to learn to mark II
by turning the wheels Of progress.
Mythical history is rs good as any to
them.
Their very nation Is myth, except
ing only In name. They are not an
empire. They are q myriad race.
broken at the affairs of selfshness,
ignorance, bigotry, non-progressive-
ness ana such politics as arise from
narrow individual ambitions.
Thus is indicated the China into
which the strong hands OF the Pow
ers are to-day extended to various
purposes, real and pretended.
The Chinese are not without learn
ing. But 1t Is all the learning OF old.
The "Nin Classios'' OF antiquity are
good enough for Celestial instruction
to-day, "Walk in the trodden paths''
is the precept which has been fol-
lowed through the ages. However
1t may be elsewhere under the sun,
there ls surely nothing new In China,
Five or six thousand years ago the
Chinese, BY other names, were known
as q mild and civilized people. They
titled their fields. They INDUCED In
trade. They knew something OF
astronomy and other sciences. Their
theory OF government was based on
the paternal idea and ii was bsautI-
full. To this day the father and his
authority are revered in China. Even
when a man has children OF bis own
he must remain q dutiful and obedIent
son.
Well for Oathy II ahe had been con-
tent to let her virtues be permanent
while In other things she kept pace
with the woFldi
About thousand years heforaChrist
came the emperor who cut China up
into tributary provinces In order to
provide places for his kindred and
friends.
Enter spoils, bribery, corruption,
division and thenceforward contin-
uous performance In revolution. En-
ter the great opening wedge to pro-
duoe the so-called empires helpless
ness Of to-day.
Every able mandarin oppressed and
robbed everybody below him. Every
subordinate looked down for bis share
in robbery and oppression. The tax
system produced slaves, slavery pro-
duced discomfort, unrest promoted
'plots, conHpifaciea weakened the
state. Gradually all unifying intiu-
ences disappeared. Patriotism died.
Love OF country passed into tradition
for the many.
To-day there is q great army Of
soldiers of the empire. These war
riors do not fear death. They can
fight desperately, even with out-of-
date equipments, But they have
nothing to fight for. No Tag means
anything high and holy to them.
Hatred of ''the foreign devil" is the
chief influence which holds the fight
ing men together outside the oaths OF
the secret societies to which they be-
long. China Is and ever has been
fertile bresding-ground for those
societies. The "Boxers," who have
precipitated the present crisis, are
only one of very many fraternities.
But hatred and secret oaths are poor
substitutes for real national strength.
II is not difficult to forecast the end
of things In China. The potentially
Of disaster has long been in the con-
duct of Oathay. It has worked itself
near to the climax. When the crash
has come the Chinese native philos-
opher of events can point not to the
Christian missionaries, whom he
hated, but to the backward leaders Of
his own race, and cry that 1t is they
who have done this thing,
There is marvellous study Of fad
ing and vanishing empire, there In
the east, which We may well study,
even while we may attend the unfold.
ing schemes of the advancing west.
Take Heed Will Surely Speed