The sun., 1900-09-16
Confucianism in the Nineteenth Gen.
tury.

The most valuable contribution to the
September number Of the North American
Rerie,o Is an article entitled Confucianism
In the Nineteenth Century" This Is
record OF frst-hand observation. wisely
interpreted, by DR.. HERBERT A. GILES.
who for thirteen years was a member OF
the British Consular Service in the Celestial
Empire, and who Is now the professor Of
Chinese in the University Of Cambridge.
Nearly forty years ago DR.. LRGdE wrote
Of CoNrrcIUs as follows: His influence
has been wonderful. but 1t will henoeforth
wane. My opinion is that the faith OF the
nation in him will speedily and extensively
pass away" DR.. GILES says that on the
contrary, the hold Of the teachings Of Con-
FucIUs upon his oountrymen seems to-day
as strong as ever The fact Is the more
remarkable because little or nothing has
been done by the Emperors in the present
century to promote the influence Of Con-
fucianism, whereas. between 1882 and i7eo
no effort to that end was spared. In 1870
was put forth what Is known as the Sacred
Edict, embodying a number Of injunctions
tending TO get rid Of heterodoxy and exalt
the orthodox doctrine and in 1875 was
published vast collection Of commentaries
upon the Confuolan Canon filing no less
than 100 large volumes. One OF the enact
ments contained In the Sacred Edict was
that 1t should be publicly read to the people
on the first and fifteenth Of each month
at every important centre Of population
all over the Empire, For considerable
period during the lrst half Of this century
this practice had been allowed to fall very
much into desuetude at Canton. About
the year 1850 however. number Of edu-
Gated Chinese. taking alarm at the open
activity Of Protestant missionaries, formed
themselves into q society for reading and
studying the Sacred Edict among them
selves. After the close Of the TAPPING
| Rebellion, Confucianism at once and com
pletely regained the ground which II seemed
| temporarily to have lost. The produo-
ton Of Confucianist books showed marked
signs OF increase; clearly printed editions
/ of the Classics and kindred work were
| issued from Wu-ohang, the capital Of HUI
peh, at price which placed them within
reach OF the masses. The story OF the
! htIOTIn IlONtilCut Vi Juc VII JudA ucDO-
sition of the Emperor KwANo-sU In Sep
tember, 1898, Is familiar. DR.. GILES has
no doubt that, had KwANo-sU remained
In power, Confucianism would have been
forced to modify Its intolerant attitude
toward foreign standards of thought and
education. Upon the suspension. how
ever, of KwANG-sU's active functions, II was
determined that the old examination sys-
TEN, which had prevailed almost unaltered
for nearly six centuries. while It's roots
extended back beyond the Christian era,
should be restored In It's integrity. The
introduction Of new. depraved and erro-
/ neous subjeots,- by which must be under
stood modern scientific teaching. was
strictly prohibited under various pains
and penalties. Thus the occupation of
I the newly inaugIrated University Of Pelin
was gone. and. for the time being, Confu-
cianism was triumphant.
DR.. QuEs does not hesitate to express
the opinion that any attempt to extirpate
| Confucianism will fail 1t Is too deeply
planted In the customs Of the Chinese people
10 be uprooted. Consequently. although
he holds that Oonfucianism should be
obliged to evince toward Christianity the
same tolerance which 1t shows to Buddhism
and Taoism. he holds also that reciprocal
concession should be made. and that Con-
fuclanism should be permitted to subslst
side by side with Christianity. as Stoioism
was by the first Christian Emperors OF
Rome, and as Positivism and Agnostioism
are In Christian Europe to-day, The two
practical features Of Confudanism. to wit.
It's patriarcha system and Its oommem-
! orative worship Of ancestors, cannot bs