Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-05-24
THE BOXERS in NORTH China.

81 Ho Chuan," translated literally,
means .'just, harmony, fists" mere
definitely it signifies Society for the
promotion Of Justice and harmony by
means of the fist" Another name for
the same organization is the Big
Sword Society,"" but the news dis
patches from China referring to 1t use
the simple term Boxers" derived
from the word "Chuan.
What are the boxersP The answer is
Oriental in its Contradictions secret
society that is not secret, an insurrec'
tionary society that is tolerated., even
fostered, by the government, that pro-
notes harmony and justice by means OF
pillaee, riot and murder, not with fists,
hut with swords and guns. Anti
Christian and anti-foreign, 1t has
spread with astonishing rapidity, and
among its possibilities is that OF main
tanning at some not distant time a for
midabIe rebellion. These facts we're
learned, says the New York Commercial
Advertiser from the Rev. E. Il. Aiken,
| missionary sent to China by the
| American Board of Foreign Missions,
who has heen working at Tien-Tsin and
| is now attending the Ecumenical Con
| ference.
1.-THE Big Sword Society,"" Mr. Aiken
| said "had its origin In the troubles
with the French Catholics In Westei
| Shangtung about three years ago. The
| Catholics erected chapel on the site
of one of the Chinese temples and the
Chinese destroyed the chapel Since
| then the society has spread, | could
almost say, like wildfire. have no
accurate idea how large 1t is, but its
members must be numbered by the tens
| of thousands. Ii has spread az far
north as Tien-Tsin, where a couple OF
months ago they set "a day to destroy all
| the foreigners.
at began, as l say, in the troubles
with the Catholics, but is now directed
against all Christians and foreigners.
| II is a secret society, but, OF course, its
existence is perfectly we'll known to the
authorities. Why don't they put stop
to it? Well, you have no idea how
little backbone n Chinese official has
When the BOXERS" cause any trouble
they say Pacify them, give them rice,
tea. The authorities could have sup
pressed the Boxers when the trouble
first began, but / doubt II the local
officials could do much now, though
the impei ial governors of the provinces
could put stop to the troubles II they
would. When England, France. Ger.
many and the United States demanded
that the governor of Shangtung be re-
moved because he had allowed outrages
TO be committed on their citizens by
Boxers, the Empress Dowager removed
him, but few days afterward she ap-
pointed him governor CT another prov
ince, which was better Office than his
old one, it was really reward, you see.
In Western Shangtung, last December,
the governor called out the troops, and
a battle was fought, in which about 40
of the Boxers were killed. But, instead
Of rewarding the colonel who COM
manded the troops, the governor prao-
tically disgraced him.
1.-THE latest dispatches from China
report the worst outrages that the
Boxers have committed. Until
recently they stopped short Of murder
and gave most OF their attention to the
native Christians. Doubtless the
troubles have been aggravated by law
suits. The Chinese are constantly hav-
, ing lawsuits over boundaries OF land,
money, NC, and 1t is great temptation,
of course, for the native Christians to
, appeal to the missionai les when they
have a lawsuit on their hands. The
missionaries can only interfere when
, the case is evidently one Of persecution,
, and this is not always an easy matter
to ascertain. We have to depend upon
our native assistants for this kind Of
} information. The native Christians
are tempted to assert that they are
being prosecuted whenever lawsuit i.
brought against them, and this IL
doubtless often the case.
r The Boxers carry banner with
{ this legend, 'Yung Ching, mich Yung,
which means. maintain the dynasty
: down with the foreigners But many
} OF the young men join the society mol
. SO much because they are opposed t.
/ the foreigners as because they want Il
! share in the plumber. In way, it re
3 minds me of the old volunteer fire com
7 panies-the young men join it to gail
an outlet for their activities. The,
Q have regular meetings and are pu
t through sort Of military drill, Ii
most cases probably these Meeting
tako place in threshing floors, open
b fiat places which you find in ever,
village. | am not quite sure about thei'
Q arms, but believe large number o
s them are armed with rifles. Others arr
: probably armed with swords. Tb,
Chinese make q kind of rude sword, an,
: also rude rife, called the 'gipgal, >
Q which it requires two mon to shoot
t Gingals we're used in the late war witt
y Japan.
d In many cases the Boxers hay
used threats to attain their ends. The
j threaten to carry away to their camp
members of the families OF those VIII
Q are obnoxious to them unless ransom
s IS paid. But generally they resort \
Q pillage. They go to the houses Of I'd
Christian natives, throw out ali th
furniture and take all the grain. none,
or other valuables. Then they hold a
auction, and the things are sold 10 th
i inhabitants Of neiehboring villages "a
i, very small amount, as would be ex
!. pected. The families are ruined. d
o course. II ia said that each Of IN
d Catholic families in Western Shana tun
Q has lost on an average about Sl5-
s small amount to us, but to them every
thing.
Q IT do not know whether the Boxers
It profess any particular faith. They be
$ love, however, that all members {
It the society are invulnorable, and Ia
/. suffer no harm from swords or rifles
o Shlntoism, Confucianism and Buddhist
i exist side by side in China, and tn
s imperial deorees say that Christianit
b IS to be allowed to exist on the sam
o footing as these other religions, Th
great reproach against the Christian
g Is, OF course, that they are followin
j after the foreigner. This is regarde
'e as unfiliaL 1t is natural enough tina
fhA ,.ft e.l-S n