The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-08-29
Chlna's Anti.Foreign Feeling

the Anglo Chinese college at Foe
Chow. gives an explanation os the
causes of anti foreign feeling in China
to the readers of The North
American Review for August 10
the macs OF literature about Chinese
affairs. it is refreshing to read dis.
passionate statement of the facts
which show the Chinese side Of con.
troversy which placed a single nation
in opposition to the whole world,
and IN giving such a statement D.
Smyth shows clearly that the
western nations are largely :, blame
for the antagonism which now con-
fronts them in the Celestial empire.
Formerly it was not 80, and cen.
turies before the Manchu conquest of
1914 Europeans including Christian
missionaries, were gladly received in
China by emperors and people,
Marco Polo was cordially received
and held Office in the empire, and at
that time there was an archbishop at
Pekin and Christian religious cere.
monies were tolerated there.
The Portuguese traders who went
to China in the 10th century were
gladly received. but were followed
by adventures whose acts of
murder, rapine and constant appeals
to force" taught the Chinese to be.
iieve that Europeans were little bet.
ter than pirates aud murderers The
Dutch and English advenurers had a
ehare in blackening the name of Eu-
rope in the east, and the Spaniards,
who took possession Of the Philip.
pines IN l543, murdered the Chinese
colonists in those islands when they
became 80 numerous as to threaten
the sovereignty of Spain 10 the
archipelago.
This bad impression made by ad-
venturers from the western world
was taken advantage of by the Man
chu conquerors They were only
about one. forteth of the native Chi.
nese, and feared the interference of
foreign powers, who might suggest
to the natives that they were toe
numerous and too strong TO sumibt to
alien domination by the Manchus.
To prevent such result the Manchr
sovereigns closed the ports of China
to the world aud encouraged the idea
that all outsiders were barbsrians
Those ports were only opened by
war, and every step in the inter-
course of other nations with China
has been taken by force in the face Of
opposition by the authorities By
the outrages committed by Europeans
as late as two years ago, when
villages were burned by the Ger.
mans aud defsnseIess natives were
shot down by the French the feeling
was intensified In 1884 French
fleet entered the Min river. anchored
ten miles below Foo Chow to fright.
en- the Pekin government into paying
an indemnity for alleged completely
iD helping the people of ToDquin liz
their fight against the seizure of their
country by France. and when Pekin
refused, the French admiral opened
fire on the Chinese fleet. destroying
1t and killing 5000 Chiuamen
The corpses of those Chinamen,
victims of the French barbarity,
hoated on the tide toward the city.
aud for days it was hardly possible tc
cross the river without seeing some
of these ghastIy reminders of foreign
brutality
Add to these causes of popular
fury the fac. that the native China
men, when they become Christians,
are not tried by Chinese courts. but
can appeal to consular courts. and it
sppe srs that there is natural ground
for the present anti foreign uprising
These feelings are not only famed
to fame by the Manchu govern.
ment, but are increased by the infu.
ence of the local mandariDs. who
know that under a foreign admins.
tratiou their profits through official
peculatious and equeezes of the peo-
pie would be stopped.
Thus it appears that the anti for.
eign conflict is an irrepressibie one.
based on age long bitterness which
will make it hard to govern the
country under foreign rule