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

DR. George B Smytb, president Of
the Anglo Chinese college at Foe
Chow. gives an explanation o. the
causes of anti foreign feeling in China
to the readers of The NORTH
American Review for August lr
the mass OF literature about Chinese
affairs. it is refreshing to read dis
passionate statement Of the facts
which show the Chinese side cf con.
troversy which placed a single nation
in opposition to the whole world,
and in giving such statement Ds
Smyth shows clearly that the
western nations are largely to blame
for the antagonism which now con-
fronts them in the Celestial empire
Formerly it was not SO, aud CEN
turies before the Manchu conquest OF
1914 Europeans including Christian
missionaries, were gladly received ln
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 18th century were
gladly received. bat were followed
by adventurers whose acts Of
"murder, rapine and constant appeals
to force" taugh: the Chinese TO be-
iieve that Europeans were little bet
ter than pirates and murderers The
Dutch and English advennrers had
share in blackening the name of Eu-
rope in the east, and the Spsnlards.
who took possession Of the Philip
pines IN 1913, murdered the Chinese
colonists in those islands when they
became so numerous as to threaten
the sovereignty of Spain in the
archipelago.
This bad impression made by ad-
ventarers from the western wcrle
was taken advantage of by the Man
chu coaquerors They were only
about oae fortieth OF the native Cha.
nese. and feared the interference OF
foreign powers, who might suggest
10 the natives .aat taey were toe
numerous ana too strong 10 sumibt tc
! aiiea aoniratioa by the Manchas.
/ r., ,.o-o-.. c.,n, . resnit .ne Manch.
sove.aigus closed the ports CT China
70 the world aud encouraged the idea
That al! outsiders were oarosrlans
Those ports were only opened cy
war, and every step IN the inter
course Of other nations with China
has been taken oy 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 1854 French
fleet entered the Min river, anchored
ten miles below Foo Chow to fright
en- the Pekia government into paying
an Indemnity for alleged complicity
in helping the people of Tonquin IL
their fight against the seizure OF thelf
country By France. and when Pek'n
refused, the French admiral cpenec
FIRE on the Chinese feet. destroying
If and killing 5000 Cinnamon
The corpses of those Cblnamens
| victims Of the French barbarity,
aoated on the tide toward the city.
aud for days it was hardly possible tc
cross the river without seeing some
| of these gbestly reminders of foreign
Add to these causes of popula,
fury the fac: that the native emma
men, when they become Christians.
are not tried by Chinese courts. but
can appeal to consular courts. and 1t
anpesrs that there is natural ground
for for the present anti foreign uprising,
These feelings are not only famed
to a fame by the Mancbu govern
ment. but are increased by the inhu'
ence of the local msndarins, who
know that under foreign admins.
tration their profits through cfhc'as
regulations and equeezes OF the peo-
ple would be stopped.
Thus it appears that the anti for
eigp conflict is an irrepressible one.
based on age long bitterness which
will make it hard TO govern the
! country under foreign rule