Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-07-14

RhAI AOm1fbAiA kEmEtt.
MAS ablest scholars and business
men. 1t is therefore from the stand
point of friendship and with sorrow
that he confesses his own apprehen-
sion, based upon what is already
known at Taku, that the legations at
Picking have been destroyed and the
members killed.
The other night he discussed the
present desperate state of affairs, in
China with candor, Analysing the
causes which have bred the present
trouble, pointing out the significance
of the situation and imploring the civ
illzed nations to reflect well before fur
Their involving themselves in a strife
which, he believes. threatens to be the
most bloody in history
''The origin of the whole trouble" de-
clares Mr.. Ho, "is in the interferences
with our religion in China. | do not
question the worthy intentions of the
missionaries who have gone there, but
they have made the mistake of trying
to convert people who are not educated
as race even to the point of religious
tolerance. Good missionaries merely
waste their energies and incense the
people, Studying the history of the
world, we find that almost every great
war has been brought on by differences
in religion.
I There is another cause for the pres
ent uprising, aside from the purely re-
liglous work of the missionaries. 1t so
happened in China that whenever a
missionary has been injured or killed
in the country the nation which he
represented has made the tragedy an
occasion for asking grants of lands
from the Chinese government | do
not mean to say that they were not
right In claiming indemnity for such
deeds, but this course. which has seem
ed peculiar in the eyes Of many of our
people, who are extremely suspicious,
has been misconstrued and misinter-
preted
II am positive from dispatches
have received that it was the original
intention of both the government and
Boxers TO respect the Picking legations.
Otherwise it would have been easy to
attack them before June 20. | am
sure the government was ready to put
forth every effort to protect them.
"Today | cannot speak so confident
ly. The bombardment of the Taku
forts has changed the whole aspect of
the situation. AS soon as the tidings
of that act Of hostility reached Picking
i fear that the mob, which up to that
moment had been held in control by
the government. would become fren-
zied and get beyond its control, for
they would reason that they were to
be punished anyway, and all reason
for restraint would then have been
gone.
From a polite point of view il
seems to me to have been a fatal mis-
take on the part of the powers 10 have
taken that aggressive step before they
had landed sufficient forces TO be able
to support It or to follow it up. They
stirred up beehive when not in posi-
ton to accomplish anything. Instead
of relieving the legations in Pekin'
they aggravated the situation, stirring
the ignorant and maddened populac
to frenzy. Such an act as firing upol
the Taku forts, even in the case Of al
enlightened people, would have been j
my opinion a serious error under tn
circumstances. The enraged people
already on the warpath, would en-
brace such an opportunity for self jus
Eification ! fear, knowing nay race
1hat Picking rose en- masse when til
intelligence reached there from Tax
ana that they executed vengeance 0
the legations.
"What effect a different policy woul
have had on the Chinese is, thin
exempIided in the attitude which
Hung Chang, China's most progressi'
and influential statesman, has taK'