Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-15
BOXERS AND THEIR ALLIES.
The dominating Impulse of the Lead
ers of the Organization.

The Dominating Impulse of the Lead
ers of the ORGANIZATION.
From the North China Herald
The Boxers Tho T'uan. or Tho Oh uan-hl'
originated in Shantung. In that province
certain professors OF gymnastics live In re-
tired spots among the mountains, Wnere
they communicate their art to disciples anu
pretend to be possessed by spirits VINO give
them magical powers. They were coh-
denned by imperial decree in the reign OF
Kia Ching. about 1910 Lately they have
been encouraged by the magistrates VINO
took them to be patriots because they main
tain the principle that the Manchu dynasty
Is to be supported and the foreigners ex-
nelIed from the country. They were there
fore not prohibited by the local authorities
In 1899 they disturbed Shantung province
and massacred a large number OF native
Christians. They also burned many my
churches This was in the time OF the
former governor, Yu HSien. now in Shansl-
He is stated to have given direct encour-
agement to the Boxers, and to nave peen
supported in this policy by kang H. one
of the Manchu prime ministers and mem
Der of the cabinet. But Kang VI alone
could not exercise a commanding influence
He has been aided by Hsu Iung' Chinese
Zimmerman and one of the grand secre-
tarles Chung vi, a duke with the title
cheng-en and the father of the empress or
the Emperor Tung Chin; Tuan Wang the
dent of the board of ceremonies. Chi Hsiu.
These four cabinet ministers are in league
with Kang vi in the support of the Boxers;
they look on the Boxers as triumphant
party who are carrying to a successful
issue all their enterprises, and the extreme
difficulty of the situation to which foreign
| residents have been reduced is In their view
an eloquent testimony to the supernatural
aid the Boxers have received. They well
come this highly popular movement as
showing how much the nation loves the
ov,I Irs foo ora
wiser and would resist the Boxers by force
and compel them to desst from their mad
career of assassination and incendiarism.
Their view Is the same as that OF the three
Tceroys. The Manchu princes are sur
rounded by Boxers. half their retainers be-
long to the association. and half of the
palace servants are members OF the same
Boxer brotherhood.
Yet there Is no true loyalty in the Boxer
leaders They kill military officers as will
ingly as they do Christians. They are said
to have murdered Hsu Tung the aged cab
met minister, who has been helping them
by speaking in their favor to the empress
dowager. They have destroyed government
buildings, and among them the customs de-
partment in Pekin, which supplies 5000. 900
each year to the revenue. They are then
in all respects rebels, and will, If not
checked, proceed to found a new dynasty
on the ruins of the Manchu power. Their
leader, Ii Lai-fu, 1t may be presumed, has
dreams of this kind. This man is probably
in Pekin at present, bending all his energy
| to accomplish the destruction of every for
eigner in the city. He hopes that the false
glory of so great a crime will give him a
title In the eyes Of the millions who believe
in his magical powers to mount the ,..rone
Of China.
There is one man in Chinese history with
whom he can be compared. Chang Hsien-
Chung in the year 1914 gained possession
of Szechuan. He massacred 32,310 under
graduates, 5000 eunuchs, 1000 of his own
troops, 27OO0 Buddhist priests, 100000 in
habitants of Ghengtu. $50 of his own concu-
bines, 400 900 wives of his troops, and every
one else in the province. When he had done
this he proclaimed himself Emperor Of
Chengtu. Has not the Boxer leader a Sc
cret admiration for Cheng-Hsien-Chung?
In his discriminating murders and incen-
diary deeds can he have any object before
him but his own glorification? Tung-Fu-
hsiang, the general who ostentatiously ia
vors the Boxers. and probably admitted Lii
Lai-fu is a native Of Shensi. the adjoining
province. Furnishing is still In the
imperial service. and not a rebel against
the empress. L-Lai-fu must then for the
present profess allegiance to the Manchus.
For the time being he surrounds himself
with mystery. His followers do not say
where he Is.
When Kang-Yi went to negotiate with the
rebel leaders at Chochou Li-Lai-fu was
not mentioned. and the names of the lead
ers with whom he spoke were not given.
Gen. Tung would possibly have sent SOL
diers with him. But this we do not know.
In ordinary times in Pekin only the gov
ernor of the city has about twenty out
riders. Other persons in high Office go out
without an escort. Kang-Yi and Chao-Shu-
ch-iao, when they were sent by the en-
press to persuade the Boxers to dispense,
would thus have no escort. But all our in
formation since the Boxers were admitted
to Pekin has been very imperfect These
people have found out a new rule Of life.
For justice. mercy and all weighty matters
of the moral law they care nothing; a rob-
bers life is better than labor: they are ami
mated by an unref1ectng enthusiasm which
extinguishes the moral sense. They are led
on by crafty leaders in an enterprise which
they think must be successful because the
unseen powers Of nature are on their side.
The Doctor-"Above all things, madam,
YOUR husband mustn't worry. Perhaps
you'd better not show him my bill just