The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-01-15
THE POT AND THE KETTLE.


especially the protestant missionaries,
for the present Chinese uprising
against everything foreign. Heron
Brandt, for many years German Con-
sui in China according to the Literary
Digest says:
THE Chinese uprising is largely an
uprising caused bv a reaction against
the activity of the missionaries, and
more particularly the Protestant mis-
sionares These latter are by no
means as wise in their generation as are
those of the Roman Catholic Church,
as they do not understand how to adapt
themselves to the life of the natives. In
fact, fully three fourths of all the dis
agreeable business which a foreign con-
sui must attend to in China is caused
by the interference of Protestant mis-
SiOnarieS in bhealf of their converts
These opinions from a man of such
experience naturally had considerable
weight and the press has largely fol-
lowed him, formulating accusation sub
sequently as follows:
90 The Protestant missionaries are
not acquainted with the Chinese Ian
guage and customs, as the Roman Ca
thOliCs usually are; (2) the former are
entirely too Jealous, and conduct their
propaganda unwisely and extensively;
go they lack that discretion in the
ndnullnS OF converts a1G IN their uGdl-
ingS with the nOn-ChriStian element
which the Roman Catholic priests pos
sess; (D the Protestants offend the
Chinese in their most sacred convic
lions, and in cases of anti Christian re-
action have their governments send
military expeditions to punish the Chi
nese 60 the Chinese converts of the
Professionals are a bad class of people"
1t was not likely that such a set of
accusation would be acquiesced in very
tamely and the Protestant side has
been set forth by the religious CProtes-
tanD press. So vigorously is the fight
being carried on that the line between
Protestant and Roman Catholic in Ger
many, which has been gradually dimi-
nishing, as it has done in Great Britain
and the United States, has again been
very sharply drawn. The Protestant
press formulates it's charges as follows:
Reform movements in the inner poll
tics of China; (2) the aggressive and
hostile policy of the foreign nations in
their dealings with the Chinese; 90 the
Catholic missionaries and their meth
DDS, especially their mixing of politics
with religion by appealing to the poll
| teal powers for protection and revenge
I
contemplate method of the foreigners
in China in their treatment of the ma
| tives; 60 the unprincipled business
methods of the merchants dealing with
the Chinese; 60 the newspaper agita-
ton for a partition of the empire; CD
the disagreements and rivalries of the
foreign ambassadors in China: 90 the
corruption of the Chinese officials; 90
the fact that the Boer and the Philip
pines wars have revealed to the Chi
nese the remarkable weakness of two
of the leading Western nations"
Here are two sets of people, both per-
fectly honest, who take Numerically
opposite views of the same question. Is
it not possible that like the two knights
they are battling together because each
sees only one side of the shield. There
may be truth on both sides.
The Chinese have their own strong
opinions, Chang Ching Tung whose
work upon the Western nations from
the Chinese point of view has been re-
Gently translated says;
Religion is propagated by strength;
and strength lies in the troops. COnse-
quently, in countries of no prestige and
power the native religion is not follow
ed. MOhammedanism is unreasonable,
but Turkey is fierce and Warlike, so
Mohammedanism survives. Buddhism
| is near the truth, but India is stupid
and foolish, so Buddhism perishes Ro-
man Catholicism and Professionalism
have been propagated over three-fifths
of The globe by military power"
| From this it would seem that the Chi
nese themselves class the Roman Cath
olics and the PrOtestants together, as
far as military aggression is concerned
And history will bear out the Chinese
view, in part, for punishment upon the
Chinese has been inflicted by Roman
Catholic and Protestant powers with
strict impartiality, and the Russians
have been giving an example of Greek
church Christianity which seems to
bring out the adage scratch the Rus
sian and you will find the Tartar" be
they Protestant or Roman Catholic.
The present anti-foreign rising in
China has not arisen from the work
of the missionaries only. 1t is a natural
reversion to old habits of thought, and
to old customs which appeared to be
going. When the old style Chinese and
the Manchu mobiles saw the reforming
spirit rising up among their own coun-
trymen, and making its way into the
inmost councils of the empire, means
was sought to check it and the boxer
movement sprang up ready to hand and
was fostered with disastrous results
up to the present, but with what re-
suits i'm the future none can tell.
! A masked ball will be a great novelty