The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-03

a large and independent nation of four hundred
| and thirty millions Of living beings Very true.
and yet everybody who Is familiar with the inter
national relations with China must in all justice.
| have serious reflections when he considers how
the civilized PoWtfS have dealt with this ancient
| Empire"
While we have no desire to accuse so
dfstinguis / publicist of special plead
| ing,-it occurs to us that the failure of
public opinion to demand application oil
The Hague resolutions to China is not
only quite comprehensive but so far has
| been justified by the attitude and conduct
of the Chinese themselves. When their
| Government attempted to perpetrate the
| atrcefous crime upon the comfy Of ma
| tions,s and upon-civilization and humanity
Of Selling the ENJOYS OF friendly Powers,
| their families and suites, and devoting
| them to massacre. the act amounted to
self impo led outlawry, and in morals and
ethics absolved all the other Hague
| signatorie5 from their obligations as far
| as China was concerned. Prof. de Mar
| tens may be right in urging that the Chi
| nese be treated with forgiveness and lib
erillity as n matter of policy, hut, as a
matter of justice unentangled with con-
sidorations of prudence, we feel sure that
! the majority opinion OF the two hemi-
spheres is correct in holding that the Chi
nese Government including the murder
GUS Empress Dowager. Tuan, Tung-fuh
Slang, and other princes and leaders OF
| the dominant element in the Empire, for
feited all claim to clemency, and the sys-
tenn it and they stand for to all claim
to longer existence.
with this point settled, we are able 20
agree with the further views of Prof.
Martens regarding excuses which, before
the attack upon the legations, and the
| Paoting-fu and other massacres, might
| have been offered for the Chinese in their
hatre of foreigners. It is true as he
says, that prior to the Boxer outbreak
which was undoubtedly the work of the
! imperial authorities, mo means of OBJ
| tanning trade advantages, no opportunities
of attaining influence in Pekin, were
| neglected SO long as they contained a
guaranty of success and this success vas
| then announced urbi ct orbi in manner
the more difficult to understand when enc
considers that it was obtained at the lost
of China herself Since the more general
opening of Chinese ports since 1872, this
particular phase of Western aggression
has been less in evidence but in its place
we have the seizure of Chinese coast line
and territory by various Governments. and
that, it is unnecessary TO say, has brought
Chinese detestation of everything foreign
to white heat. which has not in any wise
abated. Prof. de Martens says:
Il cannot acknowledge that the Christian Iva.
tons possess the nhtural right always exercised,
OF forcing the ChiBaman to submit to the
scrupulous spoliation of the natural wealth Of his
native land
Il >rilable TO recognize the right OF the
Protestant Catholic missionaries 10 carry
their propaganda at the expense OF the strength
Of the Chinese Government | can find abso-
lmely no illegal grounds on which to Justify the
right of Systematically poisoning the Chinese with
OPIUM the importation OF which Was imposed on
China by force.
FINALLY. moreover. / must in all caudidness
give expression TO my opinion that the Chinese
have the same right 10 insist that China belongs
10 the Chinese the Russians the English
r5Yc That rfieiT lands belong 10 themselves.
For that reason it appears TO that the
civilized Powers. when they settle their claims
against China should not direct their efforts to-
Uartf extending the privileges of their subjects
in China by obtaining concessions TO
advance tlie Propaganda Of the Christian religion
among the Chinese, to undermine the authority
or prestige OF the Chinese Government, OF TO
increase the hate and the prciudites against all
foreigners IN TIM 'hSrt. Of the Chinese people.
LII, Lie eoBti5ues, the Powers who at
present are jointly on the Chinese soil
permit themselves 10 be led by the de-
mands of merchants and missionaries TO
eXtort new concessions" and if they force
the Government IN Pekin to comply. 1.-The
e1trlIne- ASSERTION of their sovereign
rights in China can be regarded only as
truce OF arms In such an event, in a
short time 9here' would be fresh murders
and other crimes against foreigners, ne
cessitating new and sanguinary wars.
When China, during this enforced period
of rest, has gathered her strength for the
future struggle and has created we'll
organized army, the Christian nations
would then have TO answer for the re-
sponsibility of having paved the way to
a battle with nation of four hundred and
thirty millions of human beings, a respon-
sibility on the part of the Governments of
the civilized world as against nations yet
unborn"
There is indeed food for thought in the
statement CT Prof &c Martens His ar
gument and warning deserve the careful
attention Of the courts and cabinets on
both sides OF the Atlantic