The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-01-13
NATIVE CHRISTIANS AND THE LIE
CATIONS.

The last word has not yet been said upon
the question OF the real position OF the
missionaries in respect to the Boxer up
rising. 1t was and is our opinion that
there was Very good cause for the spirit
that actuated the Chinese in their attempt
TO throw off all foreign influence, conner
cial, executive and religious. The suffer
incs Of the Chinese from foreigners have
been severe and prolonged. perhaps more
in their pockets than in their religion. fo-
the former is a very serious matter with
The hungry Chinese while the latter IS
rather a philosophical tenet than an active
faith II would. therefore. seem 10
simple outsider that the Chinese have SUI
Fcrcd more from the competition OF West
crn manufacturers than from the uproot-
ing Of the ancient Confucian forms OF re-
lisious belief All accounts agree that the
sufferings caused by the introduction OF
railroads have been widespread and severe
Especially has this been SO of the railroad
from Shan hal kwan to Peking, which
runs by Tien Tsin. This road has de-
l,riycd thousands and hundreds Of thou
labor by carrying or the railroad the
gods that used to be carried in wheel
barrows and donkey carts. The STANDARD
Oil Company has also spread devastation
ana civilization by introducing a real il
Illuminating oil in place Of the bean oil,
whose production used to furnish occupa-
ton to vast numbers Of Chinese
III is ali very Well to cite the law of
conservation of energy ana prove there
from that the lives OF these workers Will
be utilized in other forms Of production
But it will be a long day before the un-
employed and hungry Chinese find new
fields for their labor and an opportunity
to earn their daily bread. SO in explain
ing the motives LAT drove the Boxers to
attack the foreigners, full weight must
be given to the impelling cause OF hunger.
A cause that was too often overlooked pT
those globe trotters that attributed the
whole uprising to the folly and bad juds-
ment CT the Christian missionaries. y new
light was thrown on the missionary stu
alton in the East by Bishop Partridge.
who preached here last fall, when ne sald
thut the one vitalizing force in China ana
Ja,an was not the force nor the adapti-
bi!ity of the people, but the Christian re-
licion. which from the most selfish OF
States reasons, the rules OF Japan wished
taught. and which the enlightened Chinese
respected from purely unitarian grounds.
Now comes d new point OF view from VIII
liam Alexander Parsons Martin, LII D..
president Of the University of Picking In
a recent address DR.. Martin made the
statement that the legations in Picking
would have wholly persisted but for the
he'll, OF the missionaries and native Chris
1ians. These latter worked with the ut
most heroisn and energy BY their efforts
the barbados were raised and the com
munications with The outer world kept
open
il. was not to be supposed that emma
would submit to the painful changes OF an
industrial revolution without herce
str,,ggle-and time may yet prove that ne
ameliorating condition OF this necessary
suffering will be found in the very religion
10 which SO 7nnny attributed the uprising
itself