The Savannah morning news., 1902-07-07
CHINESE SECRET SOCIETIES.
Thy Consider Tartar and Caucasian
Natural Enemies.

Thy Consider Tartar and Caucasian
Natural Enemies.
The following excerpt is from an ar
ticle by Frederick Poole in the Era
Magazine" entitled "Chinas New Re-
bellion:"
To give a full history of these secret
societies as they exist in China now
would exhaust the labors of score of
annalists, and of hundreds of invest-
gators. All are sworn to a feud against
the Tartars, and the majority of their
members are declared in opposition to
the white races. Tartar and Caucasian
are classed as common enemies, dan
gerously allied. Race pride and patriot
ism in these men of the pure blood of
the ancient soil have combined with "a
persistent apprehension that the for
eigner's only aim is the more complete
subjugation of their spirit and the per-
petuation of dimly defined atrocities
upon their bodies.
Among the societies. some stand
above their fellows in strength of
numbers and in the power of closely
knit organization. There is the Ta-Tao
Hui, or the society of the Great Sword,
whose sole purpose Is the expulsion of
the white man from China, with the
alternative of determination. Another
is the I-HoC huan, or the league of the
United Patriots, which was formed two
years ago. 1t is the company of the
men who use their fists and the world
beyond has given them the effective
name of Boxers. Among them all, the
strongest society is the Triad It's sign
Is the hair grown long, as the shaver
head and the queue are evidence of
submission to Tartar rule, and fealty
to the imperial family. All of the socie-
ties perpetuate the memory of the con-
clusion of the rebellion in 1870. which
they attribute to the Staying of the
white foreigners-devils, whose blood,
righteously shed, appeased the wrath
ful gods and gave to China some meas
ure OF that kingdom of peace which
was aforetime hers.
The Boxer" rebellion Of two years
ago took its popular name from that
OF the most picturesque among the So
cieties that engaged in it; but the Ia
tao was allied with the lilo. Chuan.
The history of that outbreak, with all
It's scenes of horror, and all it's I'M
told, bloody narratives, is still too re-
cent to require recounting. All that
need be done is to point out it's init
mate and cogent relation with the re-
bellion of the Tai Ping, and its identity
in origin with the revolution which
now confronts the imperial family up
on its return to the imperial home.
The Chinese peasant to-day is hav-
ing the obvious thrust upon his vision.
A tyranny such as in effect the Chi
nese government is. exists so long only
as IT appears to the tyrannized to be
omnlpotent. In all their relations
with the civilized world whatever were
their failures and however humiliating
were their defeats the first solicitude
of China's rulers has been ito save
their face" before the gaze of the sub
tect peoples. The foreign demands for
indemnity, necessarily compiled with in
the light of Chinas absolute helpless
ness, has made clear to even the hum
blest of the Chinese that the imperial
family, reYerenced as deities, are hui
man as themselves and as liable to
humiliation by superior force The
additional taxes which have been ex-
acted in order to discharge in cash
the blood debt incurred two years ago.
have brought home to the people of
the country. as was never brought