New-York tribune., 1905-11-12
cArsE oF MAsSACPES IN GINA.

The latest massacres of Christian mission
aries in China have Mortified the world, and the
| danger of further acts Of the same abomlnable
nature will cause widespread anxiety. 1t is TO
he assumed Of course that the governments Of
both countries viii do all that cGn be done TO
prevent any more such deviltry. The United
States has treaty right 10 expect and demand
that China will afford protection to American
residents of that country, and that it will make
the fullest possible repaFation for all harm
that is done to them. There is, moreover rea-
son TO believe that the Chinese government is
sincerely desirous of acting justly and humane
" in the matter. But whatever the Chinese
government wants TO do, or should do, 1t is of
practical interest to bear in mind the limita-
tons of it's actual ability. In more than one
state Of this country we have too often seen
governmental authority for time disregarded
and rendered mpotent by savage mob That
fact should suggest to us the greater difficult
ties confronting the government of a country
four or i've times as populous ours, with
far less strong administrative system and with
local autonomy developed TO far greater ex-
tent
.'Ex-Attach6" in another part of this morn
ing's Tribune discusses in all Illuminating
fashion this and other phases Of the case. Es-
pecially worthy of consideration in his sugges-
tion-which indeed is more than a mere sug-
VI tAFNNA
tanned facts as we'll as of enlightened opinion
that the aninosity of the Cantonese populace
is directed against the missionaries, not as
Christians but rather as Americans, the origin
of It lying in resentment against our exclusion
laws That view of the case. which we are
inclined TO accept, is at once reassuring and
embarrassing 1t is agreeable 10 know that
religious prejudices are subsidinG and that
there is less opposition TO the preaching of
md ok 0nfhrpakS
have not been due to some indiscreet zeal on
the missionaries part. The historic example
of the reverend gentleman who insisted upon
entering heather temples and belaboring idols
with his umbrella has always seemed to us an
admirable one to be summed; and in Kipling's
bloodcurdling Mark of the Beast it has been
impossible TO dissever sympathy with Strick-
land from reprobation of Fleete. But then, Il
the missionaries have not provoked the attacks,
which is cause for qualification, the American
government and nation appear TO have done
so which is cause for much embarrassment
If these outrages really a development Of
the recent boycott against American goods, the
situation is a grave one. The attitude of the
Chinese authorities, imperial, provincial and
municipal. may be entirely correct; and the
great guilds and individual merchants may
through self-interest be constrained TO abandon
discrimination against American goods. But it
will be different matter to change the minds
and conduct of tens of millions of peasants and
coolies immersed in ignorance and imbued
with elemental passions. The more enligbt-
ened methods of administering the law which
the President has ordered, may abate the re-
sentiment felt by the official and educated
classes in China. But 1t will actually make
more marked the contrast of our discrimina-
ton against the other classes, and it is these
other classes that now butchering Ameri-
can women and children. OF course, we may
say-and from our point Of view there may be
reason for ft-that the Chinese people should
be entirely content TO be made the objects Of
adverse discrimination, and should not resent
being shut out while the inferior dregs of all
other nations are freely admitted and well
coined. But we not that the
Chinese themselves should be expected TO take
that view of the case. IL we object TO the
Chinese coming among u.s. the Chinese may
object TO going among them If that is 81
logical, since we do not object TO the coming
of Chinese missionaries and scholars, the
trouble is that the cooue mind does not always