Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-04-25
NEW WINE IN OLD BOTTLES.
Results of the Effort to Graft Christi
entity Upon Confuelanlsm.


Maj.-Gen. Henry c. Corbin, on arriv-
ing in san Francisco from the orient
caused something of a sensation there
by his emphatic statement that the
missionaries ece largely to blame for
the hatred of foreigners and the anu
foreign riots IN China. says the New
York Commercial. High government
officials CT Japan have recently ex-
pressed the same opinion. And there
IS q steadily growing popular belief
IN both hemispheres that the present
wave Of antiforeign sentiment in
China is mainly due to British ana
American missionary enterprise and to
the smouldering native resentment
thereat, which so often breaks out into
blaze. As to the unselfish and lofty
motives of our missionaries there is
no dispute, but it is by It's fruits that
the tree must be gagged.
After the close of the second war
with Great Britain what is known as
the federation cause wa5 introduced
into the treaties. It is article 2g in the
American version and provides. inter
ala. that hereafter those who profess
and teach Chrietian doctrine. whether
United States citizens or native CON
Verts, shall not be prosecuted on ae
count of their faith. Residents in
ASIA, unconnected with mission work
can be found who declare that this I'm.
fortunate clause (vague, abused and
open to many constructions) has been
the handspring and the potential
source Of Chinese hostility.
1t appears Tat restrictions might
IN the future be advantageousIv I'm.
posed on the huge and futile exporta.
tions Of our religious wares to the
orient They court derision. not rev.
erence. Distasteful. not only TO the
Chinese, but to all the other eastern
races, these wares have been found
utterly indigestible. The products NJ
our religious vineyards have been
proved to act and react disastrousIv
net only on the missionaries but also
on the merest handful of natives. say
perhaps one in 5000. who can he IN.
duced into protesting any desire Tor
our religion. The converts are hara
IN contempt by the Chinese as believ
eFs IN crude, brand new. western
Hlytnoiogy-sO young as comparad
with their Owni-and as renega .faa
VINO have forswcrn their ancestral
belief In the dragon, nondescrip.
spirit universally feared in China
VINO by the lashing OF his tail at he
proceedings of the foreign devils,
causes earthquakes and inundaffors
For, In Chinese theology. a belief in
me devil dragon is essential to their
orthodoxy. The Budd4as. holds
views in harmony with millions 81
other Buddhlsts, the Confucian FOL
lows plaeidly the doctrine Of million,
OF other Confucians. Ii Hung Chang
remarked that Christianity and Cor.
fuctanism were substantially the sama
The Able Hue wrote that from time
lmmemarial Chinese thought had
run n Exed grooves. Then. az nov
The nandaris listed to discourses IN
God, he soul and salvation from mere
curiosity-~or as they say themselves
TO amuse their hearts a little. They
| We're courteous enough to declare +ha
doctrines perfect and unanswerabla".
but, on going away, they resumed
their hab'tual Indifference and ba
came Just as Chiese as ever.
How can it be wondered at that for.
eign religions are distasteful to the
popuiace2 Have not the choice can
ticles for rice converts" always ure.
ceded the Mauser. as the day the
night2 Would 1t not seem consisten.
with our professions at present -
avoid this cause Of friction make .
new departure and in future withdraw
government support or cDuntenance
from volunteer missionary enterprises
IN The fowery land? UaIortunate!v
u Is too patent TO the Cainamen tina,
among Christians, who's ten of that
profession come together among
| them, there will De found a divergence
| Of teaching as to what is essential IN
faith, perhaps three 10 four church.
es, rivalry, even hostility Generally
speaking the Chinamau does not fear
death; his selfconstituted religions
/ teachers show no such Indifference
The awful cruelties perpetra,ed on
native converts by heir fellow conn
/ trymen may be illustrated by one sin.
gle example that occurred about tbe
| time of the Boxer protests against our
/ religious methods, which had for thei,
object 10 drive out and exterm!nate
foreigners, which cost the lives OF lSC
protestant missionaries and dfty.three
children and thirty-fve Roman cath
Ollie fathers and nine sisters; from
The usually peaceabIe province Of Sse
! Ichnan reports were received that
more than 10000 native Christians had
been killed or tortured imperial de
grees Notwithstanding. At whose
door IS this slaughter to be laid? Who
was responsible? Rome, The success
ful colonizer, never attempted the con
version Of her distant provinces: she
escaped that blunder Has not every
thing been done in the name Of a great
err republic that should have been
left undone and that neglected in tn,