The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-02
WIZ.

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1t was the nineteenth century thai was
to witness the awakening n transforma-
ton Of China. Prior TO 1889 the Central
Empire, as the Chinese proudly called
their country, with a population nearly
equal to that Of Europe and America com-
bined, was Theoretically sealed against
foreign intercourse, except at one point,
namely, the factories at Canton. III
transportation provoked by the indignities
to which the British traders were subjected
eliminated in war, when in 1889 a new
Viceroy OF Canton undertook to effect a
summary suppression Of the traffic III opium.
A strong force was despatched to China
to exact an indemnity, islands and seaporTs
were occupied by British troops as far
north as the River Yangtse. and Nankin,
the ancient capital, was only saved from
falling into their hands by the acceptance
Of such conditions Of peace as Sir Henry
Pottinger saw at to impose. The con-
ditions are pronounced by DR.. Martin
astonishingly moderate on the part Of a
who, unembarrassed by the
interests Of other Powers, might have
taken the whole empire, They were,
besides payment for the destroyed drug,
the opening OF five ports to British trade
and the cession to Great Britain Of Hong
kong, a rocky islet. which was then the
abode Of fishermen and pirates but which
to-day claims to outrank ell the seaports
Of the world in the amount Of it's Tonnage.
There was not a syllable In the peace treaty
about legalizing the opium traffic. So much
for the charge that this war, Of repute
~malodorous, was waged for the purpose Of
compelling China to submit to the continu-
ance of an unlawful trade.
A consequence Of the opium war was the
outbreak OF rebellions in different parts of
the empire. The Manchus. hitherto deemed
invincible, had been beaten by a handful
Of foreigners. 1t surely then might be
possible for the Chinese to wrest the sceptre
from the northern invaders. Three parties
entered the field, the Taipings Of the south,
the ~~Redhaired' on the seacoast and the
Nainfi in the north. In DR.. Martins opin-
ion neither of the latter two parties de-
serves notice, but the first named made for
themselves a place in history which one
is not at liberty TO ignore. Tn Taipings
gained possession of Eankin and held 1t for
ten years. and il is safe to affirm that with
out the aid of foreigners they never would
have been dislodged. The second part of
their en~terprise-the expulsion Of the
Manohus from ~Pekin-ended in defeat.
The Taipings we're commonly called long
haired rebelk, bs ause hey rejected the
tousure and "pigtail' as marks Of sub
lection. They printed at Nankin by what
they called imperial authority an edition
Of the Holy Scriptures. At one time Lord
Elgin, disgusted by the conduct OF the
Pekin Government. Croposed to make
terms with the rebel court at Sanliin.
The French Minister, however, refused to
cooperate, partly because the rebels had
not been careful to distinguish between the
images in Roman Catholic ohapeis and
those in pagan temples, but chiefly from
an objection TO the ascendenoy of Prot
estant influence, coupled with q fear Of
losing the power that comes from the exer-
else OF q protectorate over Roman Catholic
missions. "How different" exclaims DR..
Martin, would have been the future of
China had the allied Powers backed up the
Taipings against tie Manchus,'
The second act o. !he great drama which
the nineteenth century saw performed on
the stage of the Fiddle Kingdom was the
s~o-called Arrow war, which lasted from
1857 to 1860, and was caused by the seizure
Of the lorcha Arrow which. though
owned by Chinese, was regietered in Hong
kong and sailed under the British flag.
Ii is well known hat IN. 1880 Pekin was
captured Ivy an An~glo-Frenoh force. that
the summer palace was laid in ashes and
that the Chinese Emperor fed to Tartary
TO find a grave By the ensuing treaty
China abandoned her long selclusion, added
to the number Of treaty ports and threw
open the whole empire TO the labors Of
Thxtatian p,ilainna Tha n,Yrfoin tSoaa IN
the third act Of the drama in 1885, when
the French seized the arsenal at Foochow
and destroyed the Chinese val feet. So
far as the stipulstions Of the subsequent
treaty were concerned neither party gained
| or lost anything, yet as q matter OF fact
France scored a substantial victory, be-
cause she was left henoeforward in quiet
possession of Tonkin, a principality which
China had regarded as a vassRl n en-
deavored TO protect.
Ten years later a fourth act OF the drama
! grew out Of China's unwise attempt to pro-
tect another vRssal. DR.. Martin tells uH
that he was in Japan when the China
Japan war broke out. and being asked by
a company OF foreigners what ne thought
Of Japan's chances, answered, "The sword
fish can kill the whale Not merely did
the lblRnueTb eNpel tine Shlnebe from the
! Corean peninsula, but they occupied the
districts in Manchuria from which but yes
terday they oustedth the Russians. Pekin itself
was in danger when Ii Hung Chang went &c
sue for peace. The effect Of Chlna's defea,
at the hands OF her despised neighbor was
II possible. more profound than that Of heI
humiliation by the English and French In
1890. She saw how the adoption Of West,
ern methods had clothed a small Orienta
people with irresistible might, and hei
wisest statesmen set themselves 10 worI
a similar Transformation In their anti
quated empire. The young Emperor
showed himself an apt pupil. issuing h,
eeries Of reformatory edicts which alarmed
the conservatives and provoked a reaction
that constitutes the fifth nj last act Il
The tremendous drama The corp deto