The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-06-17

The Western people will soon be
compelled to revise their ideas of the
| Eastern world. For centuries past
they nave thought of Asia as "a con-
tinent whose inhabitants are lost in
apathetic quietude. Now, however.
one rarely sees a telegram from any
country in Asia which does not re-
cord some disturbances, sometimes Of
the monst dangerous kind. The rise
of Japan which within the last CEN
tury was supposed to be voluntarily
Isolated from kind, has shattered the
isolated from mankind, has shattered
! the idea Of the yellow peril which
was thought to be eXtinguished with
the extinction Of the Tartar ascendency
in Russia. There is supposed to be a
revolution in far Cathay," which
Pushkin once described as lying 'in
dotage buried" Reuter- records ev-
cry day some new symptoms Of the
unrest which is prevailing in India,
affecting not her soldiery, as in the
mutiny, but 'her whole population in
their uncountable myriads. In Indo-
| China, the French officials are haunt
ed by the possibility Of a vast popu-
lar insurrection. In Afghanistan the
wariike clans are evidently pondering
on the possibility of a new descent
into the southern peninsula, and
may yet compel their nominal sover-
eign either to let them loose or to
take their lead in a war to which the
discontented in India are said. on
good evidence, to be perpetually in
citing him. One motive, at least, for |
the .-pletiOn of the Russian rail-
ways - the East Is believed to be a
vagv apprehension that the popu-
lation Of the Khanates are throbbing
with hope that they may rid them
selves Of the weight Of the heavy
Russian hand.
In Persia the people have caught
the Western Idea of superseding des-
potism by an elected legislature, and
may even split up their ancient en-
pire into PAIRING principalities; while
in Turkey the martial caste, which
for 50 many centuries has threaten
ed Eastern Europe and plundered
Western Asia, Is protesting that il
wants to be civilized and free of
tyranny at once military and sacer-
dotal. No one even expects tran
guilty in any corner of Asia, and
statesmen are surrendering the idea
that Europe can either partition
Asiatic dominions, or warn the peo-
pie that they are expected to be
quiescent. They are even holding
conferences to devise combined plans
for preventing the weapons of the
West from being imported into States
which may intend to use them
against the white man. The makers
of kilograms say only this week that
the mild and submissive" Hindoos
are promising the most ferocious god
dess left among the pagan peoples
that in the fullness of time they will
offer up the entire white race as a
grand sacrifice at her shpine. Hither-
to such an offering has been pro-
by all Hindoos unholy, even
the hugs refusing to sacrifice the
whites on the distinct grounds that
they are taboo, as unfit for sacrifice
as If they were pigs; but now con-
tempt and dislike would seem in a
sense to have sacrificed suhc abb
horrent offerings
There may be much exaggeration
In all this, for it must not be forgot
ten that the white people, who when
separated from each other by descent
or organization, often fail to under
stand each other-witn4ss tho relation
between the Gentle Irish and the
Scotch-seem unable to penetrate
the cloud which separates them from
the brown and yellow peoples. The
newspapers, again, always write Of
any movement in Asia under the par
TALLY stupefying influence Of sudden
panic or surprise. But still the evil
dence of unrest-trOublesOme un est
from Toxic to COn.tantinople cam
not be rudely denied. There is un-
rest, and the really interesting specu-
lation concerns, but not the fact which
Is patent, butts hidden, or at all events
stiii obscure, causes What has thrown |
SO many and, such quiescent people
into an inexplicable fever of agita-
ton? Why for instnace, are the Chin
ese, who are independent and the