The Hawaiian gazette., 1912-03-29

bers Of the guild settle almost all their
personal and commercial difficulties
through their guild courts.
Secret Societies.
''The secret societies out Of which
the TAPPING Rebellion grew were the
development of guild organizations; the
secret societies which probably have
had more to do with the present revolu-
tion than most people realize, have
grown out of the extension of the guild
principle to political affairs. Just as
the guilds of the middle ages gave rise
to the free cities of Europe, and to the
Hanseatic League, and laid the found
alton for popular government in Eu-
rope; so the guilds have laid the found
ations in China for representative in
situations among four hundred millions
of Chinese-a people who have endured
certain degree Of Asiatie despotision
from times immemorial, and who are
familiar only with despotic forms of
political government. Despite the un-
certainties of the present, and the pos
sibilfties of five, or even fifty years of
progress or reaction before one-fourth
of the human race settles down into
peaceful progress under representative
institutions, nevertheless we predict
that future historians will record with
amazement the capacity for self gov
eminent which the Chinese will develop
during the crisis through which the
nation is passing"
Chinese History.
Bishop Bashford then followed with
| a lnr, nd tpta &c Nh.
nese history from ancient days down
to the present. Continuing he said:
"If we are right in our review of
China's history, and in the discovery
of the causes of the arrest of Chinese
civilization, then we may be sure that
the awakening of China must follow the
establishment of modern means of COM
munication ON the one side and the in
PRODUCTION of Christianity upon the
other side. The application of steam to
locomotion, the use of electricity as a
means Of communication and the i'm
mense increase of commerce have
brought China into connection with the
modern world
Boxer Outbreak.
''The Boxer uprising was the last ex-
piring effort of the Chinese to Danish
the foreigners and maintain their iso-
lation on earth. These physical and
commercial causes inevitably brought
China into communication with the
western world, and they are in them
selves sufficient to lead in due time to
the renaissance of civilization.
Due to Christianity
t'But the chief cause of the awaken
ing of China was not the invention of
the steam engine and the .telegraphy;
but the introduction of Christianity
into the empire. Indeed this cause pre-
coded the introduction of western in
ventions and western commerce, and
was the cause of their introduction.
Above all Christianity has put people
all over the empire into communion
with God-the source of spiritual and
moral life. 1t has revealed to the Chi
nesc the fact of a personal immortality
and furnished sufficient strength and a
sufficient motive for martyrdom. The
Chinese church, both Catholic and Pro-
testant, has furnished abundant illus
trations of the fact that at least some
of her members are walking the earth
not after the law of carnal command
ments but by the power of an endless
life. Christianity is the real cause of
the awakening of China.
Bishop Bashford will speak in the
Empire Theater tonight.