The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-22
Not a Sign Country Is
Raising Up New Bar
rier to Civil and Re-
ligious Liberty 1t
Has Been Decided to
Keep Him
~ JEREMIAH W. JENKs,
Director OF the Division Of Pebble
Affairs, New York University.

the Chinese emperors through
generations and dynasties from
ages long dead to the last years Of i'm.
psrialism paid respect to the memory
of Confucius. It Is supposedly In sim
1lar terms that PRECEDENT Yuan shih-k'a!
has been instructed BY the Chinese ad-
authoritative council to continue official
recognition Of the great moral teache,
Of China, who was born in Tsou in the
year $50 B. c.. and who. according "a
Dr.. Paul Carus and many other Amer
loan and European scholars who have
investigated Chinese thought and Chi.
ness history painstakingly and impair.
TALLY. gave definite form to Chinese
ethics and moulded the character OF the
nation" The language 10 minted elo.
Quence In adulation, a. one would ex-
psct In an Official ritual VI Q people by
whom culture has been continuously
conserved for more than 1000 years
Yet even among mortal men there has
not been thine equal 10 not. after all
much more fulsome az any more) than
other words Of glowing pride which are
sometimes Used by American platform
orators on occasions when we conmem-
oraee the glories Of our own dead.
Making due allowance for the Oriental
mind and the Oriental attitude and at
mosphere, the oral offering ought not
to sound so very alarming In Occidental
ears. There Is neither assertion Of d.
vinity nor divine origin. II Is merely
. perpetuation Of 1.onor paid to the
contemporary OF Lao-t1e, whose stat.
utes and laws have come gloriously
down" from his generation TO our own.
from the days OF Emperor Ling t2.464
years ago. to these days Of President
Yuan. Also 1t must be remembered
that 1t was Confucius who gave to
China, In the Analects. ideas and Gus
toms which have become crystallized In
Chinese etiquette. He taught the
Golden Rule as he saw it dimly with the
eyes Of an idealist: What ye will not
have done to you, do ye not unto
Others" 1t Is claimed for him that me
worked n marvellous reformation in the
manners of the people. and 80 his SOW
ereign raised him to a higher position
entrusting him first with the ministry
Of works and then with the ministry OF
Justice"
According to the China Year Book,
"COnfucianish-a moral code rather
than a form OF worship-does not ap-
peal 10 the masses Tin China), the tenn
PIE observances being confined to the
Official classes and the literau. At the
same time Confucian Ideals Of life and
conduct permeate the whole people"
Taoism. buddhism and MohammedAn-
Ism account for the vast majority OF
the non-Christian population of China.
1t y estimated that out Of her AGO.
100000 people there are from $4,000, 900
TO 10000, 900 OF Cninese Mohammedans.
There are also lesser sects. But 1t IL
still true. as tl.e China Year Book
points out, that the Confucian ethics
have been jealousy conserved as a
theory. even though they frequently
lapsed In practice by all those, what
ever their creed. who held offices under
previous Chinese administrations. Added
70 this In the unQuestioned fact that a
certain amount of politics has sur
rounded an otherwise possibly genuine
movement to confer upon Confucius
honors and attributes which would not
b. in accord with the progressive spirit
Of new China.
Bearing these facts in mind and real.
axing also that many OF the most sin
core Chinese friends Of Americans and
Europeans doubt the wisdom Of too
rapidly Occidentalizing China and dis
Ike the idea that China should cast
overheard those graceful and attractive
habits and customs which have become
q part OF the Chinese people, II 10 easy
70 comprehend the circumstances under
which China has offic.a ly decided to
retain for Confucius his previous place
In the national feasts. 1t Ii not neces.
sartly Q reactionary step. It 10 not q sign
that China IL going to raise up a new
barrier against civil and religious
liberty. 1t is merely a new indication
of the old homely truth, large bodies
move slowly" China has declared posi-.
lively her adherence to the modern
principle Of religious federation. China
will not Of her own voition retreat
from this wise position.
Judging from reliable reports from
Pekin the discussion OF Confucianism In
the Chinese administrative council was
marked by great restraint and liberal
breadth of view. Here, for example.
are three questions that were pro-
poun.led:
II. Is Confucius a god or a human
being? IL the latter. how can he be
"2. III Confucian worship were intro |
duced into the schools how can the |
scholars of other religions maintain !
.1tiai standing?
y. Whether sacrifice to Confucius In |
similar To sacrifice to heaven?"
The chairman of the council IL quoted |
as saying: These matters are purely
political ana are not In any way con-
~ec'ed with religion" This was the
argument Of the Emperor Kanghsi dur.
ing N" seventeenth century controversy
between the Jrsults and Dom!nlcans
as Ia whether Confucianism constituted |
a system of ethics or religious belief. |
it seems to be generally agreed that |
an opportunity for the immediate Chris |
tianization VI China was lost as the |
outcome OF that controversy 800 years
eeo. The same mistake Is not likely |
to be repeated either by the Chinese
or their Occidental Christian friends |
ANA It Is 10 be noted that many dis
tn6uished representatives of American |
christian bodies have come out boldly |
u recognition of the true situation.
FOR instance. the Associated Prco,
4eeees DR.. +. NJ. North, secretary Of
- Board OF Foreign Missions Of the