April 20, 1901.1
QUARTERLY MEETING-MACEWEN CUP,
BOGEY CUP AND POOL.
The heavy but welcome rain of the past week rendered the course somewhat slow, and putting was distinctly difficult. The winner of the Pool is to be congratulated on his steady card, which contained nothing worse than an occasional 6.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
391
ROYAL HONGKONG GOLF. CLUB | by persons at a distance from the scene. The | nations under the sun and monks of all seots; world resounds with the criss of persecuted and as every one is permitted to live in whatever missionaries, but grievous as are their woes, the sufferings of foreigners can bear little comparison with the miseries entailed on the natives who have to bear the brant of the onslaught. The foreigners concerned are not only few in number, but they have means of escape, and it is in their own choice whether they remain at or return to the theatre of danger. But their native disciples having no such option are tied to the soil, and are as helpless as sheep before their shearers. Of their griefs the outer world hears virtually nothing.
The following were the scores handed in :-
MACEWIN CUP.
Mr. T. 8. Forrest Mr. O. M. G.
Mr. W. I. Granie
82
87
2 84 3 '84
101
*16 85
Mr. G. B. Thornhill, R.A. 103 -18 85
Mr. C. Palmer...
Mr. R. H: Richardson
Mr. C. H. P. Hay
103
9 94 113 - 17 96 114 18 96
17 entries. BOGEY CUP. ·
Mr. T. 8. Forrest
owes 2 strokes
, J. H. T. McMurtrie..... scratch Et. R. E. E. Kriekenbeck sec. 11
Mr. C. M. G. Burnie
2
5
E. J. Grist
11
Lt. G. E. Palmer
Mr. C. H. P. Hay
29
13
J
11
1
$1
11 14
"
11
-16 entries.
POOL.
Capt. FH. Henderson, R. N.
Mr. T. S. Forrest
,, C. M. G. Burnie
15
J. H. T. McMurtrie
W. J. Gresson
21
Mr. G. B. Thornhill, R A
W. J. Saunders
Comm. Davison R.N.
Mr. C. Palmer
**
C.-H. P. Hay
17 entries.
***
tie.
1 down 4 down 5 down 6 down 6 down 8 down 11 down
91 15 76 81 2 83
87 85
3 84 0 85 101 16 85 103 18 85 103 11 92 106 13 93 103 9 94 114 18 96
THE POLITICAL OBSTACLES · TO| MISSIONARY SUCCESS IN CHINA.
ME. ALEXANDER MICHIE'S LECTURE. On Tuesday evening in the St. Andrew's Hall, City Hall, a lecture was delivered under the auspices of the Hongkong Odd Volumes Society, the chair being taken by H. E. the Governor. A large number of visitors were present, among them being Lady and Miss Blake. The lecturer was Mr. Alexander Michie, and his subject was The Political Obstacles to Missionary Success in China."
The common sense of mankind must re- cognise this state of things as an evil Those who are the most sincerely devoted to Christian teaching must feel poignant regret that its in- troduction to the richest field in the whole world should be associated with outbursts of cruelty, and the letting loose of the fiendish passions of men. If it be presumed that the most ardent proselytiser-always with the special exceptions referred to at the outset would prefer that his religiou should make a peaceable, and not a stormy entrance into the empire of China, it follows that the lay world stands on common ground with missionaries in viewing with cousternation the bloodshed which stains their path.
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belief he pleases, the opinion, or rather the error, being upheld that each one may effect his salvation in his own religion, we are enabled to preach in perfect liberty and security" Five hundred years have worked no change in the Chinese attitude. Mr. Rose, the well-known Scotch missionary of Manchuria, says: far as religion is concerned, the Chinese are not only reasonable, but extremely tolerant, till the professed religion assume, or is believed to assume, a political aspect."
As
But, that being the case, the so-called per- secutions and martyrdoms of Christians lose all their religious significance: the very terms by which they are commonly described are mia- leading. For assuredly no heavenly vision. has ever said to a Chinese, "I am Jésus whom thou persecutest," We may without injustice to either side assume the tical and secular standpoint of the Chir- ese, for though it be true that we of the lay community might take exception to much that is presented to the Chinese in the name of Christianity as having little relation or resemblance to the gospel of Christ, yet our consideration of the missionary question will be conveniently simplified by leaving the subject- matter of its religions teaching on one side. We can do this on the double ground that.what is beyond our ken is also outside of our responsi bility, and that it is not the doctrines of the missionaries, whether pure or corrupt, which are the inciting causes of hostility,
Unfortunately, however, the acknowleged evil is one which, like bubonic plague, is practically without a remedy, since no two sects, scarcely any two men, could ever be got to agree upon measures either of prevention or cure. But But if not their doctrines, then it is some- though, under these circumstances, discussion on thing else that brings down Chinese vengeance the subject may appear to be idle, yet people can upon the missions; and that something is not no more refrain from discussing it than they far to seek. It is writ large over the whole can avert their thoughts from other irreparable history of mission work in China, so that he calamities. Go where one will, the missionary that runs may read it. What the Chinese question is in every mouth: it is a standing object to in foreign missions, and will resist to as well as for the the death, is their political pretensions, apply- topic for the forum study. There may be regions of the earthing the adjective in its widest sense, so as to where religious propagandism is properly include the sphere of social relations. For left to the care of its professional sponsors, the most important politics in China are family and village politics, and it may safely be said but so far as the missions in China are
that if missionaries could live on good terms concerned, their operations fill too large a place in the world's affairs for the considera- with the local communes, and keep clear of tion of them to be relegated to tonsured monks tribal feuds, the higher Chinese authorities or to ex-officio-theologians, no matter of what would be only too glad to leave them un- sect. For the truculent feelings which these molested. missions have aroused in China raise questions of international ethics which threaten to upset the political equilibrium of the globe, to embitter His Excellency said that they had been invited inter-racial relations, and even to threaten the that afternoon to hear a lecture from Mr. Alexan- world's peace. Were it merely the progress of der Michie, who required no introduction to any Christianity as a religion which was being obstructed by the opening of the flood-gates of audience in the Far East, where his literary re- putation was so well known, and where his savagery, its self-constituted guardians might, inst brilliant work," An Englishman in China
like other corporations, resent the intrusion of was now being devoured with avidity by every-outside opinion. But the gravity of the matters body who could bag, borrow, or buy a copy. The subject of the lecture, which was on the politi- cal obstacles to missionary work in China, was one of absorbing interest to every student of the history of China for the past three hundred years, and profoundly affected the present position of affairs. It could not be ignored in any profit- ble examination of the present unhappy posi- tion in China: To those who had the good f.rtune to read Mr. Michis's writings no guarantee was necessary that the lecture would be instructive and interesting, and would be listened to with pleasure by those who were in attendance. His Excellency then in troduced Mr. Michie.
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at issue is such as to override mere professional scruples, since it is not religion aloue-important as that is which is affected by the course of events, but the wellbeing both of the people of China and of the Western States.
And as it is the sivil power of Christendom, with the military force controlled by it, which is responsible for the introduction and main- tenance of missionaries in China, every subject and citizen of these States shares a responsibility of which te can be no means divest himself. It seems, therefore, the bounden duty of the public at large to exercise their minds on this Mission question, to observe where it trenches on the rights and liberties of the Chinese people and the sovereignty of their Government, to ex- whoamine dispassionately the various claims set up by the propaganda, and to come to some con- clusion as to the extent to which the military forces of Christendom may be legitimately used to support a course of procedure which is calculated, if not intended, to overturn the ex- isting polity of China.
The following was the lecture: — With the exception of a few extremists glory in the contemplation of martyrdom, who regard the effusion of blood as no drawback whatever to the propagation of their faith, men of all classes must deplore the violence which attends missionary operations in China. Periodical outrages, destruction of life and property, savage passious incessantly inflamed spreading like a bush-fire among the Chinese people, holocausts of adherents to foreign sects: such things are all too frequent and too wide spread to be attributed to local or acci. dental circumstances, The root causes of these ever recurrent phenomena must be constant, and they must be general. And so long as the root canses remain it is obvious that similar effects must be expected to show themselves. How far the ramifications of these untoward effects extend is probably, but faintly realisah'e
We are justified in assuming from the history of missions in past centuries, as well as from all contemporary experience, that the Christian religion, as such, has never provoked the Chinese Government or people to acts of violence; and that their real objection to the propaganda has been, and is, primarily political, and only incidentally religious. Missionaries of all de nominations and in all ages have testified in the amplest manner to this fact. A French mis sionary in the 14th century wrote from Central China:-"In this empire there are men' of all
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On the other hand, an attitude of brusque hostility towards rural observances, of open derision of time-honoured superstitions, and such like, necessarily generate resentment, and resentment is apt to gather strength, and under stimulating conditions, may easily develope into ferocity, especially where an outlander is the object of it.
The claims of the Roman Catholic propaganda are so notorious that it would be superfluous to recapitulate them before an audience like this. To put the matter concisely, they would con vert the population of China into French citizens, thus constituting an imperium in imperio, subversive of the authority of the native Government. All Protestants recognise, most of them deplore, and many of them denounce this state of things, while the Chinese are driven by it to despair, or to desperate reprisals.
·
It is argued however, on behalf of Protest- ant Missions, that they are innocent of the charges which lie so heavy against their Catholic rivals; that as they do not assume official rank, nor directly interfere in the administration of justice, their proceedings are void of offence This plea, which has been put forth by English secular journals of the highest repute, does not cover the ground, and even within its narrow limits it is unsubstantial. Granted that Protestant missionaries do not publicly assume official functions, yet their active interference in native courts and in native quarrels is beyond question; it has for years been one of the recurrent subjects in their periodical literature. I have often seen it debated in these journals to what extent it is politie or consistent with the missionary pro- fession to support their adherents in litigation or in village feuds, the actual existence of the practice being always taken for granted. Indeed it is not easy for the missionaries gether to avoid such interference. Their disciples are in trouble, and seek counsel F their pastor to refuse to listen or advise * And