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This last statement inspired the artist of the paper to a small cartoon, a few days later, representing a foreigner dangling a dollar at the end of a fishing-rod, and a Chinese as a fish in the water approaching it.
Other cartoons represent a big foreigner dragging a Chinese lad by a rope, while a mandarin sleeps in the foreground. Or, in a third native paper, a foreigner kicking a ball labelled China over the edge of the cliff, below which faithful China is assembled in a crowd with a large dish labelled " Quickly open the national Parliament" to catch and save the ball when it descends.
1899 and 1909.
young
3-(a.) On the 5th of November, 1898, the Empress-Dowager put forth an edict ordering in every part of the land the formation of volunteer bands to turn the whole nation into an armed camp in case of need. This, with special nursing developed in northern provinces into the actual "Boxer" bands, of which, by the way, the Universal Gazette" had sixty-three notices of warning, and many leading articles of deprecation, before the end of 1899--months before any credence had been given to the matter in the Legations.
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(b.) On the 2nd December, 1903, the same "Universal Gazette," in view of the Russian developments at Mukden, published a leading article calling on China to quickly drill populace-troops in all provinces," advocating the enrolment of at least 4,000,000 men specially picked-one man in every 100, selected by each 100-from the 400,000,000 of the populace. This was to resist Russia. But the article was retraced the next day, the paper then being under foreign ownership.
(c.) A similar and more drastic article has appeared quite recently, the 19th November, 1909, in the "Eastern Times "-unsigned, and therefore by the editor, for it is the modern custom to indicate other writers on the staff of a paper by a little character underneath the title.
The title reads: "The nation should demand the formation of trained bands so as make the whole realm an army of reserves," the term for "trained bands" being identical with that of the Empress-Dowager's edict of the 5th November, 1898.
The argument was that the present movement to quickly wipe out the Boxer indemnity was not in itself a complete scheme, but must be accompanied by the eurolment of volunteer forces to the number of 10,000,000.
"If we ask how our realm came by this debt (the Boxer indemnity), it was because our soldiers (the Boxers) were defeated in battle; and the reason why their warfare was followed by defeat was because they were untrained. Further, the reason why we have remained in a defeated condition ever since, with no power of
recovery, has come from our merely trusting to our regular army and having no populace troops to reinforce them. They of the West are powerful, and therefore victorious in a hundred battles, and have their colonies spread over the five continents; and they do not trust in their regular troops alone, but in their agriculturists, workmen, and traders being enrolled as soldiers also. And this in times of perfect peace, so that when any national emergency arises there is not one of them who cannot handle spear and halberd' for national protection. Fortunately we have now an army worthy to be compared with those of Europe and the West, and with a regular army of 300,000 or 400,000, together with a whole nation of reserves, there would be no doubt which side would be strong and which weaker, which many and which fewer.
"And now, fortunately, owing to the united heart of virtue in the nation, there is the effort to lift the thousand million burden of foreign debt, and settle it off at one stroke. But with the fierce competition of foreign diplomacy the foreigners strive to add to our debts, ignoring the limitations of the people's power of paying, and if they see the people refund the indemnity thus quickly and easily our powerful foes will be sure to give full vent to the wildness of their hearts.
"The project is a good one, but needs supplementing with a further counsel of perfection, and I profoundly hope my brothers of the same womb' will be careful to look ahead, weighing all consequences."
Then he reckons up the populace at 400,000,000, deducts 200,000,000 women and girls, and a further 100,000,000 of old and weak, which leaves 100,000,000, from which every tenth man could be a trained volunteer, which volunteer forces of 10,000,000, added to the regulars, "would be amply adequate to resist the combined armies of the world.”
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"The difficulty is that, though our people have been zealous for the national welfare, they are not readily credited by the Government, which, for ten or more years lately, has been moved by this mistaken policy of guarding against internal insurrectionaries,' and has statedly weakened the popular spirit to enhance its own despotic authority. Statesmen have requested the Government to forbid the storage of fire-arms in the people's houses and the establishment of military drill in private schools.
And unless extraordinary measures are taken to delight the heart of the Government there will be no relieving of its suspicions."
The rapid raising of the indemnity will win over the Government, which, it is hoped, will then quickly open a national Parliament; but an integral part of the scheme must be the raising of the "populace troops," as aforesaid.
Of the Shanghae papers, the "Eastern Times is regarded as the direct organ of the ultra-Reformers remaining from 1898, of Young China, and of the provincial assemblies.
The "Universal Gazette" is more staid, and partly under official control-an organ for the gentry.
The other three leading papers do not aspire to the originality of these two, but follow in their wake, more or less, in matter and policy.
Enclosure 3 in No. 1.
Extract from the "Eastern Times" of January 10, 1910.
On the necessity of the People having strength enough to protect themselves.--(By "DEMOGNOST.")
(Translation.)
IN the ancient barbaric ages there was no all-controlling Government to afford protection in time of need.
That was an age of fierce beasts and virulent monsters which were a plague to men.
Robbers, banditti, floods, and droughts proved the harshness of the times. The men of those days fought with the fierce beasts, fought with the virulent monsters, fought with the robbers, floods, and droughts.
He who best defended himself conquered and lived. He who failed died and was lost for ever.
In due course Governments arose, and the Governments took over the responsi- bility of protecting its members, and it was no longer necessary to personally defend life and property.
I often think that the origin of Governments arose from the desire of the people to disburden themselves of some of this necessity of self-protection, that they might turn to all manner of other occupations, that they were willing to pay contributions from their land to maintain Government soldiers, and that in the hope of an equivalent recompense. Otherwise why should they pay this subsidy: why should they give all this substance to the Government? If the Government cannot defend the lives and property of its people, the reason for its existence is gone, and the Government fails its people in their need. When the raison d'être of the Government is gone; when it proves unworthy of its people's trust, the people need no longer recognise it. But if the people do no longer recognise it, what then? Supposing they shatter the Government to pieces, then the bitter need that the absence of rule will produce will be even more unendurable than the uselessness of the Government.
My opinion is that not recognising the Government does not necessarily mean destroying it. The people establish Governments to disburden themselves of some of the load of self-protection. If the Government cannot afford them protection, and thus allow its people leisure to turn to other matters, then the only course is for them to resume their duty of self-protection.
But if their strength be sufficient for their protection, what is the use of this “goitre” of a Government? but to dissipate the produce of our people's toil. Were it not better to dash it in pieces ? Not so, for the protection of ourself by oneself can
be but a temporary arrangement, and cannot be continued for ever.
This private self-defence is not only impossible, but also undesirable, but it is
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