TE, M
TRANSLATION.
Hong Kong.
53
The Right Honorable Joseph, Chamberlain
My Love.
The mind of the Chinese people had been enveloped in darkness for a very long time: but just at the close of the Ming. () dynasty, when Jesuit Missionaries.came from the Great West to the East, Western Science was gradually introduced, until the Western Powers during the reigus of Tao-Kwong, Hou-Fong, and Ming-Chi-emperors of the present dynasty-opened seaports for commerce and the propagation of Christianity, when, in consequence of these movements, the people became more and more enlightened. But the government considered an ignorant people easily ruled and therefore in governing, looked upon the people's ignorance as a prime factor by which they might oppress the populace and drive them at pleasure. Thus, although, during the past few decades ports have been opened to trade and religion, the permission to carry out all these things was forced from the government and therefore, the Naval and Military Colleges and Arsenals, which the govern- ment has established during the last half century are specially designed to preserve the dynasty and were not planned for the people's good. Now the West in the intercommuni- cation of trade and the preaching of Christianity has solely the people's welfare in view because it aims at benefiting the country generally. In this the East and West are diame- trically opposed.
Recently the people of China have grown wiser, Western learning is daily better understood: but although the government outwardly tolerates it, yet inwardly it hinders and opposes these things and hence in every instance necessarily employs a scholar qualified only to write empty essays to exercise authority over men of solid learning,
Alas! because reformers have used wrong methods, they with the conservatives havo mutually provoked a transformation and the government's hatred of reformers increases tremendously every day and therefore now within and without the capital they have establi- shed the Boxer Society to oppose and kill missionaries, Christian converts and the Cantoneso and moreover to oppose and kill every native person possessing foreign implements and goods. And not long since on the day of a great battle, the commander-in-chief, generale and officers were ordered to substitute the ancient army regulations for those in vogue ().e. foreign) now. On that occasion the inimica! way in which the government has regarded intercommunication of commerce and the propagation of Christianity and the spirit of reform was completely revealed. Thus some little time since there was one among those who yearned for a reformed government, who, though so exalted as to be Emperor was nevertheless straight way deposed; how much less then shall gentry and the populace through their yearning after the same object, escape punishment and death?
The present Viceroys, notwithstanding they have all along known the bencfits of the new learning and government, have not yet dared to boldly set forth methods of reform because they know only too well the will of the government and they dare not disobey. Moreover the Viceroys know the faults of the Reform Party and consequently will not strive for them. From the coup d'état till now those who have yearned for reform have frequently cherished feelings of revenge towards the conservatives. Now more than ever there are those who plan to kill the conservatives first and then turn reformers after. It is as if
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