Directory_and_Chronicle_1909 — Page 805

CHINA

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may be found in education and in the recent history of China. Shallow observers deny that there is patriotic sentiment in the Chinese, but that is an error. Patriotism has not the fine edge that it has in Western countries, and is not so active in personal or national conduct, but to say that it is non-existent is absurd. national conceit in their own ineffable superiority implies a strong feeling at least akin to love of country. This conceit had, among the educated classes, received severe and deadly wounds from the issues of the Japanese war, the seizure of Kiau-chou, Port Arthur and Wei-hai-wei, from French aggression in the South and the ill-concealed designs of Italy in Chekiang. The degradation of high officials at the call of foreign ministers, the overbearing attitude of strong men like von Heyking and Pavilov in Peking, even the extension of the foreign Settlements in Shanghai and other places, and the utter insouciance with which the partition and general treatment of China is usually discussed in the foreign Press, have all contributed to accentuate and to intensify the chronic bitter anti-foreign feeling. To this we have but to add the unfathomable ignorance of the outside world and its resources displayed by the harem-ridden and secluded Manchus in Peking, to get most of the elements in which the recent troubles originated.

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The sedition arose in Shantung, the very shrine of Confucianism and Chinese patriotism-such as it is. At first it had its inception in that vague and ill-defined social discontent to which we have referred as originating in poverty. Shantung is the home of secret societies and of bold blackguardism. The Ta-tou-tse or "Big Swords long ago developed a kindred society, which took the sententious name of I-ho-chuan or Patriotic Harmony Fists," roughly rendered into English by the word "Boxers." These people have a ritual which is largely composed of gymnastic posturing. During the last few years it has focussed in its membership all the vague discontents arising in Christianity as a better system of morals, in poverty, in political "loss of face," in discontent with the Dynasty, etc. It is the easiest thing in the world to direct a feeling of general discontent exclusively toward one of its elements; and if cleverly done the whole force of the storm will be directed against this one object to the complete neglect of all the rest. This was cleverly brought about in Shantung. The last two Governors of the Province seeing the trend of events, skilfully represented to the Throne that it would be wise to guide the coming storm into channels into which it could be made subservient to Imperial resistance to foreign design; otherwise, they pointed out, the society would as likely as not follow the example of the secret societies of the South and adopt primarily an anti-dynastic policy. The Boxers were consequently encouraged in their baiting of Christians, and only half-heartedly punished when they added the murder of Europeans to their pro- gramme. When they began to harass Catholic Missions and converts, Bishop Anzer, a strong-minded but somewhat tactless Bavarian, made strong representations to his impulsive Imperial master. The latter instructed his Minister to demand the instant dismissal of the highest provincial authorities, and so intensified the anti- foreign feeling among the high officials in Peking. Things drifted from bad to worse. Li Hung-chang and other great Chinese officials, who were under no delusion as to foreign strength, were not listened to, and were sent to places where exclusively anti- dynastic risings were anticipated. Thaumaturgy and hocos-pocus were next skil- fully grafted on to the movement. The initiated were said to be impervious to bul- lets; they could walk on sunbeams, arrest rivers, stop or create fires by their mere gesture, &c., &c. This feature of the new propaganda caught on. The Chinese are still in that state of mental development in which a miracle is not only possible but welcome. Clever rogues among the Boxers gratified the multitude with some of the commonplaces of legerdemain, and the new religion began to run like wildfire. Were not the very gods on the side of the patriots? In March, April and May whole cities and districts in Chih-li went over to the new doctrine, and preachers could not be found in sufficient number to initiate the candidates. Rich men found it expedient to affect con- version and to support the movement; otherwise they were blackmailed into poverty. All the Roman Catholic and Protestant Missionaries now clearly saw the bearings of the coming storm, and cautioned their Ministers; but, with the usual grudging attention to unofficial reports, little attention was paid to the warnings until it was practically too late to coerce the Manchu Government into action by the only possible means-force. Too late the Fleets assembled at Taku. By this time the sedition was far beyond official control, and moreover what did a Manchu who had never seen the sea care for a Naval demonstration? Their notion of a battleship is that of an exaggerated sampan. The Boxers swept up like a cyclone from Shantung, and gathered their strength around Paotingfu, the provincial capital of Chih-li. They began with railway destruction;