February 18. 1899.]
"
the terms "sphere of influence" and the "òpen door were necessarily untagonistic Mr. FRANCIS said the Times might be wrong in ife fucts, but he did not think there had been a misuse of the phrases in question, On that point we adhere to our original opinion, and are inclined to think that if the writer of the Times article were asked is to how he came to ninke n mistake in his statement of facts he would admit that it was owing to his not having reflected that an open door night co-exist with a sphere of influence. Mr. FRANCIS at the close of his lecture showed that the co-existence of a | sphere of influence ad the open door was possible, though he considered that it was extremely improuable where the sphere of influence appertained to any other Power than England.
We would suggest for Mr. FRANCIS's consideration the expediency of his ensting his feéture into the form of a magazine article for th benefit of render and - what
is perhaps more important-public speakers and writers t home. The lecture, however, interesting and instru tive as it was, still left the hearer in a state of some confusion, inasmuch as the lecturer admitted in his introductio that the phrases he propose l to explain the meanings of were not capable as yet of accurate definition. He explained very clearly chat spheres of influence meant in Africa, and he suggested that in China they trust mean something of the
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
correct in inferring that Mr. FRANCIS to-day, under the influence of recent events anil discussions, thinks it would have heen wise, He did not seem to think so four years ago, and we venture to prophecy that he will not think en four years hence.
We are familiar with Mr. FRANCIS's speeches and lectures and know how trenchantly he deals with any subject he takes up, but one of the best speeches he has ever made was at the indignation meeting held at the City Hall in August, 1895, in connection with the Kucheng massacre. He had nothing to say then about England guaranteeing the integrity of China, on the contrary he told us that "China in "its present condition is not capable of "being reformed. A révolution of the deepest character is necessary; an until "the Empire has been broken up and cast into a crucible and melted down n
+
02
"effective reform of the Government or of the people of China is possible." He asked what we were in the habit of de mauding from other nations when outrages occurred, and, answering his own question, he said "If a Consul is insulted and offended an enormous indemnity is demanded, and if not paid, blue jackets are landed and "take possession of a town.” Why," he again asked, "has not the Chinese Govern
ment been treated in the same way ?" Proceeding in impassioned language to denounce the barbarity of the outrage that had been committed he continued, "Now, "there is but one remedy. The Chinese
Government
alisalately #re
unable
same kind. We would submit on the con- trary that there is a wide distinction. The claims that the various Powers live pegged out in Africa under the name of spheres of to give us or the English Govern- influence may be regarded in the light of
"ment milequate satisfaction. There- freeholl estates which the owners are at
'fore s between nation and nation liberty to develop at their leisure and deal
"there is but one remedy; satisfaction with as they like. The so-called spheres of must be taken.” It was upon that prin- influence in China cannot yet be regarded ciple, so clearly enunciated by Mr. FRANC18, ns freehold estates or ns having passed that Germany acted when she took Kiao- under the exclusive control of the Powers chow. And would Mr. FRANCIS, reading with whose names they are coupled, the report which appears in ano.her column and hence we maintain that the term is inap of this issue of the infamous outrage com- plicable if it is intended to carry the same mitted upon Father VicroRIS, say that meaning as in the savage wilds of Africa: England should warn France that the The Powers are gathering round China as exaction of satisfaction for that outrage the affectionate relatives gather round the would be regarded as an unfriendly act? bed of a sick man who ha money to leave. We trow not. We may well waru Frauce The relatives in ordinary course will no or any other Power that no interference proceed with the division of the sick man's with our right to trade with the people will estate until after his demise, they may even be tolerated, but we should blush for sincerely hope for his recovery, but they England if she interfered to protect the deem it prudent to put in an appearance and Government of China from the natural and keep an eye on each other, each being con-righteous consequences of wrongful acts cerned for the protection of his individual
interest in case the disease should have a fatal temination. Great Britain, or at least Lord SalisbURY, certainly does not desire the death of China, and Germany is credited with similar benevolent sentiments, while France and Russia, though itching to come into possession of their expected shares of the property, are not prepared to offend decency to openly by taking it outright. In the meantime, however, all parties settle dowa to await events and make thein selves as comfortable as they can, and with a lot of hungry relatives in the house the sick man's substance is likely to be eaten into w hether he dies or recovers.
Dropping metaphor, however, we come to the im, ortant question of what England's policy in China should be. This point was not lealt with by Mr. FRANCIS except by an allusion to its importance. He told us, however, that he feared it was now too late to prevent the policy of spheres of influence, but that before 1894 Great Britain might have done so by warning all other Powers that she would regard uny aggression upon China as an unfriendly act. Would it have been wise to do so? We are perhaps not in-
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of this description, so often repeated and never sincerely repented of. As Mr. FRANCIS said in 1895, until the Empire has been broken up and cast into a cru- cible and melted down no effective reform
ha
of the Government or of the people of "China is possible." The breaking up now commenced, and England's policy, ns it seems to us, is not to try to save the wicked and corrupt Government of China, but to look after her own interests in the country and, if spheres are to be allotted to the several Powers, to see that her own sphere is commensurate with her just glaims and that the spheres of other Powers are not closed to her trade.
yesterday's mail that as soon as the Chal
It is stated iu bome papers received by
Squadron ships have left Portsmouth the St. George, cruiser, will be fitted out to relieve the Grufton on the hina Station.
There is a rumour, at present unconfirmed, says a home paper, that the German Government is considering the advisability of raising a local This project. force of Chinese in Kianchow.
it is said, has been suggested by Prince Hoary, who holds the opinion that the Chinese in the province might be trained with advantage to the colony and the mother-country.
127
ANOTHER ANTI-MISSIONARY:
OUTRAGE.
(Daily Press, 16th February.) The particulars of the marder of the Rev. Father VicroBIN at Shihkushan, in the
province of Hupeh, are not calculated to and they afford a fresh proof of the mingled inspire confidence in the Chinese people
incapacity and unwillingness of officials to protect foreigners in the interior. The Rev. Father, who belonged to the French: Roman Catholic Mission in Hipeh, was a Belgian by birth, named JEAN DELBROUCK, about twenty-nine years of age, a fine young. who only came out to China some eighteen fellow full of enthusiasm for his calling,.. months back. He fell a victim to the Kolno Hui, asociety whose fanatical hatred to foreigners has for years past been fanned to a white heat by the scurrilous, scan∙lalous, and slanderous literatare prepared by the gentry and literati of the Hu Kwang pro- vinces, and of which such a thorough ex- Rev. GRIFFITH JOHN at the time of the posure was some years since made by the series of outrages and massacres in the towns of the Yaugtsze Valley early in the present decade. This literary garbage and poison still exists and periodically brings forth bloody fruit. It sows the seeds of distrust and hatred of the foreigner and especially of the Christian religion, and the
out learn to regard the foreign re- which it is a positive merit to root out and ligion 8 something hatefal and abominable destroy. It is due to these slanderous and infamous libels on the foreigner that nearly every outrage has occurred; certainly, all premeditated attacks on Mission premises in that region have been distinctly traceable to the inflammatory literature issued from the presses of Changsha and other cities of Huvan.
The murder of Father VICTORIN was a The
peculiarly shocking and cruel one. assassins must have been the most heartless of savages, the most brutal of even Oriental mankind. The details of this atrocious crime--a crime alike against humanity and civilisation-are so entirely revolting that it is difficult to believe that any race except the worst of the North American Indians
1
could be guilty of such sickening cruelty, Even the Red Man's savagery is equalled 1y the brute beasts of Hupeh. This. unoffending young priest, whose only crime was that he wished to teach to the Chinese what he considered “a more excellent way" than Buddhist or the cold philosphy of CONFUCIUS provides, was first subjected to the most hideous tortures, then barbarously done to death, and finally horribly mutilated. After attacking the Mission preinises the. risters caught the priest, who had made a temporary escape, and first cruelly beat him. They next stripped him nearly naked, tied him on a board and carried him back to his former abode, where a large and bloodthirsty crowd was assembled, who had just indulged their lust for cruelty by slaughtering some of the converts and buru- ing their houses. Father VicTŪRIN WAS here tied up to a tree, and while in that position slices of his flesh were cut off and eaten in his presence by some of his tor- mentors, who must also, from the con- dition of the body, have applied fire to it, while slugs were fired into non-vital parts. After thus torturing the wretched man, they cut his budy open from the chest to the bottom of the abdomen and disembowelled und mutilated it in a nameless manner. The head was cut off and the brain entirely re- moved. The accounts-add that the various organs were taken out of the body and eaten
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