February 25, 1899.J
Here
CHINA OVERLANDTRADE REPÓRT.
159
stairs. The spirit of truth and integrity is in- probably dates from the very commencement of
CHINA'S SORROW. terwoven with the American and British char-
the Manchu Dynasty; and, considering its in" ucter. We have learned to trust one another, herent weakness, the wonder and the marvel is London Standard of the 9th of November “in- The brief paragraph, which appeared in the because we see these principles plainly written that it has not fallen t pieces long ago. Not-forming us that "China's sorrow" had again on the faces of the men and women with whom, withstanding the consistent and painstaking broken her banks, may be read almost in a in these privileged lands, we have to do. So efforts of Britain during the last half century breath, but who can comprehend the misery of large indeed is the proportion of honest men in to preserve, what has been called, her "in these countries that those whose business is tegrity," China is regarded by the world at of the delta of the Yellow River, at this this announcement? From the wasted fields very widely spread find it to their advantage to large as derelict. Her dismemberment must moment, the agonising national cry of tens of trnst great numbers. Very extensive means shortly come exist for ascertaining the position of purchasers, ment among the Powers or otherwise, and Can we stop our ears? Can we refuse to to pass, whether by agree- starving millions goes up to heaven, "save life!" and these are constantly made use of.
in the serious opinion of very also the principle of mutual reliance comes in, as
many listen? These millions of laborious familles, who know most about it, the sooner this whose work is ruined and their lives destroyed the trade transactions, in the absence of personal happens the better for all, including the by periodically recurrent preventible calamity, knowledge, are made upon the statements of Chinese themselves. What is on the lips of others, which are regarded as authoritative everyone cannot be unknown to those in auth from their cruel bondage.
call upon the civilised world to deliver them and reliable. Upon this personal knowledge, ority; and however its expression may be veiled and these confidential opinions, a large propor-bebiud pleasant conventionalities, the time can. tion of the enormous trade of Britain and the not be far off when this fact must be clearly United States, amounting to thousands of enunciated by our Ministers, and the conduct millions sterling, is annually conducted. This of our Governments be shaped accordingly. is the very life and soul of commerce, and it Lord Palmerston truly said that there were few prevails, to a very large extout, among the able to foresee the consequences of events which higher classes of Chinese traders, and many of had not happened. We may cherish the full the shopkeepers as well. It is very satisfactory confidence, however, that these things are not to be able to speak thus of the Chinese, People, hidden from our Prime Minister, or the Presid- Would that we could say as much for the ent of the United States, and that our Govern- Government officials who rule over them! In
ments are well prepared for all eventualities. considering their character, we are filled with wonder and amazement that, under such extremely unfavourable example and influence, the Chinese people are what they are, indeed that they have any good in them at all.
CHINA'S NATIONAL DECADENCE.
11
For all practical purposes, China, as a nation, is non-existent at the present time. She has neither cohesion nor character. She is decayed and utterly corrupt, and her Government can only be purified by a fiery ordeal. The "integrity of China is entirely க misnomer. There is no such thing. It is therefore idle to dream, talk, and write of its preservation. Neither is rainstatemant. restoration, or amendment possible. There is no foundation, there are no chief materials which might be employed. The people are unprepared, the rulers and literati are absolutely and wholly worthless. The vision of Isaiah the prophet concerning Judah and Jerusalem may well be applied to China. "The whole
From
FOREIGN CONTROL.
The vision tarries, but it indicates the fore- cast that China, in her length and breadth, from Peking and Tientsin in the North to Hankow and Shangbai in the middle, and to Canton and entirely and absolutely under the power and Hongkong in the South, will shortly be brought
Japan. To this control of the European Nations, America, and end the principle of the 'sphere of influence is but a prelude, and oc- cupation, the sequent, natural and unavoidable. And is any justification needed? It would
appear
19
that the British Government recognises the necessity. And who can dare to blame their
conscientiousuess?
LORD SALISBURY'S DIPLOMACY.
Loid Salisbury's diplomacy was formerly severely criticised, and the opinion was freely expressed that British interests in China were being sacrificed. We believe that the course which has been followed has been dictated by the highest principles. There is not one of those best informed who would be quite willing to under take, without hesitation, the difficult and res.
head is sick, and the whole heart faint. the sole of the foot, even unto the head, there is no soundness in it. but wounds and bruises and patrifying sores, they have not been closed,ponsible duties of the Prime Minister, who neither bound up, neither mollified with oiul. ment. Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire, your land, strangers de- vour it in your presence." No doubt there are as bad men to be found in London and New York as in Peking, the Yangtze Valley, or Hunan, but there are more good men in Britain and America than in China. Our public men, our political leaders, our official class are generally distinguished for honour
and integrity. Ŏar Court is pure. Our
Judges are altogether above and beyond even the slightest shadow of suspicion; whereas in China there is probably not one in ten thousand of the officials who is trusted by his fellow men. The Lord Chancellor was right in the expression, at the recent banquet to the Lord Mayor, in London, of his belief "that there is nothing which dissociates men, and drives nations to madness so quickly and so
claims our admiration for the judicial spirit in which foreign relations are considered and dis- cussed. The Times lately expressed the idea. in connexion with this subject, that it was infinitely better to suffer wrong than to do it, and better far to be deceived by the cun- ning of another than ever to suspect, and so lose confidence in human nature. It is our national love of justice and of right which has restrained the advance of our policy in China, and we cannot believe that God, in bis good providence, will permit us, as a nation, to suffer from this cause. There are sometimes considerations even higher than law, and better than abstract justice and absolute consistency. Before taking action, we may ask ourselves. Are we quite sure of our motives? Are we actuated by the fear of God, and is our object the good of men? Can we sincerely ask God's blessing on fresh enterprise, and with confidence
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ч
THE SQUEEZE SYSTEM.
face? To what can he possibly look forward? What hope is there depicted in a Chinese Is he successful? All his ingenuity must be employed to conceal the fact. Does he, by constant labour and the closest economy, being filohed or scattered by official greed accumulate a little pile, it is ever in danger of
noted, his pig scounted; and a poor man is and rapacity. His drops are watched and afraid even to repair his house, or mend a fence, lost he attract the attention of the tax gatherer, ever on watch for the slightest indication of demand. And the officials themselves, with circumstances which would warrant an increased-
their dishonest gains, more in fear than the people, ever dreading being denounced by some jealous, because less successful rival. Every- lars as quickly as possible during the brief per one frantically striving to gather in his dol-
iod for which he is permitted to retain his office of "grand thief." The law courts a scandal and disgrace. Promotion purchased. Every- one bought and sold. An Empire in ruins! thing in disrepair. No drainage or sanitation. Not a good road or a tidy village in it. Every. Engineering works, native hospitals, medicine and surgery unknown. Native education, as we regard it, nowhere. "Truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter."
ABSENCE OF HOPE OF REFORMATION. And whence can we derive any hope of re- formation ? There is no such thing as public opinion in China. All the influence of the Government has been repressive, and, as a con- sequence, ninety-nine out of every hundred. are only careful for the day's work, the day's wage, and the day's provision. To all else they are surpremely indifferent. This is the result of ages of misrule. From whence then can the hope of any change for the better spring? There is no leven of good. No good seed is forthcoming. What hope can any one cherish of the reformation of a man who, being entitled to draw a salary of five thousand dollars, manages to pocket one hundred thousand? There is no limit to extortion, save the fear of organised rebellion. The last of unjust gain grows upon that whereon it feeds. Like the burglar, the Chinese official's only auxiety is to fill his pockets, and escape to another post, in a district far removed, where the hatred and the curses of the people cannot follow him. Is there then no hope of improvement. None whatever, "For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. Let us suppose for a moment the possibility of renovation, of a change for the better in the
efficiently, as the belief that justice in the expect it? If it be so, then we can go forward | opinion of the people, and even in the chan country is not honestly and impartially ad- ministered."
IS THE MANCHU DYNASTY WORTH
PRESERVING?
without fear.
CHINESE HAIL FOREIGN INTERVENTION
WITH DELIGHT.
The earnest enquiry is forced upon the at-
Is not the knowledge that the Chinese people tention of civilised nations: Is the present are prepared to hail our intervention with de. Manchu Dynasty, and its administration'in the light, and to welcome the advent of the Anglo- Chinese Empire worth preserving? The dif Saxon race with open arms, a most important ficulties of this task, which has been mainly factor? Have not the hundreds of millions of assumed by the British Government, are con-
Chinese victims of misrule and oppression a stantly increasing. China has existed hitherto very strong claim upon the sympathy and power almost exclusively by her absolute isolation. of Britain and America, and may not the This is becoming day by day more impossible. As words which were spoken to Queen Esther of a result of greatly increased means of communi-old be reverentially addressed to the President cation, and the eager competition of Western of the United States and to our beloved Sov. nations, China's people are awakening, and are ereign Empress, whose quick sympathy and growing impatient at the bonds in which they ready help are ever going forth to aid the have been so long confined. To restrain them grief-stricken and those who have no helper: further will presently be found even beyony European power. Whilst we say hard things of China's rulers, we must always remember they are the victims of a vicions system, which
Who knowest whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this ?" Does not the down-trodden condition of the people de- mand redress ?
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acter of a few of their rulers, such as that lately manifested by the young Emperor. What would then be the position of the millions of officials, actual and expectant, and their retinues and hangers on, from the highest downwards? The wealth of many of these men is fabulous? And how has it been obtained? Neither in trade, manufacture nor in speculation, but by robbery, official dishonesty being sanctioned and condoned by the false public opinion which prevails. Were this re- versed, all these men would be disgraced. How then can they welcome the advent in their land of a new spirit of truth and uprightness ?
FALSE HOPES,
Some time ago it seemed to many that a new era had dawned for China. The advocates of re- form had gained the sympathy of the Emperor. Sir Claude Macdonald had succeeded in obtain- ing the banishment from the Teungli Yamen of Li Hung-chang. Several important edicts had been published in the interests of progres
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