March 25, 1899.]
one.
scientist upon rival scientists who have always excited his jealousy is more than, augenerous. But our chief con- cern is with the second statement, namely, that scandal is caused by the Manila Observatory continually communicating sensational typhoon warnings to the news- papers in Hongkong. This is an absolute untruth, and if any sense of justice exists in our loral Government it will take steps to disavow the traducement perpetrated by one of its servants. This brings us to the question whether the communication of the Director of the Hong- kong Observatory to the United States authorities was made through the regular official. channel, ie, the Colmiul Secre- tary's Office, or was made direct on his own responsibility. If the latter, the action of the Director seems to call for official dis- cipline.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
239
ASPERSION ON ROMAN CATHOLIC | down, although the decision as to the
MISSIONARIES.
(Daily Press, 21st March.) A correspondent who, under the nom de plume of Anti Prejudice," recently wrote several letters with reference to the case of Father VICTORIN, calls our attention to a
Shanshing letter which recently appeared in the Shanghai Mercury with reference to the operations of the Roman Catholic missionaries at Tunglu, and he asks, Is it to be wondered at that there is "trouble sometimes." The letter in ques- tion is an ex parte statement written by a Protestant missionary and possibly some allowance should be made for sectarian jealousy. The Roman Catholic account of the occurrences in question would probably put a different complexion upon them. Assuming, however, the statement made to be strictly accurate in all its details and the occurrences to be typical of what goes on at other Roman Catholic mission stations, while it might be considered to afford some provocation for riotous outbreaks, it cannot barbarities as the deliberate and horrible be held to palliate in any degree such
tortures inflicted
upon the martyred VICTORIN and the cannibalistic practices indulged in by the fiends concerned in that revolting outrage.
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ownership of the ground had not yet been giyen. Thereupon the Magistrate wrote to to the conduct of an evangelist who had taken the priest,calling his attention in particular
priest replied disavowing the evangelist, a prominent part in the proceedings. The
had been expelled. Upon this the matter who, he said, was a very wicked man and
evangelist, received a beating from the was enquired into in open court and the effects of which he died. The priest then advanced a claim for compensation for the widow and child and obtained $300. He then demanded $100 to buy a piece of ground wherein to bury the deceased demand which caused the most trouble was evangelist, and accepted 850. But the
find a house for mission purposes. No one, one to the effect that the Magistrate should it appeared, was willing to let a house to the Roman Catholics, but at last one was found upon the Magistrate promising to be res- ponsible for whatever happened, What did happen was that a party of three hundred
house down, after which they quietly de men, after giving notice of their approach, marched into the village and burnt the parted. The Magistrate had to pay on account of this damage 8900, and was shortly afterwards dismissed from office. went down the river sad and per- plexed with the problem of the Tienchow Kino, feeling that if this be the religion "of the Heavenly Lord I want none of
it.'
The letter in our Shanghai contempo- commences by saying: "The Roman Catholics have been carrying on their corrupt practices in this city and its sur- roundings--as also in most places where they are located--to such an outrageous extent that the foreign missionaries of this city (as also those of Ningpo I hear) have been com, elled to send in a united pet tion to the Prefect, making it plain to him and the two Hsiens of this city that they exactions and abominable conduct of the repudiate all connection with the illegal
"said Roman Catholics. Some of our expelled members have joined themselves "to these people, and others, who were never members of our churches, but who, seeing the success of the R. C, in their squeezings and unlawful demands, have "been induced to join them and follow out a similar line of fraud and deceit. One of these we have already seized, and he will be tried when the seals are opened “which will take place within a few days.' What is the meaning of the statement One of these we have already seized ?" Do the Protestant missionaries at Shaoshing clain to exercise a right of arrest and to drag Roman Catholic adherents before the native tribunals? Presumably not, but the writer's looseness on this point and his evident excitement are calculated to throw some doubt on his general reliability as an impartial witness.
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He 46
The above, says the writer of the letter, "is nearly a typical case of how some of the Roman Catholics are carrying on their "work in inland China. The peop'e are incensed and feel outraged, and of course,
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as in the above case, are sometimes driven "to desperation. These things make the name of foreigners to stink in the "nostrils of many thinking Chinamen !” The arrogance of the Roman Catholic mis- sionaries in China is an oft told tale. We do not, however, find complaints of the same character-made against their co-reli- gionists in Japan, nor yet, in Siam, at least not to the saine extent, from which the inference would seem to be that the fault must rest in some way with the Chinese administration. And on examina-
The communications from the Manila Observatory have never been of a sensa tional character. The messages received have always beca brief and couched almost in variably in the same phraseology, namely, in the first instance, that a disturbance existed at such and such a point and that its probable directin was so and so, followed by subsequent telegrams tracing the course of the storm. Never has there been a single note of sensationalism in the telegrams. Of the stormis titled naturally only a liter proportion have struck Hongkong, hat It unneccessary to dwell upon the value to shipping of early and accurate information regarding the existet re of typhoons, whatever their direction may he. The information supplied from Munila has been very accurate indeed, a state- ment which we think will be borne out by all who have carefully watched the typhoon movements. The action of the United States authorities appears to have been taken without reference to the Naval Commander-in-Chief on the station, for Admiral DEWEY has given several high testimonials to the Manila Observatory, which are quoted in Father ALGUÉ's letter to the Provost Marshal General. On the 2u No- vember, 1898, the Flag Secretary wrote:- "Rear Admiral DEWEY desires me to again "thank you
for
your courtesy in giving him "such complete information concerning your typhoon predictions, which he has in every case found to be correct.” On the 2nd February, 1899, Admiral Dewey him- self wrote: I trust that the United States Government will make the necessary pro- "visions for the continuance of the institution "which you conduct in such an able manner, "and which has proved itself to be so great "a benefit to maritime interests in this part "of the world.” Again, on the 5th March, 1899, the Flag Secretary in the course of a letter to Father ALGUE said:-"The Ad- "miral desires me to say further that he has no doubt that steps will be taken to ensure to you the appreciation to which your valuable work in saving lives and roperty entitles you." The opinions ex- pressed by Admiral Dewey would, we have no doubt, be endorsed by the English naval authorities and by the Insurance Offices and Shipping Companies of Hongkong. The colony is under great obligatious to the Manila Observatory, and whatever decision may be arrived at as to the communication of storm warnings in the future we trust that steps will be taken to make amends to that institution for the offensive conduct of to the Roman Catholic church, in which not to be wondered at, as “Anti-Prejudice
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the Director of the Hongkong Observatory, conduct which, unless it be disavowed, brings disgrace upon the Government and the whole community.
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The allegations made by the correspondent are of a familiar character. A soldier who had adopted Roman Catholicism and who was subsequently imprisoned for extortion was liberated at the instance of the foreign priest. This case standing alone does not count for much, since we have no means of judging whether the soldier was guilty or not. In another of the cases mentioned the claimant of a piece of ground valued at $2,000, the ownership of which was in dispute, was thrown into prison because he did not abide by the Magistrate's order not to cut down the trees upon the ground. In the pri- son the soldier mentioned in the previous case recommended him to make the ground over
case the priest would claim it and give him a part. This scheme was carried out, the imprisoned claimant was released, and in a few days the trees were again being cut
tion it will be seen that this is the case. There is neither law nor justice in China, the decisions of the tribunals can be pur- chased by the highest bidder, and the poor are subject to the oppression of unscrupu lous persons who possess the wherewithal to move the courts. Under these circumstances it is not surprising that missionaries should feel constrained to lend support to members of their flock when they appear to be the victims of injustice, and it is inevitable.that their assistance should often be sought by persons whose profession of Christianity is insincere and made only from interested and unworthy motives. Protestant mission- aries as well as Roman Catholics have been known to be imposed upon as regards the char acter of the cases in which they have inter- ested themselves. No doubt many mandar. ins, harassed by missionary difficulties, have felt, like the Hsien of Tunglu, "If this be "the religion of the Heavenly Lord I want
none of it." No doubt also missionaries are not infrequently guilty of indiscretion. The root cause of the missionary difficulties in China is, however, the weakness and cor ruption of the Chinese Government. It is
says, that there should be trouble some times, but the fault of the trouble rests less with the missionaries than with the native authōrities.
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