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April 27, 1901.].
It is not, however, for us to formulate regula- tious for the government of missionaries. Our ambition would be amply satisfied if the public and the Governments concerned would take thought of their moral obligations in this matter, as a
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
preliminary step, and if the missionaries would kinduess in listening anked them for their of pity and of self-sacrifice, there
but consi er their sacred calling in a rather purer light than some of them have been dis posed to do, a and render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's,
guided by principles of craft and double-deal- | now and again were ing in advancing their mission. Some of them clusive property of had given not only long years of service, but such feelings had some of their fortunes as well for tle cause they people had evinced had advocated. He
him, and at the same time he would like to thank Mr. Michie for the very careful review he had given of the whole question, and the philosophic presentation of it in his lecture.
For
· It is but a very small corner of the vast and The Rev. C. BONE said he was not quite varied field of missionary enterprise that has sure that he had heard the lecture distinctly, been glanced at in this paper. There are and therefore he spoke with some amount of many more aspects of the work which offer fair diffidence concerning it. It seemed to him that, matter for general comment without touching as far as he could hear, the assumption was that at all on the province of religion or of Christian the missionaries were waiting, willing, and proselytising. There are practices which affect desiring to do everything in China except the the good relations between Chinese and For- thing they were sent to do. That was the eigners, there are modes of procedure which con-impression to his mind which the lecturer cern decency and decorum which are quite as in-seemed to convey, and it was sought to establish teresting to the lay communities of the west as to that the missionaries were constantly inter- the missionary bodies themselves. The mode of faring with things which did not concern them. acquiring land, and the ethics or esthetics of house He had been in China for over twenty years, and church building; the attitude of missionaries and knew of hers who had seen 30 or 40 years' towards popular customs, superstitions and service, and he seldom, if ever, heard of the ceremonies: their itinerating practices; the part interference referred to in the lecture. assigned to women and the method of fulfilling himself he had only been asked to give it, in proselytising work; their treatment of the advice twice in 20 years, and in each literature, and of the deities and sages of the instance a very pleasant and amicable result Chinese, and numerous other items of that had followed. There had been cases of in- kind would form legitimate subjects for dis- terference brought to his notice, but they did cussion by ordinary men and women of the not amount to anything like that presumed in world, and they are subjects which may well the lecture. There had been cases brought to suggest to the missionary who approaches them his notice when it was almost impossible not to with an open mind, the sources of many hin- interfere and he instanced one which occurred drances to the spread of Christianity no less about two years ago. That was a doctor, a very re- real than that which is more appropriately spectable man withra good practice, who became called political.
a Christian. Immediately it was known he was outlawed by the villagers with whom he lived. Part of his property was claimed by a neighbour who had a grudge against him. The usual persecutions followed. The man who was seek- ing to take the doctor's land was advised by his wife not to proceed because the case was obvious'y unjust. In anger the man killed his wife, and then brought a charge of murder against the doctor. The latter at once brought the case to him (Mr. Bone) and although nothing was done for him, it was true the case was looked into, and some steps taken, but it was afterwards decided to let it alone. He (the speaker) denied that the missionaries interfered in any manner like that which had been presumed in the lecture. It had been assumed that the missionaries were in China because they were supported by gun. boats and torpedo-boats. It was altogether over- looked that they could be there moved by any higher and more powerful motive, but when he thought of the lives of devoted people like Griffith John and others, he felt they were there moved by a higher power, a loftier ambition - they were there because they wished the Chinese to know that above all and beyond all, for them selves, and for every one there was a common
HIS EXCELLENCY having invited discussion on the paper,
Father.
Abiti
be hope for the future of China. them to accord most heartily a vote of i to Mr. Michie for his kindness in dəlir the lecture." (Applause.)
A hearty vote of thanks was then accorded to Mr. Michie, who briefly replied.
Sir JOHN CARBINGTON, C.M.G., prop vote of thanks to His Excellency for att and presiding on the occasion, and the proceed ings then terminated.
THE S.S. “SOBRAON”" ASHORE.
The local Superintendent of the Peninsular and Oriental 8. N. Company informed us yes“ terday morning at about 10 o'clock that at 11 p.m. on Thursday night a telegram was received from Mr. Armit, the third officer of the Sobraon, from Sharp Peak, to the following effect
14
Sobraon badly stranded on Tung Yung Island 3 Wednesday morning, dense fog, probable total loss; passengers, mails saved, proceeding Pagoda Anchorage, Foochow, in junk with mails and twenty-three passengers; sund Sobraon assistance."
A little later on this message was confirmed by the following telegram from Messrs: Gibb, Livingston & Co., the Company's agents at Foochow:-" Sobraon stranded Tang Yung. Mails and some passengers Sharp Peak,"
Telegraphic instructions were immediately sent to the Shanghai ageney to despatch the Coromandel to the Sobraon's assistance as speed ily as possible.
At 6.30 a.m. yesterday the following telegram was received from Captain Wibner, the com mander of the Sobraons—an eaturapadi.
*
Sobraon on shore on Tang Yung, all com- partments full. Passengers safely landed. One boat (native) with mails and some passengers left for Matsu morning of April 24th. Ship in dangerous position should wind set in strong from north or east. - Crow still on board, all well; assistance urgently required."
We are indebted to Mr. F. von der Pfordten, manager of the Joint Telegraph Companies, for the following additional particulars contained in telegraphic messages:--
A
"Sharp Peak, 26th April. ✨✨ "P. & O. mail Sobraon struck rocks" on Western Island of Tang Yung about 85 miloë from here (Sharp Peak) at 8 ani., Wednesday morning. Junk with over twenty passengers and all mails arrived here last night. We have five passengers with us, including two ladies; rest gone Foochow. Other janks which were to have left ship shortly after first one not arrived. Ship had 16 feet water in fore-com- partments when boat left, but believe supposed be safe for time being.Weather now calm.”«
The Rev. W. BANNISTER said he would like to say a word or two upon the subject which had been brought before them that evening. He thoughtt hey all must be extremely indebted to Mr.Michie for the very broad and philosophic view he had taken on the whole question. He wished to speak from the point of view of the mission ary. It had been his privilege to live in China for over twenty-one years, and he would like to point out for the consideration of ladies and gentlemen present some of the assumptions which, he thought, were incorrect in the lecture. They could justly renture to take exception to some of the assumptions put forward. He did not know whether he had heard correctly, but one of them which he would like to emphasise was that there had been & very universal disposition to interfere, North, South, East and West, with the political rights of officials, and the political rights of the people. He did not think justice had been done to the extremely difficult position taken up by the non-Christian population. He could give very fair instances of tha in very many parts of the country. There had been a general as. sumption of the disposition on the part of the HIS EXCELLENCY again rising said they had Protestant missionary to interfere with the listened to a very able attack and a very able legal and political customs of the country. defence. After all, nothing could ever be lost Ninety-nine out of one hundred missionaries by having a cas put forward, clearly and He thought the did not interfere to such a very great extent as strongly, on both sides. had been assumed. There were certain things thanks of the meeting were due to Mr. which came before the missionary, which he Michie for attending there that evening. There must take cognizance of, and the general was a great deal to be said on both sides, and argument of the lecturer was one which, he he had no doubt that they who had not thought, must, be urged more against the the experience of coming incontact with the judgment of the missionary, than against the state of affairs in the interior of China would general principles which he adopted and find it very difficult sitting in their chairs at which were laid down by the missionary home to realise the importance of refusing to society. Then again the assumption of the interfere in affairs that might easily be righted philosophic position of the non-interference by tendering a little advice. But they could all on the part of the Christiau nations. He realise that there might be circumstances in considered that they, as representatives of which no man with a human heart in his body, | Coromandel, according to at great Christian nations, and the great forces could refrain from interfering even though he of the West, must present to the heathen knew that trouble would follow. The grave and population the point of view of the per- terrible events of the past year had shown them manent standing orders of that Christianity that human nature was pretty much the which all of them professed (Hear, Hear). He same in China as elsewhere. He had been thought for the credit of men like himself, and reading lately of the horrible trials of Mr. the credit of men like his Bishop, who was and Mrs. Green and their party, and was filled | that the ship s. positio not there that evening, but who had gone with admiration at the extraordinary fortitude a strong wind to Foochor, and men like Bishop Scott; displayed during those dreadful three weeks east, it is
the Chinese. But | advices from
Monle
Mid China, and Ma
Muirhead he also was struck
by
mos
Mr. Warren telegraphs that the five pas- sengers who were staying with him hive now gone to Foochow. Their names are:-Captain Roope, of Jardine's, with wife and Mrs. Southcott, of Tientsin, with boy in her charge The China Merchant named Warmsley. steamer Haeshin went out to assist Sobraon at 7 a.m.
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Immediately on receiving the news that the Sobraon was in such a dangerous position, Mr. H. A. Ritchie, local Superintendent of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam- Navigation Company, wired to Shanghai to despatch the
next homeward, ster Coromandel, the the assistance of the stranded vous
was received at the company's afternoon from Shanghai, with carpenters, divers and cement, and timber.
In view of the M. Wibner, R.NR.
men like Griffith John of Hankow, Bishop | they werǝ in the hathe fact that men had they of Shanghai, all of whom for many years come forward, not Christians, but Boxers Mr. Ritchi some of them for forty or fifty years- and had risked their lives to assist them to dard, marins had laboured in China, that it was an entirely escape. These men had shown in the highest and wrong assumption to maintain that they were degree many of those qualities which- vessel, and to
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