March 23, 1903.]
he would bave us believe, but that in attempting to demolish a simulacrum he has left the main issue untouched.
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the sweeping prophecy that "foreigners " meaning all foreigners, including himself-
cannot believe that this conveyance was mad without any object. › No doubt, if “Humbug' "must some day go.” Humbug" must either is right, the "public mind" was duly grateful In the spring of 190) there was not much believe that Sir Robert distinctión to ba drawn between Boxers and sincere, or that when this great exodus-or duties of an extra newspaper reporter® on Hart is not to Sir Robert Hart for undertaking the Chinese Government troops. The complicity is it to be the worst massacre the world has the subject of the sentiment stirring the mind of the Chinese Government and of the Empress ever a eu ?-takes place, the Boxers, about to and heart of the Chiness people. Whether it Dowager in the Boxer atrocities and the attack carry the Chines flag and arms," &c., into was or not, I made no assertion that Sir Röbert on the Legations has been "proved up to the remote parts of the world, and imperil its Hurt wished to "gull" the public. Let bilt," and is generally admitted, even by Sir future," will be discriminating and humene Robert Hart. If bis articles are not a log ples enough to allow him to stay and carry on ingest his own dictum that "where two motives 'Humbug” read, mark, learn and inwardly di- for the pardon of the guilty, what are they? Will peace a vocation for which the raison d'être may be assigned, the worst has the chance of Humbug" allege that their object was to bring will, by the hypothesis, have ceased to exist. It being preferred.” The only “justifiable "-mo- the guilty to justice? Though Sir Robert Hart, will require a greater man than Sir Robert tires, of course, in a pro-Boxer writer, are the whom "Humbug" compares to the captain of a Hart to collect duty on goods which never highest which the human mind is capable of band of robbers, did not perhaps in so many words arrive. The situation will at least be relieve entertaining. Though I may not have a “clear express approval of the" Boxer volunteers," yet by the element of humour if not of pathos. It insight into the significance of words," I at the argument which follows, his ples' for con-to-seems not unreasonable to believe that with the any rate hold, in common with the London Times. nation "of the present uprising is that abolition of the Boxerism will continue to such an extent that this great, savagė,
privilege" of trading_with that Sir Robert Hart wrote in support of non-commercial Boxer the anti-foreign party in China as being most in 50 years' time it will “imperil the world's nation, must go the abolition of f reigu in- advantageous to his own interests, which are future," and that the Chinese Government spectors of Customs, and if all foreigners, to all intents and purposes identifiable with "will be quite right to encouraga, uphold, and without exception, are to go, we have the those of his Chinese employers. It was "dot develop this national Chinese morement restoration of the old water-tight compart- unfair, too, to assume, in view of the attitude i.e., Boxerism-which "bodes no good for ment idea, with similar results to the which he has always taka' up, that his substitution, the rest of the world." Where there should would arise from each house in a town or in his first telegram, of the word "ordered" have been strong disapproval, there is at city shutting itself off completely frou every for the word "requested," which was the word least tacit approval. If anyone were to say, other house. Humbug" ask if I jusinnate used by the Tsangli Yamên, indicated a certain for instance, that A. would be quite right that it was black Nemesis. which caused Sir amount of exultation at the prospect or pos to encourage B. to kill C., I should not consider Robert Hart to flee to the British Legation? Isibility since he himself was neither ordered hor it unfair to call that an expression of approval did not, but I thank umbug" for a good requested to leave) of occupying what could, not: of, or even an incitement to murder, and whether suggestion. I said nothing about his being but have been a very prominent and important or not the accomplishment of the orime received "moved by terror or not being "tinctured position, but it is unfair to imply that I assumed his subsequent applause, the mental atit:de with humanity." indicated is quite sufficient to establish my case
I am quite prepared to admit that if he had the wish to remain (he surely can. that his flight for safety to the British Legation not reasonably without great injustice be suppos- that Sir Robert Hart, a foreigner, was on the was the wisest thing he could bave done, and ed to have had the wish to leave his post and Chinese (Boxer, I owager, Imperial troops-all no doubt his careful fulfilment of the duty those for whom he was responsible at so critical at that time much the same) and not on the assigned him of sitting by one of the Legalion a moment) he mus necessarily be able to find foreign side, and doing what he could to get the wells and seeing that no one took more than the means to remain. The word " guilty party "let down gently." These inferences his proper share of water, was evidence of." his use with regard to trade is another indication
privilege a are no more than legitimate criticism, and are the native manliness and inherent grit," and that carefully avoided by "Ilambag "—of Sir logical conclusion from Sir Robert Hart's own warm tribute of appreciation from his Robert Hart's mental bias. To ascribe to me printed statements. Had Sir Robert Hart said intrepid countrymen "—and, I hope, others as statements I dil not make, to draw illogical that the Chinese Government would be "quite well-was fully deserved. In view of his mental inferences, and then to laugh at the absurdity, right" to try to suppress this savage spirit and attitude towards the Boxers subsequently dis- is scarcely consonant with those strictly logics! endeavour to lead its people in the straight and closed in his magazine articles, it must have and nabisased qualities in which “Humbug" narrow way of civilised progress, and to change required no small amount of courage and self- believes me to be lacking. My illustration their minds as to the lawfulness of killing control to remain quietly seated at the well contained an account of the matter that is at people of whom they disapprove, I should have instead of rising up and endeavouring to
least consistent. All that "Humbug" offers had nothing to say. Humbug" goes so far persuade the besi ged that the Boxers wore in its place, besides some gratuitous assump. as to describe this as an "infamous accusation " people with a great future whom the Chinese tious not based on fact, is two suggestions of an 'atrocious act," and he talks about Government Was right to "criminality" and "a charge of such excep
encourage. which are not only entirely unsupported by Humba 's" British Field Marshal is trotted evidence, but are not even plansible. tional gravity." I did not used these strong out somewhat gratuitously. It would be The only other point remaining to be noticed expressions they are Humbug's own ernel to suggest that the F. M. in question is the one which turns aroun i the suggestion to language-on the other hand, had my main was an authority on the art of running away abolish extra-territoriality. Humbug object been to write an account of Sir Robert from those who pay one when the odds are too troubled about the logic of Sir Robert Hart in Hart's attitude during the anti-foreign out- heavy for safety, or that he knew Le was the quagmire. I see no difficulty. Having break, which it was not, I should certainly not addressing one who was biassed (the word is taken the unfortunate step of trying to have omitted to dwell upon the difficulty Humbug's" own) in favour of Sir Robert persuade what públic he could command that anyone who does not serve his ow country Hart. The only purpose he serves is to express the offence of the volunteer Boxer patriots should must feel himself in nader circumstances of his "appreciation of the position Sir Robert be condoned. and finding himself in the pre- the kind caused by the outbreak of 1900. Hart strove to maintain in respect of the trent dicament that he was instead himself labelled Should there be other passages in Sir Robertment of China" after the tor ure and murder as a pro Bozor, he squelched right through to Hart's rticles implying disapproval of Boxerism, of helpless women nd children and other the wholly anti-foreign aide. My point is that then his argument is self-contradictory and condonable" acts. Further, I see no inconsis- the direction of his course, like that of a consequently, in so far worthless. The im tency in the statement that though he feared retrograding Pilgrim, has been anl is away pression left on my mind by a perusal of this the punishment of China was morally certain, from the Promised Land back towards the City angry -tirade of Humbug's,' is that he is he should have done his best to ward off that of Destruction. Nearly a quarter of a century smarting under my suggestion that the anti-punishment. He did not know that it was ago "Humbug" "glanced” at a "long extract foreign militarism of the Chinese in 190.) might certain, any more than he really knows that the from a 1aper by Sir Robert Hart which, from as likely as not have resulted in the partition Boxers will imperil the world's future. The glancing at it, he was able to know contained a of China and the abolition of the Imperial "juster appreciation of the value of exact strenuous advocacy for the abolition of extra Maritime Customs; bat lest he should feel statement," shown to be as much wanting in territoriality. Therefore, says "Hambag," inclined to apply to this suggestion one of his "Humbug's" letter as he alleges it is in mine, it is illogical to a same that his latest favourite adjectives, let me hasten to point out is further shown in his next perver ion. Had assertion of his convictions on the ques- that no language could be clearer than that in he read my letter carefully and quoted the whole (ion were caused by the events just pro- which Sir Robert Hart not only states that passage, he would have seen that the worldbeding that latest assertion. Whatever caused "the Boxers of the future will make residence in general" was used, and I maintain rightly the alleged first assertion of them (and, though in China impossible for foreigners, will take used, to signify the public reached by a paper I was aware that there had been at least one back from foreigners everything foreigners or magazine, and had the quotation been rightly previous assertion, as I have it in my posses have taken from China [nothing is said as to instead of only partly given by bim, it would havesion-it would be interesting to have the " long what is to happen to legitimate acquisitions], shown that I did not, as 'Humbug” seems to extract" referred to in full), the second asser- will pay off old grudges with interest imagine, fancy that an English magazine article|tion, “Humbug" argues, must have resulted [revenge, an inferior and unchristianlike would ifluence the whole world or even the from the same cause. If not, then it was fentiment, to fend off which from China, was whole, of Europe, nor ein I agree with him either uncaused or had another cause. Not. Humbng" says, Sir Robert Hart's motive!], that volunteering stank in the nostrils of every having knowlege of the first cause, I am unable and will carry the Chinese flag and arms into European except England, Militari m to my whether the two were similar. Whether many a place that even fancy will not suggest unfortunately too prevalent at present time in they were or not makes no difference. In this to-day" o., but also that "foreigners must most countries in Europe, and is every year instance the cause I believe, as I said, to some day go." I will not stop to try and becoming a more serious burden. "Humbug have been his having become hopelessly picture the state of things in, say, England, simply states that the writing of articles con-
identified with the anti-foreign party Germany Japin, or any great commercial taining, to put it as mildly as possible, at least in China. According to " Humbugʻa" method nation, after all the foreigners have gone, but not anti-Boxer sentiments, was merely to of argument not only wust all pumpkins grow will merely remark that such suggest.ons as the convey to the publiò [presumably Furopean] on the same stalk, but an absurd suggestion establishment of free trade, or that if Chins mind a notion of the sentiment that in his estima. loses its absurdity because it was made: kall were partitioned the present Customs service tion was stirring the mind and heart of the century ago! The later suggestion, indeed, would come to an end, are much milder than ' Chinese people,' With what object? I more absurd, for if foreigners are tɔ
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