IT WOULD SURELY TOUCH A CHRISTIAN.
By T.
A few weeks ago when the talk among the “powers” about warring with each other over Chinese territory was at its height, Li Hung Chang, the great Chinese statesman, addressed himself to the world through a correspondent of the New York Herald as follows:— The forcible occupation of Kiaochau by Germany is a direct violation of existing treaties and of international law. The pretext made for this act of war was the murder of two missionaries by robbers in the interior province of Shantung. The Chinese Government offered immediate and full redress for this outrage—the punishment of the criminals, dismissal of local officials, and large compensation for all losses. Anxious to avoid hostile acts, the Chinese troops were withdrawn from Kiaochau when the Germans landed, and in spite of the strong public feeling prevailing throughout the country for the defense of Chinese territory against aggression, my government has not sent reinforcements to Kiaochau. Outlaws exist in China, as in all countries. Neither treaties, law, nor religion can entirely suppress the crime anywhere in the world, tho they condemn and punish the criminals. There are places in every country where lawlessness abounds, and to such a place in Shantung, German missionaries determined to go, knowing that the inhabitants themselves were often victims of these bandits. Unfortunately, China has not yet recovered from the effects of the late war, and our country requires a period of peace to carry out the work of reform lately begun. Of late years, from instruction and observation, the Chinese have come to regard the countries of the Western world as models, and even greater in justice than in arms. Is it just to oppress us while we are struggling to emerge from the restraints of our ancient civilization, while improvement and progress steadily continue? Should China be distressed by having her shores invaded and her territory occupied because of an occurrence which Western countries would deal with by law and not by war—an unexpected incident, deplored by my government and followed by full redress? Our desire is to preserve our territory intact and to steadily improve it as a field open to all countries equally for the development of commerce. On reading the foregoing from China’s representative, one is forcibly impressed with the sound, sensible, courteous, and reasonable statements of this “poor benighted heathen.” And who can suppress the question, If these “great Christian powers” were Christian indeed, would it ever become necessary for a “heathen” to address them so beseechingly? Surely there is ground for the conviction that the “great powers” are not so much Christian after all. Just imagine—and it fairly seems like blasphemous sacrilege to suggest it—our Master, the great Head of the Christian church,7acting in such a manner as to cause a “heathen” to imploringly say to Him: “Is it just to oppress us, while we are struggling to emerge from the restraints of our ancient civilization, while improvement and progress steadily continue? Should China be distressed by having her shores invaded, and her territory occupied, because of an occurrence which Western countries would deal with by law and not by war”? What a pathetic appeal this is! Very true, indeed, Christianity has exerted a wonderful influence upon the nations of Europe and America as well; but that influence has been only by individuals, and not by the “nations” as such. And when more humane counsels do prevail, it is not because a “Christian nation” has acted, but the influence of Christianity exerted by individuals in the nation is what produces these much-desired results. The “nations” taken as a whole are just as ready to rush into war as they were in the Middle Ages, or any other period of the past. There is not a spark of real evidence in the world to-day to show to the contrary, and every seriously thoughtful man or woman must be made aware by recent developments that this is a veritable truth. T.