THE CHINESE REVOLUTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 115, 4 November 1911, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE CHINESE REVOLUTION.

THE UKVOUTIOXAKJES' PROSPECTS The recent revolution in Portugal, writes ilie Itev. Charles Bone hi '"The Independent," was suggested to many of the Europeans and Americans who have resided dining many years in the Far East, the pertinent question as to the probability of a revolution in China. The suddenness of the uprising and the swiftness with which it was consummated have furnished an object lesson to the progressive Chinese, who have brooded long over the humiliations to which their country has been subjected at the hands of foreigners, and to the wrongs the people have to submit to at the hands of their own corrupt ollicials. We are familiar enough with the parable of the new wine stored in old wine skins, witli the inevitable consequences. During the last ten years a good deal of "new wine'' has been imported into this country. The mi trammelled activities of Christian missionaries have introduced many nt'\v ideas, which cannot but rouse the latent energies of restless minds. Tlic saeralness of the individual; the equality of the sexes; the privilege which all have to worship the same God; the concept of the one (iod. who at the same time is the Creator and the Heavenly Father; ideas such as these, and others alien to the minds of the people and subversive of much current practice, are invading China. Although there may be a natural shrinkage from the possible consequences of the absorption of these fundamental truths, which have become truisms in the West, it is obvious that certain results will follow as that if fire is applied to a, pile of lumber it will burn, or if good seed is placed in the ground it will grow.

The new educational system, incomplete as it is, and imperfectly comprehended both by many teachers and more students, will affect the minds of intelligent Chinese to a marked degree. Hitherto the youths of China have fed on husks; now there is an attempt made to give them the kernel. They have fed on historical legends as much as upon true history; and both have been unconsciously dry. They have been taught to ascribe achievements that are puerile and childish to idols; as there things have never been questioned, the people have given them a credence more or less sincere. Knowledge of the aspirations, struggles and victories of other nations they have had none, except the inflated accounts of the prowess of their own ancestors in bringing into submission a few insignificant adjacent people, one degree more ignorant than themselves. Now all this is challenged. The new education, imperfect as it is. is bringing into perspective a thousand facts of life, and ag many of science, which are overshadowing their own cosmognomv. as well as the hitherto unchallenged reign of their gods and demons.

Further, the creation of a vigorous native press, which at times is even daring, which ten years ago was in its infancy, and twenty years ago undreamed of by any. except a few men who had lived in Hongkong or Shanghai, or who had travelled in Europe or America, brings into the shops and the homes of tens of thousands of the people a resume of modern history., as well as a detailed account of what is transpiring throughout the eighteen provinces of the Middle Kingdom. The native press of Hongkong and Shanghai is as effective as a vehicle of news or a medium of criticism as any paper in America; the press on the mainland of China is still winged by an extremely severe Government censorate.

There are. however, other factors that must be enumerated and considered. It is well known that the rulers of China are as alien to the people are are tlie British to the people of India, or the Americans to the Philippines. Just as of late years (here have been incontestable proofs that the Hindoos would gladly throw off the yoke of the British if they could, so for many years there have been societies in China', notably the Triad Society, whose aim it is to throw off the yoke of the Manchus ind enthrone a scion of the Roval house of the Mings, if one can be discovered, who shall be bone of their bone. There are confessed and pronounced revolutionists. like Sun Yat Sen. and others who are less vandalistic, like Hang Van W r ei. who are fostering this national spirit, and who are untiring in their efforts to concentrate, direct and give effect to this national aspiration. The prestige of the Manchus has been irreparably ruined by their stupendous ineptitude and consequent humiliations at the hands of foreign governments. The more intelligent. Chinese are now coming to see quite clearly that to the stupidity of their rulers, who assumed a virtue when thev had it not. must be traced the humiliation of their llag and the loss of their territory. The rule of the Americans in the Philippines has already done much for the uplifting of the people, and will do yet more. In China the rule of the Manchus has involved the nation in disastrous consequences and exposed them to repeated defeats, with the usual unpalatable results.

The hatred of the Chinese toward their Manchu rulers has lately been perceptibly strengthened by the hitter's repeated attempts to increase the burden of taxation. The new regime has involved the Government in increased expenditure, which in turn has compelled them not only to sweep tlie treasury, that no spare coin be lost, but also to increase the revenue. It is true that increased national expenditure is not confined to China, as any one may discover who will compare the modern Budgets of Great Britain and Germany with their modest Budgets of ten years ago. Somehow synchronously with this increase of taxation there is a marked increase in the cost of living. These two facts working together are producing their natural effect on the minds of the thoughtful Chinese, who see that they are almost the only nation in our age who are taxed without representation, and who, therefore, have no remedy unless thev take up arms against the local official, who is the only embodiment of law and oppression that they are able to reach.

About, three years a«a a remarkable thins happened in China. The government, without anv previous indication to the public, suddenly promulgated an eilict that henceforth Confucius was to lie worshipped in all the new schools and colleges with the utmost devotion, and must, he accorded honors equal to tho=e hitherto given to the Mars of China. It niiisi not be supposed, however., that, in the past, the sage of China had never been worshipped. On the other hand, he was worshipped some three hundred years after his de'ith by the first. Emperor of the ITan dvnnstv. Moreover, T)r. Wells Williams, the famous American missionary and sinolog, affirms that there are more than fifteen thousand temnles dedicated to the =-i<je within the borders of the Middle Kingdom. Tf mav lie mentioned that, Confucius he<= liecn distinguished from most, other objects of worship, inasmuch as. with one or two remarkable exceptions, no idols have been carved to him. TTe has. for some reason not unite clear, been represented bv n simple wooden tablet, on which are engraved honorific titles of resounding phrase and comprehensive meaning, or bv a simple scroll of paper, with the same characters written thereon. These tables are placed in on the walls of some colleges. The wortho temples, and the scrolls are Hung irp-

paid by ollicials am! the liuTaLi. i;i which the cninnioii people h.,ve no more interest than have the costermongers 01 London in the opening of the British Parliament by tlie Sovereign in person. Moreover, during most of the year, these, temples are left to the spiders and sparrows, under the eaves of which beggars llee from the heat of the sun in summer and under whose roof they find shelter from the north winds in winter. In fact, the cult of ■Confucius has naturally snll'ered from the natural decay of all spiritual ideas, which, during the last century and i>. half has number all aspiration, and from a freezing materialism, which has dominated the minds of the ollicials, the literati and the gentry. This new edict came as a bolt from the bine upon the scholars of the Empire. The reason thereof, apparently, should be traced to the new desire, cherished by Chinese ollicials, that the new education should rescue China from her decadence, and elevate her politically to the level of Japan. Confucius, who hitherto had been the intellectual sage of China, would render more effective assistance *o the students if he were t levated to the dignity of the God of War. The Chinese love etiquette, parade and llattery; if Confucius were treated in the same way he would be more amenable, and would be more willing to assist the minds of the Chinese students in their quest after knowledge, new and old. Of late, however, the worship has become much more popular. As before remarked, hitherton Confucius has been the sage of the literati. It is true they had, in addition, their own patron saint, Man Cheung, whose image was carved standing upon a dolphin, confronting all students as they entered the once famous, but now demolished, examination halls in the. provincial cities. But this year the worship of Confucius lias been extensively engaged in by many of the common people. In many houses in Hongkong, on the birthday'of the sage, two Hags were hung out.' One of these was the flag of China; the other was inscribed with Chinese characters which embodied the hope "that Confucius, the holy, would live ten thousand years." What, then, induced the business Chinese, hitherto indifferent to the cult, to join in the worship? Probably they saw the chance of elevating themselves in the social scale. Tn the past traders have been regarded as standing at the base of the social ladder. By taking part in this worship they stand side by side with the haughty literati, whose proud boast it has been that none but they were entitled to offer their devotions and present their prayers to the Holy Man.

And now a strange thing happened. The press of South China attacked with fierce hostility both the Government for its edict and the people for recognising it. Tt charged the Government with subterfuge, and asserverated that the Manchus. conscious of their waning power, and threatened downfall, canonised Confucius in order to appeal to his teachings in support of their claim to the right to rule China as they please, without any voice of the people, or the interference of Parliament. Certain teachings of Confucius, applicable enough when they were tittered, seem to uphold autocratic government, and belittle the importance of the people. Tf. then, the Government could canonise Confucius, and induce the people to believe that he was essentially divine, then the rulers could appeal to his doctrines, as the final word on all matters, and among them the divine right of kings and emperors to do as wished, without, respect, to the opinions of others. Tn other word--, the Manelms have attempted, in view of the approaching struggle, to hoodwink the people, and at the same time to buttress their own power by an unwarrantable and unpardonable appeal to the doctrines of Confucius, whom thev previously deified, in order to invest, him with the necessary anfhoritv.

The appeal to the people was just as emphatic, though the argument was utterly different. Tt amounted to this: How are the Manchus, a barbarian and uncultured race, able to transform Confucius into a god? TTo was a clearheaded philosopher, but there were others like him. Totsz and Mihtz were his contemporaries. He was a great ethical teacher, who worked hard to amplify and unify the learning of his day. and make it more easy of access to the people. Some of his teachings are out of date; some do not cover the ground that must be covered to-day if the Chinese are to hold their own among the nations of the world.

Tt is interesting to notice that the attitudeassumed by the advanced section of the native, press is precisely that maintained by all fair-minded and intelligent missionaries in China. They have come to see and frankly admit that he was a great ethical teacher, wonderful, indeed. For the age in which he lived, because ho was not consciously endowed with any supernatural gift. On the other hand, he failed in some very important points. He apparently was quite indifferent to the claims of the people; he never seemed to recognise the sacred heritage of individuality: he would have scorned the doctrine of the equality of the sexes; in fact, there are many matters ho left untouched. But the point to he noticed is the fierce onslaught of the press, because the editors profess to see in all this an attempt to gull the people by investing Confucius with a meretricious divinity, which he himself distinctly disallowed, and for which there is not even a shadow of evidence, simply to support themselves in their autocratic, power, in the hope, and with the definite purpose that thereby they will be able to thwart a revolution, or at least make it more difficult, because it will appear ot be a contravention of the doctrines of the sage, wdio is divine, and whose dictum is therefore final.

We have touched upon *nmc of the facts which confront us. which any candid observer must admit, arc ominous. They cannot for a moment he swept aside as unimportant, and without suggestiveness. On the other hand, there is a good deal to he said in support of the contention that a successful revolution is impossihlo. and if one were attempted it would he abortive. One of the most obvious and often referred to characteristics of the Chinese is their apparent inability to trust one another. This lack of trustworthiness undermines all successful attempts at. organisation, for those whose instincts and norsonnl training arc as suspicious of their fellows as a bird is of a cat. will hesitate to place their fortunes and their lives in jeopardy. Tn a rush and with a shout, in the midst of anv outbreak, where no organisation has been necessary, the Chinese, like anv other crowd, will follow one another and will act together. Tn mutual trust, which is essential to effective organisation, thov arc markedlv lacking, and we ourselves can recall at least one instance where an attempt at a local revolution in Canton failed from this cause. China covers a vast, area, and its population is an immense conglomeration. Communication, therefore, between the different purfs is difficult, and not alwavs reliable. Moreover, the people of the South are foreigners and aliens to the residents of the 'North. There is. therefore, no possible means of organising a movement that will enmesh the whole of China, or which shall even embrace the larger and more important cities. There has been many instances of local uprisings of considerable magnitude, but the excitement, and even interest, have, been confined to the disquieted areas,

ill-. 1 '.ipvisiny. nor have ihe\ .-hown mind interest in the issues.

The jealous watchfulness of the authorities in regard to the importation of weapons makes it dillicult for arms and ammunition in large quantities to lind their way into the hands of dissatislied persons. It is true, arms and ammunition are smuggled into the country, and the hands of robbers which infest the south of China are always well armed, both with rilles and revolvers. But what are these among so many? The days are past, as in the Tai Ping rebellion, when civilians, armed with swords and scythes, could meet and cut down' dispirited soldiers, who were armed with weapons as crude as their own.

These difficulties, however, might be met and overcome by resolute men. There yet remains the one obstacle that is colossal. The garrisons are still composed of Manchu soldiers, who get their rice directly from the Emperor, and whose duty it is to swagger over the Chinese and hold themselves in readiness to stamp out any kindling political fire. What the British regimenis and batteries are in India the Manchu garrisons are in China.

In summing up the situation, it is obvious that much irritated unrest prevails, and that many aggressive forces, whose tendency is to disintegrate, are at work in the country; that burdens have been saddled upon the people during the last five years which are well nigh unbearable; that millions of the more intelligent and better educated of the people would clap their hands for joy if they saw the Manchus retreating; that the native press is bitterly anti-dynastic, even confessedly revolutionistic. On the other hand, the difficulties in the way of a successful revolution are apparently insurmountable, and we. think that China will drag on longer yet. in the old, blundering and lumbering way, until she once more comes into political conflict with Japan about Manchuria, which may furnish the opportunity for which many wait.