THE CHINESE REVOLUTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 186, 12 January 1912, Page 3

THE CHINESE REVOLUTION.

MAXCHUS MASSACRED. BAD. BLOT . OX REVOLUTIONARIES* ■" i RECORD. ' _The way in which the present revolution has been engineered '(mil controlled cannot . (recently state* the Central 'China Post) but command the admiration of all parties,' whether 'they are in sympathy with the* movement or not. . . There is, however, one.baii' blot on the record—the ghastly massacre of the Manchus. Apparently neither age -nor sex is spared, and it is doubtful if a representative of thQ. Manchu race, will ,be left [.alive in these three cities,' so thorough is the search and so unsjianng'. .the execution. The number of those thus-slaugh-tered will never be kriowft' Less than a week ago they were the .ruling race, .wealthy, honored and !; feared. To-day they are all wiped .onY,. and' we cannot but feel exceedingly' sorry' for' both the «Hyers and the slailj/- Cjvif'war in China .has always been ca'rHed 'bijl in' this way, but the new men ;w'oulu> liaVe, had more ~of our sympathy 'and'fcon'fidenceif they had resolved from the ; first,, to 1 dispense With the old method's.* " ." '

.The shortcomings; of the.Manehus in these later reigns haye'beeh,neither few small, but they have never tyrannised over an extent ,as would justify tTiis "appalling retribuThey were invited intp. "China by General; Wti at a tlirie when the. yholfi'Empire Vas, seething 'with anarchy. The ofllyjowers that existed under feeble' ;riile oi the last , of the Mings was that of'rpbber leaders, who wandered \ everywMre," 1 destroying the cities, waiting tfis ; totolfty, raft slaughtering the inbabitailftg EiCfl Huh chus, a hardy,,n'PrSHel^ ; fighting race, were called in \o 'help'in'putting down these rebellious, su'bjedts T <jf tjie ! Son of. Heaven,, and, as mi*Et ,! haVe.been expected, they ,put himself down as well and took possession of the 'Empire. The first emperors they to China were , .men of commanding'jability and sterling honesty, under whbm thecpuntry specd,'ily revived and'rectcHed as-'high a' pitch of prosperity as it ever ttjoved under any of its numerous dynastieis.'The Man,ehu rule as a wjiolehWMen ; mild. Until .recent years the taxation /was light ' and peace and ofder have^beeh'efficiently maintained. The Chinese-have been ad,riiittecl to a full share '6i 'tne'lpveniment, and, but for Maj>chu p ride of race, which forbade- the tws parti® •%' intermarry, the Manchu question woffld; have .ceased ,to exist-long ago. ' All'in : ail; they have ( deserved well of China! ""; -'*

. The killing may'foe : excused, on the. ground that in this'massacre" we. merely have history repeating itself.* It is the French -Revolution ovefr'ttgSiif,' -with the ■ ilanchus .filling, the role jof- the old, nobility of France, the only difference lining that instead of the- guillotine tha rifle, the bayonet and the sword are used for the purpose of getting them out of the way. As, a policy it may be defended on the ground'thafc;if/'so commits I lie whole party there can be ho drawing back; They caw expect no'mercy should the Manchus again'gain thfe upper hand; hence, from commander-in-chief to the latest recruit, all must fight to ; the' death. - ■• '-'■■'■ I