What then is ahead of China? If in one district there is trouble when the attempt is made to extort heavier taxes, what will there be in other districts throughout the length and breath of the Empire? Or, granting that no attempt is reade to pay' off the war debt, yet railroads, new war-ships, arms, eic., cost money and the cost can be met only by an increased revenue. Li one confessedly able mandarin cannot meet the difficulty except at the price of threatened rebellion, what will the rest do who are far inferior both as regards nerve and executive capacity?
24th January.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.