Po the Bilitor of the "Nonru-Cmixa Dairy News."
Sir,—As the able and interesting letter of your correspondent "A Britisher,"" which appeared in your columns on the 26 h inst., lus so far elicited no response, T presume the reason is to he found in that constitutional method which requires that a proposal should not be discussed until it "duly seconded," and therefore write in support. of the motion with a view to further and fuller treatment of the sub-think it will be universally. allowed that s0 long as foreign nations have had intercourse with China, the Chinese have proved themselves utterly incapable of good government. The internal history of the country shows that insurrections of greater or Tess importance, against the con-Atituted government of the country, take place every year; that hundreds of millions of haman Beings have been sacrificed hose movements; that in some districts, including places within a couple of hundred niles of Shanghai, n condition of tranquillity ig almost unknown, The history of our own relations with China shows that outbreaks against foreign residents have increased in frequency and magnitude with ench succeeding decade; the last period, viz, 1890-1900, exceeding all previous records for malignity and ferocity, attacks upon foreigners following upon any another in almost unbroken succession, culminating in the murders of two Swedish missionaries, one Evglish missionary, the attempted murder of another, riots in more than half of the provinces, and the overwhelming tragedy of the' Kuebéng massacre. In the great majority of cases these disturbances were traceable to the collusion of connivance, if not the active instigation, of Government official Phe various causes which operate in these disturbances need nut now occupy ur attention. Letit suffice to say that, amongst them, national poverty, in consequence of a retrograde civilisation and an undeveloped com try, combined with official xreed and malwministration of justice, have a share as well as the innate dislike to foreigners, whether Westerners or the present foreign rulers of the country, the Manchus. The wealthy officials, who are not anxious that their reign of misrule should cease, as would inevitably be the ease if foreign ilaas became predominant, for this reason dislike the Westerners, and foster this dislike in the minds of the populace by the invention of monstrous fables, illustrating the depravity and cruelty of foreigners of ChouHan and the Hunan tracts, The people generally are inimical to the Manchus, be-Tieving that to their tenure of China are due all the evil fruits which the dynasty has, as they conceive, produced, and hence have arisen the myriad anarchial societies with the avowed object of anni. dilating both Manchus and" mandarins, making of the solitary and unprotected Westerner a catspaw for the accomplishment of their purpose, by embroiling the loc] authorities with the Foreign Powers.
The Manchu dynasty may be overturned or rehabilitated, but the officials, of whatever dynasty, will still be recruited from the ranks of the conscienceless and immoral literati, and the element of danger rhed. There seems to be hope of regeneration from and it is with the full consciousness of this fact that many of the natives would welcome the undertaking of the work by foreign nations. Until this has been thoroughly and systematically taken in hand there can be na hope of peace or prosperity in China, and. there is little prospect that it will ever he satisfactorily carried out by the Chines" who are in positions of authority. It must be inaugurated and enforced by foreigners whose position and standing in the country will command obedience to their dictates and confidence in their methods. Sporadic movements towards reform may take lace on the initiative of Chinese leaders, jut there is little reason for believing that the country generally will he affected for hundreds of years to come, and during all that period the lives and property of foreigners will remain in jeopardy.
We have tried already the policy of supporting the Government of China inst tha Chinese, e.g., the "Thi reith what. success Let the present nation say! If the Government he over-there is little likelihood that the nese people or the foreign residents will be in any better position under any form of native government. Absolute selfishness and ibisser faire seem ta mark.the Chinese character, and even in the event of the establishment of a new dynasty and the advent of an era of enlightenment, the rehabilitation of China would constitute an clement of infinite danger. The forward movement in Japan, though a thing of yesterday, has already Jed to such developments that Sir Wilfrid Laurier dare not recommend the exclusion of Japanese emigrants ta Canada, whilst tha Chinese, representing a country tenfold greater than Japan, are to be shut out without apology. Suppose China raised to power and influence by foreign enlightenment and following in the wake of Japan. What country will venture to prohibit the landing of her numberless emigrants upon its shores, and what will be the economic lions of markets and manufactories of the West The alternative ig the partitioning of China among the civilised powers which have interests in the country.
This idea is not welcomed by commercial men who entertain the fond hope that the whole country will continue to offer a "happy hunting ground" to. commercial enterprise; and it is considered impossible by those who imagine such a step would lead to complications between the interested Powers.
Asregards the former class there is little prospect that such hopes will he realised, and even now there is x growing tendency to oust the expensive foreign middleman.
As regards the latter class I may say that ata juncture like this, when the interests ofthe Great Powers are almost equally at stake, the matter might be harmoniously for ly arranged, especially when the Powers huve already' agreed upon a common Lasis in their attitude toward China in the so-called " open door policy. The community of interest, under changed tions, might easily produce the policy the door pen from the inside, nul division. The Powers mi now arrange, as your correspondent. points out, to divide China as equably and quietly as they did Africa, and undertake not to impose differential tariffs; but if the enmtry is to be conquered' by the several Powers acting independently you may sure they will consent to no such stipulation.
As matter of fact the country is being virtually divided, but not equally; instend of the Great Powers obtaining equal portions, one or two seem bent on securing the whole to the exclusion of all others.
England is doing nothing to stop the growing domination of Russia, and unless she insists on a share she will' find in time there is nothing left to divide.
The country is big enough to satisfy all claimants, and rich enough, when developed, to compensate those whose commercial ventures might be restricted by partition.
Even in the event. of differential tariffs being imposed by the several States, the separate portions would prove as raimunerative, when fully developed, as the whole area is in its present undeveloped condi tion.
Thoro is a further alternative which only requires to be mentioned, viz:—that which the Chinese themselves would suggest i.c. the evacuation of.the country by all ners, Init such a step at this state of the world's history would be impossible.
There seems to me to be no other alter tive thu these, i.c., evacuation or partition, all the m 2 authorities representing the government in Peking aut the Provinces will put all the blame tyau jthe "stupid people" and the hors," ant plead their own entire innocence and helplessness, liegeing the Great Powers to reinstate them in office, forgot the past, and let things goon as before. We often hoodwinked by Chinese diplomacy, and our Ministers seem so incurably blind to the situation, t it I groatly doubt they will even now rise to the occasion, and adopt such measures us shall promote the healing of this "open sore of the world." It is possible they may quote the attitude of the southern Viceroysasovidencing a friendly feeling towards foreigners and reform, and overlook the fact that these lens-headed men are doing the only thing they could possibly do, knowing full well that to oppose a coalition of the Great Powers would be the height of absurdity, and that whatever may eventuate, whether the restoration of Kuang Hit or the taking cover of the country by European nations, they will be found on the winning side the alternative of ultimate success on the side of the Anti-Foreign Party, or the Boxers, being a chimera which they or any flow themselves to entertain. vilier person of any acuteness could not
Lam, ete., 4th July.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.