8th July.
Tue Imperial Chinese Government, annoyed, frightened, angered, perplexed, by so-called Church affairs, is adopting one method after another to secure the much-desired end of peace. To those at all familiar with the Chinese character, the Chinese officials in dealing with ecclesiastical affairs seem to be floundering around in the deep sea of political uncertainty, What the Government as such ought to do, and what it ought not to do, are apparently beyond their comprehension. They must do something, this they are convinced; and so they proceed forthwith in self-appreciative confidence to elaborate a series of regulations. No one can surpass the literary Chinese in drawing up regulations; when this is done all is done. Practicality or practicability is extraneous to the literati of China. Real reform, in any line whatsoever, is for this reason if for no other a hopeless thing under the present regime.
Hardly had Peking been relieved and occupied by the Allies, when Li Hung-chang, Chang Yen-mao, Chou Fa, and other mandarins all over the Empire, proceeded to discuss the management of the Church, and if we remember aright, Chow Fu was imperially designated not only to manage the matter of indemnifying the native converts in the Metropolitan province, but to manage the problem, through regulations, of establishing in perpetuity and for ever peaceful relations between Christian Chinese and other Chinese. From time to time have we had reported to us as to the conferences Chou Fu was having with the missionaries. Tentative regulations were drawn up and even applied. Accord ing to the usual fashion in China, other officials in other provinces drew up other regulations of their own devising. And yet the regulations, separately or altogether, do not cure, and are not likely to do so, The policy of the Government, including the Empress Dowager, has of exterminating or deving out all been to turn from a supposed purpose
the missionaries to the sweet, lulling policy of patting them on the back, while still keen on blaming the native converts. Monseigneurs Favier and Jarlin, of the Roman Catholic Church in Peking, were promoted in mandarin rank and admitted to audience and to the diplomatic dinners given by high Chinese officials. Then appeared an edict, calling Favier head of the Bishops, i.e, Archbishop, and appointing him to bring about peace between his Church thoughout all China and the Chinese people. If any man in that branch of the Church can accomplish something in
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.