Now how is it that when Europeans heard the word liberty they welcomed it in such a manner, whilst if Chinese now hear it they take no notice, but are much more attentive if they hear about making' money. There are many reasons, which if we examine, will enable us to understand. The reason why the Chinese, when they hear about making money, are so ready to listen is because China has arrived at a time when the people are poor and wealth is exhausted, and they suffer from poverty.
Now money making is the only method of saving men from poverty, when they hear about it they are glad to listen, Of what benefit is! money is to be saved and this means relief ing from suffering and distress" is when people are suffering the distress of poverty and suddenly some tone says to-them that there is an opportunity of making money which will remove their distress, Naturally they will follow and risk their lives in the struggle.
In the wars for liberty in Europe 100 or 200 years ago, people listened to the word "liberty" just in the same way that a Chinese would lis-to-day.
Why is it that they welcomed liberty in such q manner? Because in Europe the tyrannical rule of monarchs had reached the extreme limit, The Feudal System European civilization was like! that of the contending kingdoms of China at the end of the Chou Dynanty, The end of the Chou, Dynasty was contemporary with Rome. in Europe, and Rome unified Europe just at the time of the Chin and. Han Dynasties. In the beginning, Rome was a republic but afterwards a monarchy. When Rome was destroyed various nations arose, just the same as when the Chou Dynasty wax ended, the Eastern Chou State and the Contending Kingdom were established, Therefore many scholars Seven contended for ssu: place the circumstances when the
Premacy at the end of the Chou Dynasty in the same entegory as those of the opposing nations when Rome was destroyed. When Rome had become a series of independent Kingdoms, the feudal system was established. Then those who were) the greatest were princes, and beneath them were counts and marquis ses, Those still inferior were earls, viscounts, and barons, and all had absolute power, But in that feudal system the power of these men was. more absolute than that of the Con-. tending Kingdoms of the Chou Dynasty in China, We have no idea of the suffering of the people of Europe under such system; it was much severer than that of the Chinese under the sway of the successive despotic dynasties of China. What was the reason? In China the despotism of the Chin Dynasty had a direct connection with the people in this way, that. the deformers were all exterminated, the plotters were executed, and so all were destroyed; Wut in the Successive dynasties all the people were treated with leniency. Apart from their payment of the taxes {hey hardly had any connection with the officials, But despotism Europe time and-again directly fected the people in everything, and methods daily increased. The growth of tyranny was much worse than in China so the Europeans of 200 years ago suffered the evils of a cruel tyranny just as to-day the Chinese are suffering the hardships of poverty. The people having endured for a long time this severity, realized to the full the evils of bondage, so there was nothing for it but to struggle determinedly for freedom in order to escape from such suffering, and when they heard men speak of liberty they gladly assented.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.