Feb, 18.
ATTENTION may well be called to the long but exceedingly interesting report received to-day, of the seizure of the Anglo-Chinese College at Swatow by a group of anti-British and anti-Christian students, Fragment-accounts have been received of this disgraceful affair, but the report to-day may be regard-covering all points involved and as authentic. Two special features should be emphasized. First, there is no doubt whatever that the College is the property of the English Presbyterian. Mission. The people who gave the money for its. foundation knew exactly what they were doing and that the institution was to be used for training students in Chris janity, Therefore, the reply sent by the Commissioner to the British Consul, that it was trust property which could be resum-and used for other purposes, shows at least, as our correspondent says, that he had not studied the deeds very carefully. But one may assume that he had not studied them at all. In the second place, the students who seized the College lied and broke their written engagement, Having published a statement that] their opening as the Nan Chiang, University in the College premises was merely a preliminary step to regaining full possession of it, and when they were threatened with not being allowed to use the building, they pretended they had only been trying to placate the anti-British faction, Then having given a written engagement to observe certain conditions, they did not} carry out one point of them and have taken violent possession of the buildings. Does this not appear to justify those who assert that treaties with China are only regarded as binding so long as there is any danger of force being applied to compel their fulfilment?
Let us turn to another report in to-day's paper, that about the brigands in north Kiangsu. Our correspondent in Suchien, writing with long experience, says that they have never been so ferocious as now. Not money alone is their object, but sheer cruelty. In one case where no money was paid, both the kidnapped child and its family were murdered. In another, the ransom was paid, but the victim was none the less murdered. If anyone is disposed to doubt these reports, let him remember the account given a few days Jago of the horrors committed by Ching-lin's army on its retreat through Chihli towards Shantung. Not only was the countryside stripped bare of every portable object worth taking, but things that were no. use to these brutes were ruthlessly burnt. Even the fuel, which the peasants had stored ap for the bitter winter of north China. But when do the Chinese Papers ever. raise any protest against such iniquities? When have the students ever held indignation meeting to de-ounce the men who are guilty of them? Never.
Those who criticize the misdoings of the ruling and the vocal classes of China are often asked for constructive criticism.
At least one suggestion may be offered. Let the student body expend one tenth of the energy in fighting the military despotism, the political corruption and the hideous cruelties that meet one at every turn, which they use in denouncing the alleged aggression of the foreigner: China would soon be a very different place from what it is. The mental dishonesty of the students' outcry against foreigners goes far to destroy all sympathy with them. If they had said of the May 30 affair: "This is Chinese soil and we, won't stand foreigners shooting Chinese on it"—the real basis of their anger—they could have been respected accordingly. But} to ery to heaven over the cruelty of the shooting, while not a word a8 said of the thousand and one atrocities that are perpetrated throughout China every da; would be laughable if it were not so tragic, As regards the Anglo-Chinese College at Swatow, it is clear from our correspondent's report that there are plenty of students who do not side with the buccaneer:
We cannot doubt it. But what have they done to prevent or rectify the outrage that has been committed? Apparently nothing. This is another point for inevitable criticism—and Suggestion. At present, to use a familiar Western saying, "the tail wags the dog."
We do not|}, for ope moment suggest that the authors of the Swatow outrage, or the authors of similar and kindred misdemeanours elsewhere, are anything but a minority, and small at that. We have no doubt that the great mass of Chinese students are as decent youths as could be found anywhere. But they allow themselves to be swayed and misled by unruly handfuls and the student body is tarred with the brush of its worst members. In. Western univers we im chine as much in America as in England—minorities whose be-lour brings discredit on the college are dealt with by the majority very firmly and not at all gently, till they learn wisdom,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.