A CHINAMAN IN REPLY.

Evening Star, Issue 11434, 29 December 1900, Page 6

A CHINAMAN IN REPLY.

REMARKABLE LETTER FROM A HIGH CHINESE OFFICIAL. The London 'Daily Mail' published an. article by Mr Julian Ralph dealing very largely with the preposterous superstitions of the Chinese and the troubles of our Christian missionaries in China. , The editor was asked by a high official of the Chinese Legation to insert a reply to Mr Ralph's article. It is written by Mr Ivan Caen, sec;retewy to Sir CMh Chen Lo Peng Luh, the Chinese Minister. The following k the letter by Ivan Chen: —Mr Ralph's article is devoted to what he calls the ignorance and superstition of the Chinese as a nation. He speaks of "a little breastwork of cement two or three feet long and three or four inches high, with beer bottles stuck in it, muzzle ■ outward," as "being all that is required"; and of. other devices that are thought by hhn to be used for keeping away devils, spirits, etc After speaking of the evident stupidity of such devils and spirits, he says: " The devils come blowing along, and are just about to alight on the roof, when they see ono of these mock, forts." He further speaks of "a little brick structure" erected in front of our doors, which is also efficacious in " keeping away demons," etc. Admitting all this to be true, what does it all amount to? There are in China many ignorant people. That goes without saying. But is not the same true of every country in the world? A CYNICAL CHALLENGE. China has a population—according to Eugene Simon, one of the most truthful writers you have—of over 500,000,000 of people, or, say, nine times as many its the United States of America. It is said \that the Americans spend annually 200,000,000d0l for propitiating their gods and devils. I do not hesitate to say that the Chinese are able to do the same thing just as effectively, for a very much larger population, at less thai half this sum. Many of the Roman Catholic cathedrals that one finds in Europe and America cost at least £1,000,000 sterling. None of them are more effective in warding off devils than the simple" little "fort" that the Chinaman is said to build on the top of his house, which is only " three feet long and three or four inches high." The inexpensive "beer bottles" are just as good for keeping off devils as the largest bells ever erected in any tower. If anyone has any doubt of this, we Chinamen would ask for a competitive trial, with plenty of Chinamen to back the " beer bottles" against the bells. Then again as to the pile of bricks of exceedingly modest dimensions. This has been found to be quite effective. The various other little devices which some of the ignorant and superstitous Chinamen employ will be found quite as effective as the more elaborate and certainly more costly paraphernalia used in Europe and America for the same purpose. THE PRAYING MACHINE.

Much sport has been made in England and America of the Chinese praying ma-, chines that one finds in Tibet. Manyyears ago it was discovered that if one wrote his prayer and placed it in a tea cup, and gave it one turn, it was just as good as repeating the prayer orally. Ten turns were equal to ten prayers. This was also found to be true, no matter to what extent the apparatus was increased in size, or the iramber of prayers added to it; so at the present time they put 1,000,000 prayers written on thin paper in a large vessel mounted on a pivot. On giving the vessel one turn it registers 1,000,000 prayers, each of which is just as effective as any other prayer. If anyone doubts this, we cnaHengo them to a competition. If your missionaries can show us any devices in Europe which are more efficacious in keeping off devils, or cheaper or more expedient in propitiating deities by prayers than those that exist among our ignoraut people to-day, then, and not till Sen, will it be time for you to send your missionaries and the superstitions which you doubtless think are new to China. THE RATIONALISM OF CONFUCIUS. All our superstitious practices are among the Taoists and the Buddhists. The learned, the literary, and the official classes are all Confucians, and Confucius has taught us to respect our ancestors and leave the gods alone. Confucius teaches us to have nothing whatever to do with anyone who pretends to have any intercourse with the supernatural. We do not believe in any of the angels and demons which are so common to all other systems, and it has often been said of us that because we do not believe in these supernatural beings our system is not a, religion at all. When the first Jesuit missionaries went to China they, did not. attempt to meddle with the institutions of our country. They taught mathematics, astronomy, and other philosophical subjects. They wore well received, and made themselves very popular with our Emperor. But so soon as they commenced to attack the institutions of the country they were ordered to quit. What we require in China is scientific men—men educated in some of tho concrete sciences that we do not understand ourselves to the same extent that they tiro understood in England. Wo do not object to your doctors. We admire their skill. We do not object to your engineers. Neither do we object to any of your scientific men, so long as they do not interfere with our existing institutions. The whole cause of the present trouble in China is because we have among us an ignorant and superstitious class of people—Buddhists—who have a religion almost identical with the Christian religion, and who arc very jealous of others who are bringing in what they consider a competing faith. They feel exactly the same as people would in this country if tho Buddhists should come over hero and attempt to supplant the Catholics and Protestants. But what exasperates us Chinese more than anything else is tho immunity which the socalled converts have from the action of tho law in their own country. THE CHINESE GRIEVANCE.

Suppose a Chinese priest should come to England, and it should be known that every burglar, pickpocket, and thief by becoming a Buddhist would become exempt from arrest by the police. Suppose that the introduction of a new faith into England should give the criminal classes license to ply their trade in London with, complete immunity from the action of the laws. Would the English people submit to such a state of affairs? And what is true of the English is true of all other nations. Why, then, should we Chinese be an exception to the rule? Our civilisation is the oldest in the world; it enables more men to live on a square mile of ground in comfort than any other civilisation ever evolved. Before the missionaries visited our country there was much less crime in proportion to the population than even in Protestant Prussia, which is regarded as the most moral of European countries. Our kind of civilisation may differ from that of Europe, but it suits us better. We do not care to throw it over unless something better can be produced, something really better when viewed from our own standpoint. Certainly our religious beliefs are quite as reasonable and respects able as those of other nations, and if age should bo considered as one of the factors of respectability, our systems must be infinitely more respectable than the new faiths, some of which arc only about 300 or 400 years old. Is there any* reason why the Chinese should, not be allowed to enjoy their own religion in their own. country in their own way? Confucius taught that wc do to others as we wouH have them do unto us, and I believe this has been introduced into the Christian religion, and is generally known as "The Golden Rule." Certainly, the English would not like to have us interfere with any of their many religions or institutions. They would not like to have us send our Taoist or Buddhist priests to this country to attack the modern faiths of the English people. If we should force our priests upon England we should be doing to the English what we ivould not like them to do unto us. Conversely, the English, in forcing their priests upon us, are doing, unto us what they would not like

to have <>there do nnto thorn. Conmnrtnthw they are hot only breoJdag obeoftiii fundamental principles of their m MMv ' but of our faith also. possible to'have peace in China so long M fopeign missionaries are.ajlowed to interfere with the country, and no txovernment at be strong enough, to protect tmpopular mimotaries thwugnout so vast an empire. We may not >e able to keep these missionaries out of China, because wo are not a fighting nation. Anything will be better than the mfsskmaries. Peace, prosperity, and healthy commerce win be impossible until the missioo&ry shall have been eliminated from oar local problem. Recall the missionaries and all will go well.