British Quarterly Review, American Edition, Vol. LIII: January and April, 1871Various
History
British Quarterly Review, American Edition, Vol. LIII: January and April, 1871
Various
English periodicals
The Roman Catholics are much disliked by the Chinese, chiefly because of
the outrages committed by the French soldiers during the late war--the
fatal blunder into which our neighbours always fall in their dealings
with weaker nations, or in their attempts to colonize: wherever they go,
they invariably succeed in getting themselves well hated. Another cause
of dislike to the Roman Catholics is the assumptions of the priests, and
their arbitrary claims to property. 'There is no hostility on the part
of the people towards Protestant missionaries.' And Mr. Williamson
thinks that 'were the matter of inland residence made a provision in
treaty engagements, there would be little or no difficulty in carrying
it out.' The hostility of the mandarins during the last year or two, the
Tien-tsin massacres, and other indications of dislike in the governing
classes, are attributed by Mr. Williamson to 'the ultra-liberal policy
of our Government, and especially to that outburst of hostile criticism
in the spring of 1869, on the part of our officials and leading
politicians and writers at home, all of which was duly communicated to
the Chinese authorities, leading them to believe either that we were
sure of our strength, or had lost all interest in our countrymen in
China.' Mr. Williamson lays great stress on a demand being made for
'inland residence under proper sanction;' and he argues this from the
perfect success of the experiment, so far as it has been made.
'Protestant missionaries, British, German, and American, have been
labouring unmolested for some years, in many of their inland cities.'
The Chinese opponents of missionaries are not the people, but corrupt
officials, who oppose everything foreign and everything calculated to
enlighten or improve the moral tone of the people. Mr. Williamson's
reply to such diplomats and writers as denounce the missionaries in
China, or sneer at them, is not only conclusive, it is perfectly
crushing. Five powerful foreign legations have for several years
resided in Pekin, viz., the British, American, French, Russian, and
Prussian. They had very able men and very great facilities. Not long
ago, the head of the British Legation thought fit to taunt the
missionaries, by urging them to begin by converting the higher classes,
adding that 'China would be raised through them, not in spite of them.'
Mr. Williamson pertinently asks, what with all their ability and
opportunities they have done, and unhesitatingly answers, nothing! All
the European books, lesson books, and books of science especially, which
it is no part of the missionary's function to produce, have been
compiled or translated by them. 'Dr. Hobson has given them works on
Physiology; on the Principles and Practice of Surgery; on the Practice
of Medicine and Materia Medica; on the Diseases of Children; on the
Elements of Chemistry and Natural Philosophy. Mr. Wylie has given them
the whole of _Euclid_; De Morgan's _Algebra_, in thirteen books; Loomis'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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