Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 August 1896 — LI’S OPPOSITION TO WAR. [ARTICLE]

LI’S OPPOSITION TO WAR.

China's Greatest General la PreEminently a. Man of PeacS, Kx-Secretnry John W. Foster contributes a‘ sketch of “The Viceroy LI Hurig Chang” to tho Century. Mr. Foster says: i “Although the greatest general his country has produced in this century, he Is pre-eminently a man of peace, tConfucius, whoso disciple he Is proud (bo Air himself, thught tlje folly of war, nnd tho practice of tho Government and society in tfiis respect Is InjHfllfed by his teachings. While Japan baa exalted the warllko spirit, and there the soldier is the Idol of the peoplo, In China the soldier is lightly esteemed, and always takes rank bolow the llterisiry class. But notwithstanding this jlfcdcfeful 'spirit, there Is often a war Iparty tu Chinn, nnd on two or three memorable occasions It has fallen to thftlot of the Viceroy LL to be placed lu 'antagonism to it.

The Kuldja question, about 1880, brought the country to the brink of war with Hussiaj and It was only by his most active resistance to the war party at Peking that a peace f u i settlement was reached. It Is now well known .that he opposed the late hostilities with (Japan. The Government of the latter during the progress of the war obtained possession of and published certain memorials to the throne, dated in 1882, and forwarded by tho Viceroy, whloh looked to tho ultimate invasion of Japan; but at best It was merely an Inchoate scheme and probnbly encouraged by the Viceroy to aid bis projects for the defense of the approaches to Peking. He had a better knowledge of the military strength of Japan and of the weakness of China than any other of the Emperor’s advisers, and he feared the consequences to his country of a conflict.