Rensselaer Democrat, Volume 1, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 June 1898 — No Patriotism la China. [ARTICLE]

No Patriotism la China.

As for the patriotism of the Chinese, If it ever existed, it is unquestionably a thing of the past. At the time of the wax with Japan, China had two squadrons, the main or northern squadron, with headquarters at Port Arthur and Wei-Hal-Wei, and the southern squadron, composed of fine Armstrong cruisers, of gunboats and torpedo boats. As it was clear that the Japanese would carry the war into Manchuria and toward the Gulf of PetchHl, the southern squadron was ordered to proceed northward and to re-enforce the northern fleet. Far from obeying, the commanding admiral and his officers decided that, being a great deal safer in the south, they would quietly remain there, and go up a river, the entrance of which could be defended by torpedo mines, which they hurried to lay. Why, in the name of Confucius, should they have exposed themselves for the sake of defending the northern provinces? About the same time the Chinese government, being in need of money to carry on the war, decided that a small tax would be imposed upon the tea plantations, most of whose proprietors are wealthy, or at least well-to-do people. But these patriotic citizens, ?n order to avolod paying that small tax, begged the foreign merchants to take the plantations in their names!—lllustrated American. The art of being able to make a good use of moderate abilities wins esteem, and often confers more reputation than real merit.—Rochefoucauld.