"  There  is  some  foundation  for  these  accu-
sations. They  are  not  made  out  of  whole
cloth.  But  they  are  greatly  exaggerated.
If  the  Chinese  people  and  government  did
not  fear  that  the  Europeans,  missionaries
and  all,  have  come  there  for  the  purpose  of
dispossessing  them  of  their  country,  these
other  grievances  would  be  tolerated.  The
ruling  classes  would  not  allow  the  mission-
aries to  be  molested  by  the  lower  classes  if
they  did  not  believe  that  they  are  only  the
advance  guard,  the  scouts  and  couriers  of
the  main  army  of  civilization  that  purposes
to  deprive  them  of  their  land  and  displace
their  ancient  civilization  with  this  new  one.
"  If  China  is  ever  thoroughly  aroused  and
believes  itself  capable  of  driving  and  keeping
the  foreigner  out  of  the  country  by  sheer
force  of  numbers,  the  government,  when  that
time  comes,  will  not,  in  my  opinion,  hesitate
to  challenge  the  world  and  take  the  conse-
quences. If  they  are  forced  to  choose,  the
people  will  prefer  to  lose  their  country  fight-
ing for  it  than  to  have  it  stolen  from  them
without    resistance.      And   the  Powers   will


find  that  they  have  taken  an  enormous  con-
tract on  their  hands."

There  is  a  certain  Greek  legend  that
might  be  recalled  at  this  juncture  of  affairs
in  China  which  relates  to  the  founding  of
Thebes  by  King  Cadmus,  who  went  about
looking  for  a  suitable  site  for  his  future  cap-
ital guided  by  a  vagrant  heifer.
