202 A NATURALIST IN WESTERN CHINA 



with the modern and more aggressive civilization of the West. 

 This latter, which came faintly knocking at her door a hundred 

 odd years ago, has proved an irresistible power, and in spite 

 of the, metaphorically speaking, heavily bolted and barred 

 gates has made entrance, and is to-day well within the citadel. 

 By riots, massacres, and several wars, China has tried her utmost 

 to thrust back this forceful alien, but all to no purpose. The 

 Boxer Rising in 1900 was the final effort. This failed utterly 

 and miserably, and China gave up the contest. 



Long previous to this last effort, the most upright and far- 

 seeing of China's statesmen had realized the hopelessness of the 

 struggle, and had begun to urge upon the nation the importance 

 of learning from the Occident all that was useful and helpful 

 in order to renovate their country's condition, and render 

 China strong and able to withstand foreign aggi"ession. The 

 progress and enlightenment on Western lines since 1900 has 

 been nothing short of marvellous. But, unfortunately, the 

 ultra-progressives wanted to run before they could walk, and 

 the ultra-conservatives were scarcely willing to move at all. 

 For the time being the ultra-progressives are foremost, but 

 this can only be a transient phase. Those adhering to the 

 broad, happy medium of holding fast to all that is good of the 

 old and building on it the best of the new must come into their 

 own eventually. The earlier this happens the shorter will be 

 the bitter period of travail. China's essential need to-day 

 is what it has been for a century — a strong central govern- 

 ment. Until this is vouchsafed there can be no lasting peace 

 within her borders. 



Parliaments have been spoken of as a panacea for all evils 

 of government. If one looks around, very pertinent questions 

 concerning the universal fitness of this system present them- 

 selves. In discussing the East it should ever be remembered 

 that the Oriental mind is far from being in complete accord 

 with the Occidental mind. Parliaments are of the West, and 

 the Western model will have to be very considerably altered and 

 modified before it can be successfully employed in the East. 

 A republic, theoretically the highest and best form of govern- 

 ment, has not altogether proved to be so in practice, judging 

 by world-wide examples of to-day. When every republican 



