The "Good Old Times" in Hainan. 125 



It ia a common saying that if such a thing had not happened results 

 would have been different ; some try to define these probable differences. 

 But we must not be too hasty. If, for example, Columbus had not dis- 

 covered America when he did, someone else would have done it within 

 a few years. We often put down some one as an inventor and give him all 

 honour when perhaps others come in to make the machine workable. It 

 usually happens that the thing is " in the air " as it were; the time comes 

 and the man or men are ready. Conditions appear to arrive where 

 necessity becomes the mother of invention. 



To the studen' of history many things appear to have been wrong 

 and yet on the whole results proved that they were expedient. All 

 Governments put expediency first however they may talk about ricdit. 

 It is very hard to define right, especially beforehand. We often trv and 

 fail — the failure proves that we were wrong. Motives are more generally 

 good but only success can prove that the course was right. If a country 

 is still inhabited there has been no real failure as far as man is concerned. 

 No matter that the people have been coerced and perhaps suffered under 

 tyrants, if it is even a little progressive there has been no failure 

 Individuals fail but man as a whole is a grand success, in fact the grandest 

 success the world has ever known. The main principle of his actions has 

 always been expediency and results prove he was right. In studying 

 history this principle must be kept in view and in trying to judge our 

 ancestors we must look upon the results, and not be too hasty in callino- 

 them cruel and bad when they acted according to their light. 



Because certain things were done in the past we live to-day. To say 

 that the people who lived and enjoyed life in former times were much 

 worse than ourselves is not a right judgment. We know more than our 

 fathers and our children will, no dou!>t, increase in knowledge, but the 

 point to be accepted, is that each generation is well fitted for its own 

 time. Because we have advanced and risen on the shoulders of our fore- 

 fathers does not mean that we are greatly superior. We are what we are 

 because they were what they were. Here and there we find men in advance 

 of their time and we are inclined to call them cranks ; if we could be put 

 back a century the people of that time would call us cranks. Xow and 

 then we hear the descendants of the slaves speak of the old planter as an 

 ogre, but they do not call their ancestors savages. The historian tries to 

 look on the past from the standpoints of the people then living but this is 

 very difficult. The main point to be considered is that a progressive 

 world must necessarily admit of improvement, and yet that on the whole 

 it has always been good. 



History cannot repeat itself for we can never go backward. Circum- 

 stances however are often sufficiently alike to be lessons, which, if well 

 considered, help us much in our onward path. Slavery has gone and 

 the coolie immigration is going ; they had their clay and must give place 

 to better arrangements. Yet they have helped us much to get into a posi- 

 tion where they are no longer required. They were "stepping-stones to 

 higher things." 



