IXTKODTTCTIOX. XXXIX 



characters llung-wu. Red is the colour of the sun or of the light, and ff Knight of light" would, 

 in relation with his being the founder of the Light (Ming) dynast y , be, perhaps, still a better 

 interpretation. Symbolically he is then the defender of the light of humanity against the 

 encroachments of the darkness of vice incorporated in the shape of the Mongol barbarians, 

 Tored in the dark wastes of Mongolia. 



It may seem strange that the Hung-league tries to attain it's object by revolt and ei vil war; 

 but this is sanctioned by Chinese philosophy, especially that taught by Mencuts. According 

 to his principles, the people may dethrone, nay, even kill a bad prince. He hopes, however, 

 that a // Minister of Heaven" will do this; hoping that Heaven will raise up some one to help 

 the people; some one who shall so occupy in his original subordinate position as to draw 

 all eyes and hearts to himself. Let him then raise the Standard, not of rebellion, but of' right- 

 eousness, ( x ) and he cannot help attaining to the highest dignity. He continues to say: ,/There 

 was one man (the tyrant Chow) pursuing a violent and disorderly course in the empire, and 

 King Woo was ashamed of it. By one display of his anger, he gave repose to all people. Let 

 your Majesty" said he to King Siuen, „in like manner, by one burst of anger, give repose to 

 all the people of the empire." Although Mencius advises here rebellion, he does not consider 

 that as unjust, because the House of Chow had forfeited it's title to the Empire. ( 2 ) Likewise, 

 in Hung-ivu's eyes, the Mongol-dynasty had forfeited it's claims and, therefore, he drove them 

 from the throne. In the eyes of the present members of the Hung-league the Tartars have forfeited 

 their claims and must, therefore, be exterminated. Their's is asacred war of righteousness against 

 tyranny — of humanity against oppression and vice. If our supposition that the Hung-league 

 has existed since antiquity is correct, they must have waged continually a war for the de- 

 fence of righteous principles. For the same reason they will consider such a war righteous 

 against every one who oppresses them, or whose government they think hurtful to the 

 people, be they Tartars, Mongols, Chinese or Europeans. They mean to represent in the 

 world the combat of light against darkness, which they see accomplished day by day in the 

 Heavenly spheres; and the ineans they use thereto are not considered unlawfal by them, as 

 we have observed above. 



The Chinese are not a savage or unruly people; they are fully alive to the horrors of 

 anarchy, and to the benefits of order. They will suffer hardships and misfortunes if they are 

 in the natural course of things; but they will submit less to tyranny than any ether 

 Eastern nation. This is not better illustrated than by the following incident related in the, 

 ,/Family Sayings," occurring during the voyage of Confucius to T/isi: passing the mountain 

 Thai he saw a woman weeping by a grave. The sage having asked her why she wept so, 

 sheanswered: „lly husband's fatherwas killed here by a tiger, and my husband also; my son 

 now has shared the same fate." Confucius then asked her why she did not remove to an- 

 other place, and as she replied: „There is here no oppressive government/' he turned himsell 



^ 7Ë W. ^ ^ Jrtmes Le oS e ' Chinese classics, Vol. II, Prolegomena, png. 48 



