Li's Opposition To War

Ex-Secretary John W. Poster contributes a sketch of "The Viceroy Li Hung Chang" to the Century. Mr. Foster says: "Althougii the greatest genera] his country has produced in this century, he is preeminentiy aman of peace. Confucius, whose discipleheiBproud tocall himself, taught the folly of war, and the practice of the government and Chinese society in this respect is inspired by his teachings. While Japan has exalted the warlike spirit, and there the soldier 5n the idol of the people, in China the fcoldier is lightly esteemed, and ahvays lakes rank below the literary cJass. But notwithstanding this peaceful spirit, there is often a war party in China, and on two or three memorable occasions Jt has fallen to the lot of Viceroy Li to be placed in antagonism to it. "The Kuldja question, about 1880, brought the country to the brink of war with Russia, and it wasonly by his most r.ctive resistance to the war party at Peking1 that a peaceful settlement was leached. It is now well known that he opposed the late hostilities with Japan. The government of the la tter during the progress of the warobtained possession of and published certain meinorials to the throne, dated in 1882, and foi-warded by the viceroy, which looked to the ultímate invasión of Japan; but at best it was merely an inchoate scheme and probably encouraged by the viceroy to aid his projects for the defense of the approach.es to Peking. He had a better Vnowledge of the military strength of Japan and of the weakness of China than any other of the emperor's adisers, and he feared the consequences to his country of a conflict."