rovince. And even Italy has become
avaricious. She tried to grab San Mon Bay several years ago, but
being single-handed, she failed in her attempt. And perhaps she is
now using the power of the Allies to accomplish her greedy design.
When the news of this grabbing reached from one end of the Empire to
the other, does any one wonder that the Chinese felt harsh toward the
foreigners? If anyone has any doubt in this regard, let him just put
himself in a Chinaman's place and he will know it at once. So, I say,
the greedy grabbing for territory by the different Powers is the
principal cause for the recent uprising.

Then, again, there is the spirit of commercialism which has caused
great enmity between China and the Western nations. For instance, in
the year 1840, Great Britain, for greedy gain declared war against
China. The cause of the war was the destruction of over 20,000 chests
of opium by the mandarins in their efforts to prevent its
introduction into the Empire. This opium had previously been brought
into China by British merchants. The mandarins repeatedly objected to
its introduction and made frequent complaints to the British. The
Governor at Canton issued a proclamation prohibiting the people using
opium and saying that all violators would be beheaded. He afterwards
found one of his sons a victim to its use, so taking him out to a
public place, he caused him to be beheaded before thousands of
spectators. The mandarins continued to use every means in their power
to keep opium out of China, but all to no avail. At length, in 1840,
when they destroyed the 20,000 chests of opium, England claimed a
just cause for war, and from this time on, at the cannon's mouth,
opium has been forced upon China. Just think! opium, one of the worst
poisons known to mankind. Opium has been and is the source of great
revenue to England, but it is the greatest curse to China. It has
ruined her to the very core, and is one of the great causes of the
decay of the Empire. Many thousands of handsome, vigorous, and
hopeful young men are brought every day by its use to untimely
deaths. Oh! how the good people of China hate opium. How the poor
fathers and mothers weep for their opium cursed sons. How many wives
shed bitter tears day and night! How many little children go hungry
because their fathers have become opium fiends! Yea, how many of
these little ones were even sold by their opium-crazed fathers! What
sorrow opium has brought to the ho