Protection from external attack has been gained by military force
and highly trained diplomacy; protection from internal disorder
has been gained _first_ by military force, and _second_ by wise
laws, just courts, and the encouragement of religion and of those
arts and sciences that lead to comfort and happiness in living.

China may attract the attention of some as an instance of longevity;
but is China a nation in the usual meaning of the word? Certainly,
she is not a great nation. It is true that no other nation has
actually conquered her of late; but this has been largely by reason
of her remoteness from the active world, and because other nations
imposed their will upon her, without meeting any resistance that
required the use of war to overcome. And even China has not lived
a wholly peaceful life, despite the non-military character of her
people. Her whole history was one of wars, like that of other nations,
until the middle of the fourteenth century of our era. Since then,
she has had four wars, in all of which she has been whipped: one in
the seventeenth century when the country was successfully invaded,
and the native dynasty was overthrown by the Tartars of Manchuria;
one in 1840, when Great Britain compelled her to cede Hong-Kong
and to open five ports to foreign commerce, through which ports
opium could be introduced; one in 1860, with Great Britain and
France, that resulted in the capture of Pekin; and one with Japan
in 1894. Since that time (as well as before) China has been the
scene of revolutions and wide-spread disturbances, so that, even
though a peace-loving and non-resisting nation, peace has not reigned
within her borders. The last dynasty was overthrown in 1912. Since
then a feeble republic has dragged on a precarious existence,
interrupted by the very short reign of Yuan Shih K'ai.