Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-06-26
rHE CHINESE EMPIRE.

Il
We have been much interested in the discus.
sion going on in the English periodicals 10 Iela'
ton to the project Of opening to the BRUSH mel
chants generally, the trade Of China. we pre-.
.ume il will result in the abolition oil the East
India Company's monopoly. There Is not a
more remarkable nation than this oil CHINA. nu
immense population has been restrained 10 us
kuo Wedge, pursuits, and liberties tor thousands
Of wears, while that of other countries, either oy
the results of circumstances peculiar 10 .he con'
dition of the human race, or the natural inter-
course growing up among contiguous territories
has gone forward IN civilization, improved IN inc
arts, and become the recipient Of religion ana
law.
There are eighteen provinces in CHINA, con-
tanning population Of 367 millions, when makes
an average Of 26S persons in every square "'le.
The Chinese geosraphers have never hao an!
ideas of tabular statistics. and the inio5ma"o"
which induces US to believe in the immense nu-
merci.l strength of China, is derived FROM the
statements Of the missionaries and ambassadors
who have in modern times '.penetrated the ~
terror, in spite OF the rascally postmasters.
/ Our readers may imagine the vastness OF an
empire, nearly 1000 miles long and 1000 VIDE,
with surface Of square miles equal to one TENN
Of tina, Of the whole land and water oil the glooe.
Z The Chinese call their empire the centre oil the
world. and according to Matbrun consider o.her
countries as mere stripes on the borders u their
own territory
!, The city Of Canton Is nearly in the Latitude oil
Calcutta; and Prkin, 10 that ot Madrid. Inc
f, taxes are levied IN money and in the produce OF
the and-50 millions Of dollars in the one, and
10 millions in the other. The rate OF direct tax
atom is small, but the exactiOns OF other KINDS
are enormous.
! An aristocracy. happy in being the agents Of
despotis,n, exercise tyrannic sway over inc Peo.
pe. and bask in the sunshine Of the supreme au.
thori,y. All possibility Of social combinations,
either in reIatiun 10 law or religion, is prevented
by a remarkable circumstance, the written cha
racter Of their language This, by its arbitrary
construct ton. often preventing any vocal expires
sion of its meaning, makes the language not only
difficult, but uncommunicable.
Maltbrun thinks that as il does not permit the
imagination or feelings to be aroused by symbols
addressed to the eye, and but those only affect
ing the memory, II totally prevents any thing like
ombina,ion; or even sympathy, and that thus II
affords a perfect safeguard 10 despotism. A
Chinese poem, to be sublime. must be written III
characters that Cannot be pronounced!
Ony imagine this principle tor moment. u
exist IN our own language, and what wOuid ne
come 1T those impassioned and eloquent appears
which bards and orators address to US, melting US
to pity waking u T. rage!
In the purely mechanic arts, in anv process OF
maaipu alton, the Chinese are unriyalled. Look
at the TOYS, the fans, the card cases. the japan
work they send Us, and it is evident that the
elaboration of industry, surpasses that OF intel
lect:
In all n'eur,n~ ..- --i-".. 20 concerned.
in all attempts at production where philosophy is
10 be called in, they are far behind Europeans.
Their ships are ~retehedly built and managed,
their forli6c atoms are puerle, and much in the
style Of their paper lanterns. A broadside from
the AIceste made sad havoc among the batteries
of the Yellow Emperor, and extingushed the
boasted courage OF many an egotlstical Manda
rim with his button and an umbrella.
The loc&s upon their canals are wretched con
triyances, their paintings are a satire upon per
spective. their theatres an byperbole Of action,
concentration Of ages in an hour. mummery Of
ljugglery and nonsense; their education is def.
Gent, their probity dream, their morals tic.
ton! And yet the Chinese have made them.
selves important to all natiuns.
From the year 1854, when the first English
ship visited China, to the present day, she has
had the nations Of the world her willing tributa-
rIes, trading under restrictions that make mock
and metals, and yet the latter are IN such insult
fcient quantities that she purchases them readily
from the shippers who send them to her ports.-
So with corn and wheat. although raised in large
quantities, they are not equal to the demand, and
therefore neither port duties port charges are
exacted from the ships that bring cargoes Of these
articles.
In the 18th century half million Of pounds
of tea were exported from China, now so mil.
lions are annually exported.
Formerly much bullion and specie were sent
there, but now tits the reverse. On referring
to Anderson's Commerce we find that in 1885.
and z, two millions Of the precious metals were
sent from England alone to that country In
1880 and 1881, England received from China
/ q millions sterling! A part of this has been on
account of the American merchants, who have
been lately in the habit Of sending furs and san.
dial wood to Canton, and renting to England,
where they purchase cargoes for home consump-
| ton.
! calculated that the opium fof which the