Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-06-12
From the Uondon) United Service Journal.
The Military Establishment and Discipline of
thp (htucen-


From the U.ondon) United Service Journal.
The Military Establishment and Discipline of
the Chinese.
The interest excited by recent events at Canton
may render some account of the character, organizu-
ton, estimated force, and discipline of the Chinese
army acceptable to our readers. The difficulty, not
to say iinpossibillty, in more modern times, of pro-
curing authentic information on the subject, induces
us the more readily to avail ourselves of the details
furnished by the enlightened and interchangeable zeal of
those, who towards the close of the last century, were
enabled, by the opportunity of then existing circum-
stances, TO penetrate into the interior of a country
that has been closed, as a sealed book, to the research
and enterprise of the nineteenth century. When we
CONSIDER the proverbial Discrimination to change ofany
KIND, which is the characteristic and avowcd principle
OF the Chinese government, we need scarcely hesitate
to conclude that the lapse of comparatively a few
years has wrought but little alteration in the state of
things as they existed at the period to which we have
alluded. The events of a century or so--ofa period
of time, which, with the wavering and unsettled
institutions of the rest of the world, might suffice,
and has in many instances suficed to change the en-
tire face, political and social, Of states and kingdoms
could vary but slightly, if indeed at all, the arrange
ments, and habits of a nation, which, as is the case
with China, boasts of the mmutabiity of its institu-
tons, reckoning its dynastics by thousands of years
as do others by centuries.
The supreme control of the entire Chinese army is
vested under the Emperor, in the five sovereign courts
of mandarins-at-arms (Ou.quan) viz. LIST. HcooJou,
or of the rear-guard I'd. TSou;f6u, or left wing; Sd.
ieou:foU, or right wing; 1th. Ietong-fou, or
lne-of-battlc; 9th. Jsien.fou, or avant-guard. In
these courts of the military mandarins there are to
each a president, and two assessors, who are all Of
them of the first and second degree of the first order,
and for the most part pulsant mobiles, who have the
command of the state-oilicers and soldiers Of the
stale-oificers and soldiers of the palacc-suard. =,
These five classes compose the supreme tribunal
called long-tchingj ou and its President, or chief,
is one ofthe most powerful mobiles in the empire, in
asmuch as his authority extends generally over all
officers and soldiers, whether of the Court or of the
provinces.
The mandarin commander in-chief on the part of
the Emperor, in the two provinces of Qudng-fon and
Quang-Si is termed IsOng-tou.. Hcis also receiver
general of the royal or imperial dues on salt, and of
which he renders an account to the Houpou, or Comp
troller ofPekin. He has for his guard, and at his dis
position, 5000 of the troops, with u %brigadier, four CO.
lonels, five lieutenant colonies, ten captains, and TWEEN
ty lieutcnans. His ordinary residence is at the city of
Ithao-quing, distant twenty leagues from Quang-ton
whittier he repairs in cases of importance.
The second great officer is the FJu-yuen or vice-roy
of the province, being at the same time lieutenant
general of police, and receiver general of customs, as
well mnratinc as in inland. His guard is 5000
/ men with a %brlgadier, two colonels, three lieutenant
colonies, six captains, and twelve lcutenants. His
residence is ut Qudng-ton.
All candidates for rank or promotion in the army
have previously to undergo a strict and searching exa-
mlnation before the HeO- Wten, or prCsldent-absolut
fthe examinations, which are held twice in three years
at Quang-ton, and in each city of the first order in the
y provinces.
For the degrees of dignity in the science Of arms (Ou-
9udn) the examining lnadarin is to exercise his func-
, tons with the greatest rigour and severity towards the
a candidate, without respect for persons, and with nc
r choice save IN favor of merit. He s even forbidden, tc
+, speak with any person whatever SO long as he holds
r the appointment ofeXamlnng mandarin certain dealt
+ is the consequence of the least malyersatlon IN hi
\ office. The examination consists, IN the first place
in seeing whether or not the candidates are perfect IL
the management of their horse whether they cal
), galop at full speed without being thrown use thu
i bow when sitting steadily and firmly in the saddle a
h also at full gallop, i'll either case hitting their mark
/ n Tho Snant,d tIppp fhpyvn r n " IN, n c IN
E they are capable of markings short and simple speech
of address, but well-conceived and to the point, am
without committing a blunder, on such matter as ma!
f be proposed to them, relating to military science.
In l72S, tho Chinese Emperor had a standing arm!
I of upwards of GOO, 900 regular troops. The writer o
the letter, from which we have extracted the %foregoin!
q particulars, assures the gallant and prlnccly person
h age to whom it is addressed, namely Prince Eugene
: of Savoy, that his Serene Hiehness, at the head o
10000 or $4,000 dragons, would nevertheless be abb,
a to conquer the whole kingdom of China, and he adds
q in so saying he does not imagine that he is paying hin
r a very high compliment. Before the conquest of Chi
q ma, by the Tartars in 1913, it was a standing Jest
II according to dHerbelot and other authorities, witt
n the Western Tartars to affirm in derision of the Chi
a nese, that the noiehing ola Tartar horse was sutlicien
to put the whole of the Chinese cavalry to the rout
!. and from the same authority we gather that even The
Chlnese-T Tartar cavalry ofhls time had dwindlcd pretty
\ much to the same condition. The Chinese thcmselve
n seem to have admitted the truth of the charge, but Il
: have met the incul patton of cowardice by affirming
O that the neighing and snoring of the Tartar" ar hor
5 mic and terror into nil IS 81 , dittIeren, br re
c - = .
e -,Hc Chinese ocnerols diyido tbo;r ,roons ,hroroh
TT tho towns md Srov;ncoj JiS,r;cts Tbp, Of Oman
lot ron contains ton cites Of the first order n;nc Of +
ny sononJ md so~ontu r,nr 81 ,bn ,h;rJ b., ns !, ,ho
es' nlacrs Of The ib;rd oyrdcr t thcre = 60" somo , that arc miy
IN IN ,y;,b thnso Of tho Grs, and socnna omIv soyont
clrnr uroIioJ ,o,yns p couninJ IN ,Ln nro,iHoo IN oa
sh Of wbich accord;nG n itsnytani an, NM imnortoncno :,
lat Goiont aorn;son ;s j; strbytoi - r,,;n,a;p ,ho noonIo,
I'd snh;ncEon W "'' VAN f0'F"
fu- Tbe number or c,,niios !, ,b;s ono rrovrco-,,d
IS mnst he horno in m;nJ that his ;s oniv one nm
NY an,ongst thn Ieas, nf fftaenNis accord?no +, ri
iat most ,ocont ro,utnS G7ooI of The nonuI,t;nn ~ Chin.
by Asa 260 THAT of tho mon ,viiihaut reckon;Ig II
women or children under twenty wears Of a9e.
y, l.97e,OOO. The whole population of China, is ,stima
III ed by our authority at about the same peiod WI
W. l0, l2s, 100 fumilies and without reckoning tie prime,
a. of the blood, the ministers of state, the 1obles, Il
TLy officers, as well as of police as the military. ne blonz,
,, or priests, the eunichs, women and cilldren-tl
INV number ofmale inhabitants of the class The commo
-. people. above the ace of twenty-one wears is compu
,,,, ed at 5e.ol6sOO. exclusive of a prodro.s number
ttua' people that live habimally in vessels and traits, so tn;
" The water appears as tlicklv peoplcd as he earth. III
~ Portuguese, when. in 1877, they peretrated for Il
les $3.50 49,, ~ 80 ,'i N,'