The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1843-04-01

employment OF teacher OF youth, in which he
made great and rapid progress. About six hun
dred OF his SCHOLARS were sent into different
paris OF the Empire TO carry on his lavorite wish
of moral reformation. Among his disciples, Sc
yenty two were remarkably distinguished among
The rest FOE their mental acquisitions, and ten
others were deemed superior even 10 these, as
having thorough comprehension OF their mas
lef's whole system. Those were divided by
him into four classes the first being destined 10
the study of the moral virtues; the second to
the ans OF logic and Of public speaking; the
third class studied Jurisprudence aud the duIies
of the civil magistrate; and public speaking or
the delivery of popular discourses on moral
topics, occupied the fourth.
Indefaligable, however, as The labors Of Goa
fucius were. the task was TOO mighty TO be ac-
complished by human exertions. During his
last illness, he declared TO his pupils, that the
grief Of his mind occasioned by the prohigacy
of human nature had become insupporlable, and
with melancholy voice he exclaimed, 81 I'm
meme mountain how AT thou fallen The
grand machine is demolished, and the wise and
low my maxims am no longer useful ON earth
il is therefore, lime that should quit it,"
On utering these words he was seized with
a lelhargy, which brought him TO The grave.
He finished his honorable career in the seventy
second year of his age, in his native kingdom,
to which he had returned in company with hi,
disciples. 1t is frequently the fate of illustrious
characters never 10 be properly valued till after
they are cut eff by death. This was the case
with Confucius r"he whole empire Of China
bewailed the loss Of him, and erected innumera-
BILE ed'iices 10 perpeiuale his memory, adorned
with such honorable inscriptions as The fellow
ing: "IO the Great Master; "I0 The Chief
Doctor !" "Io the arise Hing Of Literature !"
"Io the Instructor Of Emperors and Kings"
All has descendants, eren 10 the present day,
enjoy Mehonorable title and office If lNanda-
rims, and are exempted from the payment of
Of the blood.
The man no applies for the title of doctor
must previously have made a present 10 Man
DARN descended in direct line from Coniucius
The writings Of this great man are esteemed ly
the Chinese as of the highest authority, next TO
the FIVE VOLUMES, 10 which he modestly ac-
knowledges himself 10 have been indebted
The works of Confucius are /. The Tdyhio,
The Grand Science, or School of Adults"
chiefly intended for the information Of Princes,
and Magistrates, recommending the duties Of
seli-government and uniform obedience TO The
laws of right reason; 2. The Chong- gong, or
"Immulable Medium" in which he shows lis
importance in the government of the passions
by variety of examples, and points out the
method OF arriving at perfection in virtue 3.
Lungyu, or "1iordi and Sentenfious Dis
courses" which exhibit lively picture Of the
opinions, conduct and maxims of Confucus and
his followers; 4. Meng-tsi, or "The Book of
Mencus," which derives its name from one of
the phlos opher's disciples. These are all de-
seivedly esteemed by the Chinese, being held
next in importance 10 the Five Volumes 5 The
Hyau- King, or Dissertation on the duty and
respect which Children owe their Parents :"
and, 6. The Syauhyo,. or Science for Chill
dren )" being judiclous collection Of moral SEN
fences fion various writer's.
If fair and impartial estimate Of the reli-
giou OF Confucius be made, il cannot be viewed
IN any other light than as uncoTupted deism,
although he has been sometimes accused of be
friending and secretly propsgaring athesiical
sentiments but such an accusation is as cruel
as it is unjust, since the purity of his moral pre-
cepts, and tie acknowledged recftude of his
whole department, utterly incompatible with
such surposilion.
He considered the 7Ten, or Deity, as the
pufest and most perfect essence, principle and
source Of all things in the boundless universe;
Being who is absolutely independent, omni-
potent, the governor and guardian of every
thing possessed of infinite wisdom, which no
thing can deceive holy, without Partially, Of
unlimited goodness and inaexible justice. We
are at loss 10 form any adequate opinion of his
sentiments relative TO the soul Of man and the
doctrine of fulufity, having no well authentica
ted data on which to proceed. But his morally
is in many respects superior TO that OF Greece
and Rome, and yields to none upon earth, e1
cepl to that of divine revelation. The religion
of Confucius, notwithstanding the estimation
in which he is held, is adopted as model by
none Of his counuymen, the Lit, rsti excepted
Their prevailing system is a medly Of pagan
idoliiry, and The fabulous superstilions Of the
Indians, -introduced into China by 70 in The
first century Of The Christian era
FOR THE MADIsoSlAN.
HONOR THE MAN WHO HoNoRs HIS