The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1845-12-12
NUMBER 10.

f - "'N'C 4Hie 9dfGeu mere tndn ~ any o.
= lher part Of the world-more even than in
0 This country. Except the immediate reta.
ives Of the Emperor, who enjoy the prlyi.
2 lcge Of wearing the yellow sash, and The
t followers Of Coniucius, Who have similar
] right, no one man is better than another
, and even the Emperors relations RAPIDLY
) lose rank with every descent. 10 theory
and in Practice, Tie highes, stations are the
rewards of good conduct and scholarship.
Schools are universally established, and ed.
ucailon s provided for even the poorest
and mos. obscure. Wealth is regarded
solely as means Of usefulness, ana il IS
freely dispensed for purposes Of Leneva.
Ience.
There are niae degrees Of cficiaI rank
IN China, distinguished By The button worn
upon the top Of The cap and by tho pea.
cocks feather. The highest is tia, Of
huang, which corresponds with Duke, and
coniers the right 10 wear the red button
and two.eyed peacocks feather All
these degrees Of rank are bestowed as the
rewards Of personal service or merit, ond
confer no honor upon descendants. Tho
general affairs oil the empire are managed
by several boards at Peklu; these are the
boards Of rites and ceremonies Of finance
aud revenue of war Of sotks Of for.
eign affairs end dependant States; and of
JHslIce and punishment There are also
two Councils, one OF which comprises the
Emperof's Cabinet; and above all there is
a Board OF Censors, which review The pro.
cecdlngs Of the rest, There is also enc
curious institution worthy of notice. Be.
fore the Emperor's palace is always suspen.
ded an immense gong, upon which any enc
may strike who seeks from the Emperor IN
person redress for injuries FOR winch lie can
obtain no satisfaction elsewhere. Il vas
question of no little difficulty with which
Of the Boards mentioned Lord Mccartney
and Amherst should transact their business;
and il was finally settled that they should
negotiate through the Board Of Foreign AZ.
fairs aud Dependant States, because, by
bringing presents, the English embassy had
come in that capacity. They we're conse.
guently received in the same way and by
the same tunciionaries as the Indian dele.
cations are with Us. II was found imposs.
bic for Us to obtain consent to correspond
with Ptk,n. When The topic vas mcnlon.
ed, keying said that he would attend to
'ha' as he, beng The superintendent Of The
five open ports, vas the proper person.
As the Government Of China is patriar.
chal, founded upon 6lal love, il may we'll
be supposed that the code is not silent up
on that subject. No means are omitted of
deepening, charging. and strengthening
this feeling. Respect for ones parents and
ancestors is held to be the first Of duties
the foremost Of political aud religious obi.
cations. Unusual instances Of tilia dsvo.
lion are publicly rewarded the names Of
those by whom they are performed are held
up TO admiration, and banded down as house
hold words TO succeeding generations, and
their history made the text book for the
young, Reversing the European mode in
China parents are rewarded for the virtues
and abilities Of their children; and if tho
parent Of worthy children dies, an eliigy in
honor Of him is prepared, for it Is held he
must have been q good father and worthy
OF honor TO have reared such yirtuous and
worthy children. Sons frequently inter.
pose and request to be punished for often.
ces OF their parents; nor is this so rare as
to be considered extraordinary. Love for
parents is the strongest sentiment in the
breast Of Chinese. No change of domes.
tic ties affects it, and death but elevates it
into q religious rite and veneration. 1t
holds the Same place in China as with US
does the affection for q wife. And in Chi.
IA will every son, even as did fineas
From the flames of Troy
The old Anchses bear"
convey his father from instant and over,
whemlns peril 10 which his wife and chill
dren will be abandoned. The halls of the
rich are always adorned with figures Of
their ancestors, and in their temples the
worship Of deceased forefathers is a promi.
nent and iayorite devotion. Some one or
two days of every season are set apart to
visit their ancestral tombs, built upon the
sides Of the hills. They go in families and
offer sacrifices and strew flowers over their
graves. When these rites are ended they
portake Of family feast, seated in encos-
ures around the tombs cover the tables
with pieces of colored paper which repre-.
sent various fruits and vlands, and which
are burnt TO carry upward food for their de-
ceased ancestors. And then, on retiring
from these sacred resorts, htIle flags Of col.
ored paper are put up in various spots, and
the whole hill side is covered with them
The feeling, though often carried to excess,
IS certainly commendable.
We arrived At Macao in February; and
slI that month, March, April, aud May, we
spent in studying the language. and waiting
intelligence from keying, who was to meet
US. AT last We received letter from him,
fifteen hundred miles TO the west, saying
that he was on bis way and would he there
in IRE minutes. We waited as patiently
as possible, in a city without society, walks,
drives, or anything in the slightest degree
amusing and his five minutes proved TO
be, according to our division of time, tireuty
lvc ha rpnrIaJ Canton and s