Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1845-10-30

ries with il the idea of tota, submission, min
gled, it may be- with religious devotion
Scholars constitute the first rank in the En-
p'rc. After passing the examinations, which
are most strict, the most mcrtofious are APP
pointed to- the inferior Offices oi government
employ, destined through good behaviour. To
rise To the highest in the giit of the govern
mcnt.
ln China AN official is punished BY degrading
hun from his rank. In this country. in our
navy Tor instance, the case is different II an
officer behaves badly he is suspended with or
without pay, nc, hut AN officer is never de
graded, as for instance from Captain to
Midsiiplnan. I'm China this is the mode of
punishncnt,it is the universal tenure of Office
And man has to commence anew, eligible
AGAIN u the highest offices, il he conduct well
Puplic opinion is as much regarded I'm Chi
ma as IN Great Britain or the United States
Newspapers abound, and are read as much as
IN THIS country. The Chinese have their red
book, as we have our blue book Pamphlets,
labored arguments are published as with us
ana IN farther analogy, periodical addresses
are made by the sovereign To the people, which
however, mculcate morals as well as poll
| tics.
The stated agricultural festivals are great
feature with the ChineSe-ait is al these times
that the Emperor drives the plough before
his whole Court, an example To- his subjects.
| The works oil Coniucus are read Nv all. and
their influence on the public mind is unbound.
ed They publish as much, and as chcaplv,
as In the United States; and the people read
and write as generally as they do in this coml-
try. Their language, which was at frs, ber
ogiyphic, has become one of arbitrary signs,
but not ietters-there is no alphabet, but each
separate sign stands for particular idea: there
are So,OOO characters in their dictionary and
from this 1t may be inferred what AN immense
labor II IS TO learn their language, and what il
Is which converts China into one great school.
Oral language differs in different provinces
but the written language is the same through
out China. The written language bearc the
same relation to the Oral languages of the pro.
vnces, as the Arabic numerals do to the vari
Gus languages of Europe. When persons
from different provinces cannot comprehend
each other, they resort TO writing or making
hgures III the air. This language giving unity
to the people, laws, &c, has done every thing
Tor the stability OF the government
The manners of the Chinese are eminently
courteous. Ladies do not mingle i'm their as
semblics. The lecturer would not pronounce
their morals of higher or lower standard
than those of Europe. lie did not believe i,
the province ola transient visiter so to do
The Chinese estimate the morals of the Euro
4
from English sailors and soldiers within the
past five years. When the Missionaries re-
monstrate with the Chinese upon sin, they
significantly point TO the morals of the for.
elgneers. The Chinese are eminently intel.
lectual. The country abounds in books. =
A catalogue OF one of their Libraries comprises
IN volumes. In every dwelling house books
are necessary article of furniture.
The staple food of the Chinese, is rice. I'm
the decorations OF their tables and furniture of
| their houses, traces OF high civilization NAV
be found. The luXuries OF the table consists
OF biche de mer, sharks fins and edible birds
nests, the latter the highest cost article of
food III China. The food of the Tartar is
game, which is roasted and served up whole
while the Chinese is served in small dishes
Their drinks are tea, and spirit distilled from
rice. many of the drinking vessels now i'm
use in the u. S. are copied from the Chinese.
Commercially speaking, China is complete.
IN herself. She raises her bread stuils, cxcept
some little rice which she Imports She has
| tea, silks, materials for utensils of iron. and
wood, coal, precious metals. &c Her COM
merce was changed by the course of the op-
un trade, which Is very pejudicial to China
III would soon, however, have been changed
by the introduction OF cotton large quantities
oil which, OF the raw kind, she imports from
the United States. She also imports the man
uiacturcd article from the United States
and from Great Britain. The use ofmachin-
cry Is prohibitedin China. The trade, wheth-
er 1t goes direct from this country or from
Great Britain, greatly benefits us, as perha Us
. Hhs oil British manufactured goods consist of
American cotton.