The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 184?-1851, 1845-11-12
FOR NEXT GOVERNOR OF OHIO,
DAVID TOD.
China and the Chinese.

no little attention throughout the United States
Since the embassy Of Mr. Caleb Gushing TO the
Ching Empire new leaf has been turned in the
worlds great history Iii known to our read :
ers that Mr.. c.. effected treaty with the author
tiles of China, of commercial character, which,
will be of vast importance to this country here |
after. The speedy and satisfactory adjustment
of the Oregon question is Intimately connected
with our trade TO China. We believe the day is
not far distant when regular line Of merchant
vessels, and perhaps steam ships, will be estab-
Iished between Canton and the mouth of the
Columbia river. And doubtless the project Of
Mr.. Whitney of constructing railroad from the
Atlantic TO the Pacific ocean will before many
wears be carried into effect The eastern yoy- 7
age to China, around the Cape Of Good Hope,
on the Southern coast of Africa, is long, tedious,
and extremely hazardous; and the western pas
sage round Cape Horn is if anything still more
tedious and dangerous. When the new commu-
1ication is opened we will receive tea from Chi
ma in one-third the time we now do, and of
course as the facilities for importing that article
will be increased, vast reduction in the price
will Immediately take place. We may not witt
ness these things in our day, but our children
will; and at that time Oregon will afford great
inducements TO men of enterprise and wealth for
location, as any State in the Union at present.
Astoria viii be as busy a commercial mart as
the city Of New York.
Having thrown out these speculations in regard
TO the advantages of the China trade to the Uni
ted States, we propose to say few words in re-
gard TO China and the Chinese, which will be
interesting to the readers of the Sentinel.
The territory of China is about as large as all
Europe. The empire consists of two classes of
people, the Chinese who inhabit eighteen pro-
vnces of China proper, and the Tartars. The
population of China has been estimated at $780,
100000 souls. A portion Of the country lies on
the tropics, where two crops are produced eve
ry year without any difficulty. No horses are
used in the country, except by the Tartar caval-
ry. The Chinese live principally on rice, but
they also eat cats, dogs rails, &c, and in the
southern part of the country delicious fruit
abounds The government of China is an au-
tocracy, and has existed for three or four thou
sand years. 1t consists of Sovereign, a Select
Council, Council of the Amy, the Great Gene
raj Council, six Supreme Boards of Revenue
Council for the Tartars, Council for the Inspec-
ton Of Officers, the High Court of Appeals
Council for the examination of Candidates fol
Office, Council of the Governors of the Provn
ces and the Army, &c. There is perfect sub
mission on the part of the Chinese to the Tartars
There are three systems of religion in China
The first was founded by 'Laou Tsz," and is
species of primitive rational religion. Itrocog
nizes the existence of one God and is very mucl
like the Jewish religion of the present PERIOD
The second system of religion was founded b
Confucius as he is called by Europeans, @
"Khung Tsz" in Chinese. This is a system q
morals entirely acknowledges one God-toe
rates all l,other religious systems-an in fact ma
be considered as species Of Unitaranism.
is singular fact, too, that the Chinese govern
ment, all the public officers, and all the lerar
men belong to this sect. The third and mos
prevalent religion is that of Budda. This is a
importation from Hindostan, and the prncip;
tenet sets forth that Budda was son of the d
yinity and became ncarnate, visited the cart
and established system of worship which ha
grown up in the lapse Of ages to be full of cerC
monies and symbols, and very much resemble
the Catholic religion. 70 such an extent, il
deed, does this resemblance exist that Catholi
travellers in China on entering temple Of Bu
du, have fanced themselves in Catholic Churcl
The Offices of government are bestowed upc
men Of merit and intellectual worth, and are NJ
hereditary. Scholars constitute the first rank
the empire. Severe punshments are provide
for those who do not discharge the duties Of the
offices faithfully.
The Chinese ale a literary people, which co
trndicts the idea generally formed ofthem. New
papers abound and are read as much as in Il
country. They have numerous printing osta
lishments, from which books are constantly iss
ed, teeming with arguments and all sorts Of inf
nation, in regard to the policy of governmeI
science, the arts, literature, &c, &c. Books a
sold cheaper there than in the United States
Their language which was at first hierogIyph
has become one Of arbitrary signs, but no lette
there is no alphabet, but each sign stands
aspecfc idea; there are $4,000 characters
their dictionary. The Chinese write from I
topic the bottom of The page, and the order
arrangements is quite the reverse Of that in {