The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1845-10-25

CALEB CUSHING ON CHNA.-The lecture before
the Mercantile Library Association Of Boston, on
Wednesday evening, was delivered by the Hon. Caleb
Cushing his subject being "Chnan
Mr. Cushing in commencing his lecture, warned his
audience against any disappointment that might be
perenced as'he should proceed in his address, from
the nature Of his theme, covering such an immense field
Tor comment he should necessarily be brief and desuo
ny IN ms remarks The vasness of his subject the thou
sand details connected with it, The topics Of Importance
ana interest upon which he must touch, would exclude
all use OF rhetorical ornament and his audience
content themselves with plain recital of facts.
TO an European or m American, continued the eci-
Ter Just landed China every thing appears strange.
lie inds himself not only at the anpodes ply scally
speaking put at the antipodes in a moral sense He
around nm countless myriads of strange garb
he has heretofore been accustomed He observes the
most studied uniformity among the various classes and
the prcgress Of every thing which falls under his obser
Vaon so slow and SO unvared strikes him in singular
contrast with our own chang ng and locomotive
speed. thousand things adnonish him that he is in
stanSe land He hears the constant sounding OF gongs
he observes innumerabe boats the rivers the dwell
ing places OF millions OF Cbnesecarts moved land
ny sans as well as boats the water II the pilot
looks to the compass to direct his upon deep
ne looks to the pointing of the south polef hs receives
letter, he will find II written In lines running from top
70 bottom OF tho sheet reading from right to left
with the date at the bottom Of the leter-no alphabet
being used but topographic characters. The mourn
ing instead of being black, with u.s. is white with
the Chinese-the shoe even is whtened with sub
stance to correspond with other portions of Dress.
lie sees the saucer placed the cup instead of the cup
on the saucershute cocks play the instead
OF the handsladies feet compressed instead of their
waistsleaves of book cut open and trimmed on The
back person swimming strikes his hands vertically
and not orzontaly-the top Of the head shaved-and
when friend meets in the street. he does shake
your hands but shakes his hands at you-the infantry
armed with machlocks, the cavalry with the bow and
arrow-and Colonel at the head Of his regiment not
unrequently brandishing pan instead OF sword. He
will only these exterior forms of difference but
will learn that nobility is not inherited from the father
father from the songood deeds rejecting back upon
remote ancestry Corruption of blood for crimes COM
mted, affects ancestors long since dead and gone,
though 1t does not necessarily affect posterty All
these things will strike one, upon cursory view but
it is just to treat the subject in different manner
Justice will be done to great and polished people. We
in America receive language and unfortunately
many OF our ideas, from Europe. We speak as if we
descendants of the Oldest nation on the
of history as complete il that history is oursof our
civilization the unique idea Of civilized socetyo
the first voyages to India discoveries if the eeming
millions OF China had existence till discovered by
Portuguese navigator. He the lecturer would not
speak Of Chinese civilization alone, but also of its high
rature and the sciences The language Of CSnucius,
the contemporary of Herodotus, the vcrnac ular
powder and of the mariners compass the manufacture
OF silks and porceains, the invention OF the printing
day in China centuries ago. The lecturer did not know
OF any thing that was not possessed by the Chinese
terror to the history Of Europe except steam engine
Our word China" as designating the land Of the Chi
nese unknown to their language and is Of Portuguese
origin Mr. Gushing here gave the three names by
which the Chinese designate their country and also the
English TRANSACTIONS Of them, which he said quite
faulty Two of them are translated, the Central
Land" the other the Central Flowery Landthe third
escaped The Chinese Empire consists of two
great classes OF peope-the Chinese who inhab eigh
teen Of China proper and the Tartars divided
timated that China contains population of $50 900
sous-by many this estimate is doubted but those who
doubt concede population of $50 O00 deductng ad
ibum from the taken by the Chinese themselves.
slight analysis of the facts in the case will put end
10 all speculation One will in China vast multi
tude Of human beings all active and Industrious
parson OF the territory OF China its climate its laws
asa nacs Wn those Of other
OF vast population portion OF China lies the tro-
pics where two crops easily produced every
No beasts OF burden to be in southern China.
All transportation is carried the canals the
backs OF men, The boats the canals tracked by
menno horses to be seem except what in for
the Tartar cavalry and but few buoes which used
Tor plougbing some peculiar soils These facts prove
that the country is capable of supporting dense popula
is not the case in China as in this country-they
have not to produce in crop sufficient to support
them the year round, to sustain beasts of burden that
consume much of the agricultural products
the country The land is entire cultivated garden
except the large grounds left for the burial of the dead
nation of the Chinese to their population. But
there others The absemousness Of the Chinese is
emigration constantly going forth In Southern
China there productible articles of fruit than
stood Mr. Cushing to say that the banana produces as
1873 to ofour wheat and a. to of our potato)
To recall to mind the population Of Europe will serve
to dpel any doubts may entertain to the correct
ness OF the estimate Of the population of China China
covers as large space Europe and why not contain
as large population Tiff the nonadic regions of the
north in population the tropical regions Of
the south make up for the deciencyif Europe is capa
larger population possessed Of superior advantages to
Europe! To an European accustomed to look at Europe
OF but $50 000 the idea of country under gov
eminent, with population of $50 600, is perfectly
astounding.
When We consider the facts of the immense population
OF China that its and laws have endured
centuries we come to ask what the form of its gov
srnmen and what the principle OF its social organiza-
ton The exterior form is hereditary monarchy. The
reigning sovereign bears particular name not his
name but the name OF his reign as is deemed sacre
glous TO pronounce the name of the sovereign after he
ascends the throne The prominent and may be said
almost the only principle Of is the paternal
relaonthe emperor is called the father of his people,
and the idea of the paterna relation through all
habits laws and customs Of the people 1t is fiction
Notwithstanding but beautiful one.
The radical idea the social organization Of the Chi
nese, is generation Of parents. Annual offerings
made at the graves OF their ancestors and children
most relentessy punished by their parents for any dis
respect shown to them.
The government consists of the Sovereign Cabi.
Counci-six supreme boards OF Revenue, Rights &C.
Council for the Tarars-Counc for the general inspec-
ton OF Ocers-the high Court of Appeas-Coupcil for
examination Of Candidates for public offces-Counci
Of the Governors, &c. of provinces, and the Army.
There is one curious fact in this organization and that
he expedien adopted to secure the full submission OF
china to the Tartars. The Chinese permitted to
remain just as they were previous to the invasion, but
ment and this secured the Tartar power
Inc sovereign power is of religious as well as po-
tical character When presented to the Emperor the
individual must PROSTATE himself three times to the
ground rising each time, and touching the ground each
time he prostrates himself This may be going on
every day among the people in the streets who
are constantly bowling at their affairs idols &c The
remony carries with the idea of total submission min
gled, II may be, with religious devotion.
ne omces OF government are bestowed upon merit,
intellectual and moral-they not hereditary There
are but few uar families; and they are among
tars they, however, enjoy no special privileges.
scholars constitute the first rank in the Empire After
passing the examinations, which most strict, the
most meritorious are appointed to the inferior offices Of
government employ, destined through good behavior to
rise to the highest in the gift of the government In Chi
na an official is punshedby degrading him from his rank
N ms country IN our navy for instance, the case is diff
ierent II an officer behaves badly he is suspended with
81 without pay SC. but officer is never degraded
lor instance, from Captain to Mdihpmsn. In China
TINS Is the mode OF punishment it IL the universal tenure
OF Office. And man has to commence anew, eligible
again to the highest Offices, il he conducts we'll