The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1845-11-01

teous they exhibit not only the substance of high civ
2aton but its exterior also to quite great degree
found in Europe except perhaps in the single fact
women abundant in the streets The people fond
of theatrical representations and Of music, and of
gra y1g their propensites in this respect very fire.
quent. Another frequent element OF their amusements
is festival or procession, religious political or domes
tic As to their morals am not pre- pared 10 say that
they any higher than Europe America but they
themselves have at any rate very low idea of foreign
moralsderved from seeing the conduct Of Europeans,
especially English soldiers and sailors in their seapors
Missionaries particularly the French eho have been ad
mitted into the interior have often spoken OF this
of the great obstacles 10 the making proseyes TO
Christianity among the Chinese people. As we'll
teous the Chinese are an eminently intellectual nation
they make vast use o. books and the country abounds
in public Libraries and shops for the sale ofterary
have catalogue OF the imperial library, which alone
cupe' ten considerable volumes and in every respecta
Die dwelling house, books are found necessary arti
Gle OF furniture The people generally we'll both
IN their conversation ana ~ their state papers but they
have suffered great injustice from imperfect errone.
Gus foundations especially al the hands of the English
From the intercourse it my fortune nave with
them formed high opinion OF their capacity, and in
deed the organization and stability of tker government
- TO considerable degree, proof in itself of their
ability intellectual and political In fact talent can
scarcely fail to obtain among the higher classes since
socially speaking the scholars constitute the first order
in the empire Alter them come the agrculturists and
then the soldiers arzdns and merchants Pacific habits
OF intellectual literary and artistic refinement are in
deed the great characteristics of nation
one chief aim OF the government is the promotion of
tranquility. Hence the facility with which hand
full Of English troops were enabled to dictate
a warning to us of the United States not to be
melted by utopian visions OF continual peace, to
lose our martial spirit and with it, independence
The prevalent religion is nothing but the worship of
ancesors-lt that be reigion-and of the sages and
saints OF the Empire, the same word shinesignifyng
both sage and saint. Thus the great body OF cultivated
men in China, destitute of religion in of
the word, as implying certain sentiments OF faith and
worship, applied to the Deity. Meanwhile, specific re.
ligons tolerated and protected by the govern
men from causes OF state. AS lst-Budhism. There
are mutudes of temples of this religion scarcely dis.
burning OF candles, the professions the images &c.
from the churches of the Syrac Greek and Roman demo
minaton OF christians. The principal temple Canton
is an example, and at Macao there temple dedicated
to theHoly Mother wonderfully like the Roman churches
to the Virgin Saints likewise have shrincs in the
pies among the Greek and Roman Catholics. And il
has been demonstrated that these forms were either CO.
pied from or copied by the early christians of Asia ,
worship OF the elements Temples shrines, and pro
cessons abound dedicated to the Precipitation OF the
spirits OF the elements and the passions The form
worship consists i'll prostration before described the
burning OF incense in the shape of gilt paper aud
position sticks of periumed wood called ossstics the
beating oil gonSs and the burning OF fireworks. These
things going before the eye at all times and places
! 3-Mohammedausm, JEWISH, and all other religions,
except Christianity, tine reason Tor prescribing which,
will be mentioned hereafter freely tolerated just
among the ancient Romans 4-Lamaism The peculiar
ana strange eglon oil Tibet prevails extensively among
the Tartar and other interior nations OF the Empire and
is somewhat favored by the Emperor himself
| of authority and influence among the Tarars
5-The special alteration paid to the Emperor himself
such are the chief religious creeds The dwellings OF
the rich in China are built of brick and stone and are
richly and aseully furnished objects of being
much IN request as in Europe or with the houses OF
the poor are of wood, bamboo predominatng,
count of its value aud cheapnes a building material
The avore and chief staple of food is rice very little
OF wheat maize or potato being used food is eaten with
two sticks, and il requires skill to deXerously pick
up and convey it to the mouth by their means; every
thing is served cut up in small bowls and it is consid
cred compliment to hand a morsel to your neighbor
with your sticks, he taking it on his In setting the
table, they decorate it with flowers and bottles OF
ed musicians are employed to play during the
repast The Chinese are excellent cooks and in this
| respect may be regarded the French of Asia. The
greatest luxuries served the tables OF the rich
fepang or 6cho de mar, large seaslug six or eight
inches by found the flats OF the tropical islands,
IS OF dark color and purified into rich geatinous
Die birds nest This is the nest of swallow formed
gelanous matter which the bird procures and eabo-
ates. it is supposed, from marine plant Purified
is worth its weight in silver They dress it in soups
&c, like our sermace TO eat some of these things
nayseem strange but NAV il not be asked whether
| lot as bold man who first swallowed OYSTER The
| Tartar dinners very different They make their
served whole. The ,bits Clipped off by the hand
and passed round to the guests. The common drinks
IRE tea, which is seen on all occasions, and sam
| shoo, liquor distilled from rice, which is min.
,led with hot water and served small covered
sells with glass to drink from, quite in the OF
not whskey toddy at of the fashionable hotels in
this country TheChnee pledge healths in drinking aud
smpy and reverse their glasses Many Of the drinking
vessels now in use among copied from China
tegarded commercially the Chinese Empire is complete
within itself without aid from Europe As to the arti-
lie OF food For the production of necessaries bread
',ufs and the like China has every facility in her
territory and extremely productive SOIL in her great
uey climate, ranging the cold through
1erae, into the tropical ATTITUDES; and
produces immense quantities OF these necessaries
porting but little, comparative though perhaps positive.
~ considerable amounts she might however, with lit
lie more eAertion supply herself entirely. Then to
semtnecesaTes, such as tea sugars liquors sc O the
first she has the complete monopoly supply ing only
own consumption but the of the world besides
oi the others, she has every facility for producing
much as she pleases and does now produce them in vast
quantities. As to her arts and manufactures Her fame
universal for fabrics Of silk wouen cotton grass
he raw material Of these products for the shelter OF heI
a hJ nIIl Ilrtra nfS h14EE
wood; she has ships and every requisite lateral for
their construction OF navgation for the manufacture
utensils she has iron copper and coa OF the precious
metals she has gold and silver, and her people have
long been celebrated for the perfection OF work
manship in the art of manufacturing from them mill
y defence she has the metals and gunpowder and she
mas almost uncounted my iads OF men. Accordingly
nave seen that the course OF the trade Of Europe with
CHINA, for centuries, that Europe paid money for
the silks porcelain, spices and teas OF China; change
IN this course of trade has been brought about by
oi OPIUM winch has proved maniesy an evll especially
TO the Chine but all rued Another
ha is now beginning to be eested bymean OF the
on manufactures OF England and nted States Our
5ouon manufactures, and our cotton-wheher manuiac
ured at home in Great Brltain-are working
alteration the sy stem OF trade which will be eminent
y beneficial to both nations but particularly to Anne
1ca The use OF machinery gives Europe and America
the command of the market OF China; because using
machinery III the cotton manufacture herself, can
supply her wants cheaper than she and the eXpor
aton OF manu- featured cotton to tina. market whether
direct from this country or through England must be OF
especial Importance to us, SINCE all our own and very
ia4ge proporton-perhaps as large sX-sevenths OF
he pish manufacture IS from the American IA" mate
rial But the ultimate effect OF this change will he nu
nous TO China. 1t must break up great
gree her handcrat arts and manufactures, throwing
those engaged in them out OF employ men and produc
ing want, distress and misery Unlike the United States
emma has no untred vast and fertile West for the
plus OF her continually increasing population to occupy
and cultivate when the throng OF aggregated numbers
becomes too great at home and the consequent opera.
1lon oil the change we considering, may be, when
iuiy elected to lead TO political changes in the empire
The Imperial Commissioner has often and truly said,
nat CHINA did not want TO have trade with
2ulope or America But the result, whether Tor ulti.
nate actual good or evil is yet in the uneNpored tu
ure ana TO that 1t must be LETT Tor development As
sIds ourselves the United States will have Tor the sup
Py oil the Chinese market, cotton manufactures; raw
cotton Tor ours is better than the Asac aud
e SOFA there as cheap; ginseng, and lead Thu question
IS Can emma continue to pay To do this she has an
immense accumulation of specie the drain OF even por
tlon oil which would at change in the fea
i've 'aluc OF commodities and productive gold and sill