The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-10-28


through good behavior 70 rise to the highest in the
gift Of the government In. China an official is pun
ished by degrading him from his rank In this
country-in our navy, for insance-the case is DIFF
ferent II an officer behave badly, he is suspended
with or without pay, &c but officer is never de-
graded, as for instance, from captain to midship-
man. In China this is the mode of punishment; II
is the universal tenure Of Office. And man has to
commence anew, eligible again to the highest Off
ces If he conducts well. t+W
Public opinion is much regarded In China as
in Great Britain or in the United States. Newspa-
pers abound, and are read much in this country.
The Chinese have their red book, as we have our
blue book Pamphlets, abored arguments, are pub
ished with US; and in farther analogy periodical
addresses are made by the sovereign to the people,
which, however, inculcate morals as well as poll
tics. -
The stated agricultural festivals are great feature
with the Chinese; il is at these times that the En-
peror drives the plough before his whole court,
an example to his subjects.
The works of Confucius are read by all, and their
influence on the public mind is unbounded They
publish as much, and as cheaply, as in the United
States; and the people read and write as generally
as they do in this country. Their language, which
was at first hieroglyphic has become one of arbi-
ray signs, but not letters there is no alphabet, but
each separate sign stands for a particular idea.
There are 80 900 characters in their dictionary and
from this il may be inferred what an immense labor
Il 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 lan-
guage is the same throughout China. The written
language bears the same relation TO the oral Ian
guages of the provinces, the Arabic numerals do
to the various languages of Europe When persons
from different provinces cannot comprehend each
other, they resort to writing or making figures in
the air This language giving only to the people
laws, &C., has done everything for the stability Of
the government.
The manners Of the Chinese are eminently cour-
teous. Ladies do not minge in their public assem-
blies. The lecturer would not pronounce their NOR
ais of higher or lower standard than those of Eu-
rope. He did not believe it the province of tran
sient'visiter so 10 do. The Chinese estimate the
morals of the Europeans at low rate; they have
learned them from English sailors and soldiers
within the past five years. When the missionaries
demonstrate with the Chinese upon sin, they sig
nifcanty point to the morals of the foreigners. The
Chinese are eminenty intellectual. The country
abounds in books, public libraries, and shops for
the sale Of books. catalogue of one of their libra
res comprises ten volumes. In every dwelling
house, books are a necessary article Of furniture.
Great injustice has been done to the Chinese and
their writings by bad translations. Mr.. Gushing
had formed a high estimate of their intellectual
powers from his intercourse with them Indeed,
officials could not fail to exhibit intellectually, as
scholars take first rank in the empire The stability
of their government is evidence, to certain extent,
Of their Intellectual and moral character. The prev
alent religion is worship of ancestors; though spe
cifc religions, such as Boodhism, Lamasm, Ma
homedanism, &c, are tolerated. All important
events by the Chinese are celebrated by prostra-
tons, burning of incense, beating of gongs, and
burning of fireworks.
The staple food of the Chinese is rice. In the
decorations Of their tables, and furniture of their
houses traces of high civilization may be found
The uxuries of the table consist of biche de mer
sharks fins and edible BIRDS neststhe latter the
highest cost astute of food in 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 tea, and spirit distilled from rice
Many of the drinking vessels now in use in the
United States are copied from the Chinese.
Commercially speaking, China is complete in
herself. She raises her breadsuls, except some
little rice which she imports. She has tea silks,
materials for utensils of iron and wood, COAL pre-
cious metals, &c Her commerce was changed by
the course Of the opium trade, which is very preiu
dicial to China 1t would soon, however, have been
changed by the introduction Of cotton, large guam
titles Of which, of the raw kind, she imports from
the United States. She also imports the munufac-
tured article from the United States and from Great
Britain. The use of machinery is prohibited in
China. The trade, whether it goes direct from this
country or from Great Britain, greatly benefits us,
ms perhaps 6-7ths of British manufactured goods
consist Of American cotton.
We now come to consider the question of what
will be thS ultimate effects of this change of COM
merce on the Chinese themselves. Two hundred
and fifty millions Of people, up to this time, have
manufactured their own articles now ours will take
the places of their fabrics; and of consequence
large numbers of them will be thrown out of en-
poy In China, as in the United States, they have
no vast West to retire to, immense fields Of agr.
cultural occupations to employ them when their
means of livelihood fail them. These things being
so, must produce want, misery, and perhaps polit-
| cal agitation throughout the empire. Mr.. Gushing
was repeatedly told by the imperial commissioner
that China did not desire trade with foreigners, but
that it was forced upon her. We must not only look
to the benefits accruing to the United States through
the supply to China of raw cotton and a successful
competition in the manufactured article, but also to
the supply Of ginseng and lead. Mr.. Gushing knew
of no other question connected with this subject ex-
cept the drain of specie from China to pay balances
Of trade against her. He said fears need be en-
tertaned for the present The balance is against the
United States. Besides there are stores of metals in
the country; and the immediate effect of flow of
specie from China is to change the relative value of
commodities in that land.
| Mr.. Gushing next proceeded to treat the topic of
the hostility of the Chinese towards foreigners He
said it originally simply disrespect and did not
degenerate into hate until the conduct of foreigners
had become outrageous as to forfeit the good es-
TEEN of the people. The Chinese saw themselves
surrounded by other Asiatc nations, vastly their in
feriors in every respect They naturally looked upon
them with disrespect; also upon foreigners who Wis.,
tied their land. The early trading voyages Of the
Portuguese were rather pira,ca expeditions than
commercial speculations. The expulsion of the
Christians from China is also connected with the sub
ject of the hostility Of the Chinese towards foreign
ers. We are naturally led to ask, how monarchs as
wise and liberal many Of the Chinese monarchs
have been, have prohibited the practise of the
Christian religion in China, when all other religions
are tolerated AT first, foreigners were well re-
ceived in China. Marco Pauo and others had high
employment under government; there no OBJ
lection to their penetrating to the interior of the
country. Great numbers Of converts were made by
the early Christian missionaries. What has ef-
fected change in all these things' The mission.
aries INDUCED in bitter contests among themselves,
on articles of faith; furious controversies car
rled on, and violent pamphlets published From
the teachers of religion the contests spread among
the converts, and excitemens and agitation was the
consequence.
i To prevent domestic commissions, the Emperor
inerposed his authority and il is the belief Of Mr.
GUSHING that n rreyent internal troubles WAS the