The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1845-06-10
YORK HERALD



we referred Yesterday. II is by far the most valua
BILE and attractive papcrwhich we have seen of those
published BY the National Institute" The clear.
ness OF The style and the plain practical, and intel
lgible manner which the writer communicates
his ideas, viii commend this article to general at.
tention and regard. Its publication in our columns
will give it the most extensive publicity, and we are
quite assured that many readers, both in this
try and Europe will be thus induced to commence
for themselves the interesting and profitable work Of
exploring the rich and inviting fields Of philosophical
research, which the literature of China presents.
Heretofore the published papers Of the National
Institute have been almost altogether dead letter,
SO far as the public was concerned, the Washington
journals not circulating, most of our readers are
aware, to any extent amongst the masses OF the
people.
The paper of Or. Hernisz is SO well adapted to
popular comprehension that we have little to add at
present in the way of comment One or two reflec-
tons are, however, suggested by ii, which are wor-
thy of attention. One interesting fact must strike
every intelligent student Of this curious subject and
that is The retention Of the original hieroglyphic cha
racter oil the Chinese language contradisingushed
from those languages which have sprung from the
ancient Egyptian, to which the Chinese bears SO
striking "a resemblance that many have supposed
that one of these nations must have been a colony
of the other. That, however, is not by any means
a necessary deduction, because, with all the primi-
live races Of mankind, SO soon as the necessity of
adopting some other than a mere verbal mode of
communication between individuals at a distance
from each other stimulated human ingenuity to
invent written language, the pictorial or hieroglyphc
system must have been first adopted In the process
of time, however, the two nations, the Egyptian
and Chinese, adopted very different course in order
represent in written language, abstract ideas.
The Chinese retained their original system OF repre-
senting The idea by combination of characters sus-
tanning a resemblance, more or less imaginary and
remote to the thing sought to be represented. In
the language of those nations, on the other hand,
that adopted aphabetic arbitrary signs in order to
represent sounds, in their turn expressive of ideas,
we see a rude departure from the simplicity of the
original mode of writing In the progress of our
civilization, for instance, we behold the changes
and revolutions to which our written language has
been subjected, rendering it SO arbitrary, whilst
the Chinese language, which we have been accus-
toned to regard complicated, is in fact pecu-
liary distinguished from by its greater simpli-
city and graphic superiority.
investigation of this peculiarly interesting subject,
As we have already hinted it is one not only attrac.
tive but profitable in an eminent degree. China is
now like great unsealed volume OF eras of the past.
into which we had not till now any means of trav-
yelling. With historical records reaching back cen
tures and centuries before the period commonly as
signed the epoch OF the deluge with literature
rich in the monumental remains of mighty races
OF mankind, great, strong, and perhaps far advanced
in civilization, whilst other nations Of remote anti
guilty, with whom we are familiar were but barbara
ans, China, and everything connected with it, but par
ticularly its language present subjects of most nv
ing study and research And not alone to the enter.
prislng and the of letters the historian
antiquarian and lingust does this field put forth its
attractions; steam has the world tina
this great empire the East will, we may be assured
be with tourists in pursuit of health plea
sure, and the picturesque Chinese and Egyptian anti
quitles will soon be the rage, and instead ofockine
IN droves to the hackneyed resorts of European
travel, we may expect by and by to see our fashion
able ladies getting up picnic parties the shady
side Of the great wall Of China, and eating sugar
pums on the top of the Pyramids. We cannot be.
gin too soon to study this curious language, to the
requirement of which DIR Hernsz appears deter
mined to drive us whether we will or not
. The REPEAL MEETING LAST Nlenr.-Last nigh
was insuf1erably hot, and the Repeal Meeting a
Tammany Hall was insufieraby dull. The who'll,
affair was farce. Those who have heretofor,
figured as leaders in the movement, appeared Il
have been ASHAMED and kept out of the way. A
few lads, who jumped at the opportunity of spoutine
in old Tammany about the American eagle and the
unuterable woes of ireland, were the actors, and
few hundred of the honest working men the au
dtors. Resolutions, will be seen from our repor
in another column, were passed, full of the usua
slang, and studiousy blinking the question at issue
the recognition or Reputation of O'Connel's vile
abuse of this country. The New York repealers Ger
iainly now present very sorry figure in contras
with their brethren throughout the country, who
have manfuly and like right.hearted America,
citizens, flung back into the teeth of the I" big beg
garman," the insults, repeated and atrocious, whcl
he has castupon America and republican institutions
As for the repeal agitation this country, however
it is dead and buried. The meeting last night wa.
its last kick.
HoT WEATHER. The season is remarkable fol
its intense heat. Instead of three consecutive DAYS
OF warmth, according to the olden rule, we now
have five, SIX and seven. Yesterday on board the
ships IN cool places, the mercury touched 81 deg
and 50, and on shore at 80. Ii is fact that NAV an
pear singular to some, that in such places as Que
bee, Troy, Boston, NC, much colder places in
winter than New York is, it is also hotter in sum
mer; IN other words the extremes are greater In
Boston and Quebec the mercury has already ranged
to 81 deg, and in Troy to SO.
GRAND MILITARY DISPLAY ON THE FOURTH OF
JuLy.-On the 18th of July next, there is to be
grand military display in Philadelphia; all persons
IN every branch of the mill iary department Of tn,
district is to be under arms, or show themselves
1t will be thus seen, how many, in case of emcr
gency, can be forthcoming. No doubt this exampl,
VIII be followed throughout the Union, and that, or
TINS occasion, we shalihavc upwards OF million