Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1845-11-20

provinces cannot comprehend each other
iihey resort 10 writing or making figures 10
the air. This language giving only to the
people laws, &c., has done every thing for
the s,oBllny OF the government.
The manners OF the Chinese are eminently
courteous. Ladies do not miOgle in their
public assemblies. The lecturer would no,
pronounce their morals of higher or lower
standard that those of Europe. lle did not
elIeve II the province Of transient visitor
so TO do. The Chinese estimate the morals
of the Europeans at low rate,-ihey have
learned them from English sai!ols aud sol
dlcrs within the pnst five years. When The
Missionaries TemOnstrate with the Chinese
upon sin, they significantly point 10 the
morals Of The foreigners. The Chinese are
emnenlIy intellectual. The country abound.
N books, public libraries, aud shops for the
sale of books. A catalogue Of one Of their
Libraries comprises ten volumes. In every
dwelling house books are q necessary article
OF furniture.
| Great injustice has been done TO the Chi
nese aud 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 20
exhibit intellectually. as scholars iahe first
rank ~ The empire. The stability of their
yove rnlneut Is evidence to a certain extent
of their intellectual and moral Character
The prevalent religion Is worship Of anccs
tors, though specific religions, such as Bood.
nlsm, Lainaism, Mahomedanlsrn, &c., are
tolerated. All important events by the Chi.
ncse are celebrated by proslrall0ns, burning
oi incense, beating oi gongs, aud burning VI
fire works.
The staple food Of the Chinese is rice
In the decorations Of their tables and furnl-
ture of their houses, Traces of high civlIlza
ton may be found. The luxurles of the
table CONSIST OF blrche de mer, sharks fms
aud edible birds NESTS, the later HE highest
cost aSIure oi TODD IN CHINA. The food OF Tie
.rarar, Is game, winch s roasted and served
up whole, while the Chinese Is served up in
small dishes. Their drinks are tea, aud a
spirit dlstlIed from rice. Many of the drink
Iny vessels now IN use IN the United States
are copied from the Chinese.
Commercially speaking China is complete
IN herself She raises her bread s,uffs, OK.
cept some little rice which she imports. She
has tea, silks, materials for utensils of iron,
and wood. coal, preclons metals, &c. Her
commerce was changed by The course of the
opium trade, which is very prjudlclnl to
China. Ii would suon however, have been
changed by the introduction of cotton, large
quantities OF winch, of the raw kind, she i'm
pUrts from the United States. She also i'm.
ports the manufactured article from the
United States and from Great Britain. The
use of machinery Is prohibited in China. The
trade, whether u goes direct from this coun-
try or from Great Britain. greatly benefits Us.
US perhaps q 9Th Of Brush manufactured
goods consist oi American cotton.
We now come to consider Ilc question of
what will be the ultimate effects Of the
change Of cutnmerce un the Chinese them.
selves. Two hundred aud fifty millions of
people, up 10 this time, have manufactured
their own arlclcs--now ours will take the
place of their uwD fabrics, and OF consequence
large numbers Of them will bc thrown Out OF
employ. In China, as IN the United States,
they have no vast West to reIire to- nor I'm.
mensc fields Of agricultural occupations 10
employ them when their means of lvei.
hood tai them. These things being so, must
produce want, misery, and perhaps. political
agitation throughout the empire. NJ. Cush.
ing was repeatedly told by the Imperial
lConmissioners,lh That China did not desire trade
with Foreigners, bDt ,i.st II was forced upon
her. We must not ohiy look to the benests
accruing To the United States, through the
supply Of China with raw Cotton, and a sue
cessiul competition 10 the manufactured arti-
Gle. but also TO the supply of ginseng and
lead Mr.. Gushing knew of 10 other unes
tion connected with this subject, except the
drain of sp"cie from CHINA, to pay balances
of trade against her. lie sad 90 fears need
be entertained Tor the present-lhe balance
Is against the United States-bcsldes there
are stores Of metal in the country, and The
lmmedlaie effect OF flow Of specie from
China Is 10 change the relative value Of com
modItIcs in that Innd.
| Mr.. Gushing next proceeded TO treat the
topic Of the hostility OF Chinese towards for
pignrrs. lie said 1t was originally simple
dsrespcct, and did not degenerate into hate
nnul the conduct OF t,reIgners had become
So outrageous IA To forfeit tie good esteem
Of the people. The Chinese saw themselves
surrounded by other Aslatic nations, vastly
their interiors IN every respcct-thcy natural
~ looked upon them with dlsrespect, also
upon foreigners who visited their land. The
early trading voyages Vt the Portuguese,
were rather pirailcal expeditions than com.
n"rciaI speculailons The expulsion of the
Christians from China Is also connected with
the subject uf the hostility OF tho Chinese
towards foreigners. We are naturally led to
ask now Wlrc
nsny Of the Chinese moDarchs have been.
have prohibited the practice OF the Christian
religion in China, whcn all other religions
ase tolerated. AT first foreigners were well
received ~ China. Marco Paulo and others
had high employment under government
rh"re was no objection 10 their penetrating
to the interior Of the &,unlry. Great mum
bcrs Of converts were made by the early
Christian m,ssionarles. What las effected
change IN ull these lhngs2 The mission
arIes iudulgrd III butter contests among them
selves, on articles of falth-furlouS contro-
versies were carried on, and violent pamph-
lets published. From the teachers Of relig ion
the contests spread among the converts, and
excltcments and agitation wus the consc-
qucncr.
70 prevent domestic couvulslons, the
Emperor lntrrpo-cd he authority, aud It IL
the beIIci of Mr.. Cushing thst TO prevent IN.
ternal troubles, was the OILY motive oprrst-
,ng upon the Emperor 10 exclude Christian,
from CHINA. Mr. Cushlng urged the mis-
Summarizes 10 take warning from The past, to-
cease their quatrels upon minor articles OF
belief, and ~ unite ~ the oue great work ut
ihr redemption Of the heather.
Mr.. Cushing said although this vast en- I
pire was open to commerce, literature and
religion. too sanguino expectation must mol
be enter,oncd--'he progress at the Chinese
"a slow and vast inultItudps are TO be afeCtC Il