Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-11-20
GF o R A L..
CuShins'S Lecture on China.


The Odeon was crowded to its fullest extent
Wednesday evening by the attendants on
the course Of lectures to be delivered before
the Mercantile Library Association. The lee
turer was Caleb Gushing, and his subject was
China-certainly an interesting theme, and the
man, above all others, capable of handling it to
advantage. Mr., Cushing's eloquent and elegant
oratory is well known TO our public, and we
need waste no words in praise of his manner.
His lecture was equal, in these respects, to any
of his former efforts, and to his own reputation.
lie gave an elaborate account of the Chinese
nation in the aspects which would be most like
ly to interest a foreigner, and contrived to en-
body a vast amount of information in his dis
course.
Upon the nature and the practical workings
of the Chinese Government, the lecturer treated
somewhat at large. The CelestiaIs have most
reverential ideas of the p%otentate who sways their
%destinies, and certainly the "diyine right of
Kings has seldom found more devoted adherents
than in this nation. The Emperor with them
is everything, and homage to him is inculcated
from infancy as, not only political, but reli-
gious duty. The act of homage consists in three
successive prostrations at full length, touching
the ground with the lorhead at eact time. This
is the ceremony on which SO many European
embassies have failed. 1t is the same in sub
stance which is seen every day in China, pei
formed by worshippers in the temples, at the
shrine and affairs of their religion, and at the
tombs of their ancestors. Filial obedience, and
reverence to the Emperor, are the first great
principles impressed on the minds of the Chi
ncsc. From infancy to the grave the sentiment
is continually presented to them, not merely in
the punishment inflicted for disobedience to, or
dlsrespectful treatment of a parent, but also in
the only universal worship of China-that of de.
ceased parents and ancestors.
The functions of Government are p1ofessedly,
and, in truth, to a great degree, bestowed on
merit, intellectual and moral. All offices are
open to all men, and hereditary rulers or legis-
I%ators, like those Of Europe. arc unknown, Ii
tular rank is indeed possessed by some families,
but Fit is unaccompanicd by power and the
highest estimation is conferred upon virtue and
learning.
Public opinion is habituaIIy regarded by the
Chinese Government as much as with us, and
all public questions are argued to the people as
much as in England or the United States. The
Sovereigns are in the habit of issuing periodi-
cal addresses to their subjects, including NOR
al and political duties, and several of the EN-
perors have proved themselves voluminous and
successful authors.
The literature of the Chinese is very copious.
AS much is published with them as with us, and
at as cheap a rate while the proportion of men
able to read and write is far beyond that of En-
rope. The language of the country received a
considerable amount of attention at the hands of
the lecturer, but space will not permit us to give
an abstract of his interesting remarks on this
point. He was persuaded that the peculiarities
of the machinery of thought, speech, and written
communication in China-giving the people an
Interchangeable identity of literature, of ideas, and
of mental and moral constitution-have done
more than any thing else to maintin the stabili-
ty and long duration of the civil institutions of
the Empire.
They have vast collections of books, and a.
mere catalogue Of the Imperial Library, in Mr..
CushIng's possession, comprises ten yotumes.
The manners of the Chinese are eminently
courteous; they have not only the substance of
high civilization but its exterior also. Their
morals the lecturer was not prepared to defne1
in comparison with those of other nations, wheth-
er superior or otherwise, They themselves have
a very low idea of the morals of other people,
from seeing the conduct of Europeans, particu-
larly English sailors and soldiers in their sea-
ports.