Wisconsin herald, and Grant County advertiser. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1844-1845, 1845-12-11

ment are professedly and TO great de-
gree, in truth bestowed upon merit. in
tellectual and moral. All the offices
are open TO all men; there are no he
reditarv rulers and legislators, as in
Europe; titular rank is, indeed poss.
sessed by a few families, chiefly among
the Tartars, but it is unaccompaied by
power. Learning and virtue are the
things held in the highest estimation.--
Scholars constitute the first rank in the
empire. and intellectual and moral
qualities and acquisitions, ascertained
by public examinations, are the estab-
lished road to distinction of all kinds.
These examinations are open to all
the poor and humble. as well as the
rich and titled; they are conducted by
the government, and those candidates
who prove themselves the most mer.
itorious are selected for appointments
to the vacant Offices Of the first or the
lowest degree. They attain promo
ton gradually, through time and merit.
just as our officers in the army and
navy; and, if guilty of improper con-
duct, are degraded sometimes through
one or more, sometimes through all
the degrees of political hierarchy, but
can again recover their position BY de-
serving it again. To comprehend this
fully, suppose that in our navy cap
tain who had incurred punishment, in
stead of being suspended or deprived
of pay for term of years, should be
degraded to the rank of lieutenant or
of midshipman, with, however, the
right to work himself up, if he can,
by merit to his former rank. This is
the universal system Of government in
China. The rank of officers is demo-
ted by their costume, and more es-
pecially by knob worn on the top Of
their hat, or rather cap. The rank
called Mandarin by us is unknown in
China. and is purely port word
The general term among the Chinese
is public officers. Public opinion is
regarded habitually by, the govern
ment Of China rs much as in Great
Britain or the United States, and all
public questions are as much argued
to by the people. Newspapers abound.
and it is frequent to observe handbills
posted or the walls containing elabor-
ate discussions and deiences Of impor-
tant public measures. They have
their rcd-book, exhibiting, like our
blue book, list Of all the public Of
ficers, and the Trung ching-szc is a
branch Of the government specially
: appropriated to the reception Of com
plants against officers on the part Of
the people. Besides all this there arc
5 periodical addresses made to the peo
pie by the sovereign intoxicating moral
as well as political duties, and some oil
s the monarchs are yoluminous and
successful authors. Further to guard
against evil on the part Of the rulers
. the Too chee-yueD, or consorate, is
bound to watch and reprove, if need
|. be, the sovereign as well as all Others
in authority. One feature in the pol
icy Of the country is the great annual
agricultural ceremony, at which the
Emperor takes the plough IN the pres
ence Of the assembled myriads of peo-
pie and great officers of state and
army, to testify his respect for agricul-
ture, the primary art Of human life,
and the true foundation Of the opu-
lence and power of the empire. The
writings of Confucus upon religion,
&c. consisting chiefly, however, of
moral and political precepts, are uni
versally read by all scholars, and ex-
pounded to those unable 10 read, and
they have, think, even more iD6u-
edce in China than the Bible in Chris
tendon. Herein we may see one ef-
Gcient cause Of the stability and sub
ordination which characterizes the So
ciaI organization Of the empire. Pbe
Chinese literature is very copious.-
They publish as much, and at as cheap
a rate, as in the United States. All
men read and write, far beyond what
we find to be the case in Europe; that
is, there are very many more out OF
every thousand men in Europe. who
cannot read and write, than in China.
The language is wholly PECULIAR
Originality in part bieroplypbic, by
abridgmc Mt Of the picture character OF
the language has entirely passed away.
Signs are to the eye arbitrary in form
as much as our letters, bu, each sign
represents thing, or rather an idea,
and the primitive igns are variously
combined for signs of new or complex