The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1845-12-05

cultivation. That there ar,
no broad highways for carriages
nothing but narrow footpaths 70
men and ANIMALS, and that thus tn,
whole surface of the country can b,
and is cultivated almost as garder
except the grounds reserved FOL
burials. That the people are yer,
abstemious, living upon almost no
thing and eat almost everything il
the shape of food-the very poo,
consuming cats, rats, mice, dogs
and in fact everything that. has life
AS an illustration of the cheapnes.
of subsistence, may here mention
that hired servants for five dollas &
month, they finding themselves ant
feeding on rice and fish ; that there
is large and constant importation
of breadstuffs into China; that arti-
Giles of food in the tropics are fal
more productive than with us, as
for example the yield of the banana
to that of wheatis as 1873 to !, and
to that or the potato our most pro-
ductive vegetable) as IA to |; that
the laws and usages of China pro-
mote in the very highest possible
degree, the progress of population;
and, finally, that the Chinese empire
is greater in extent of surface than
the whole of Europe, comprising
$3.50, 200 square miles, while Eu-
rope has but 3,725,OO0. Why not,
then, should China not contain as
large proportionatc population as
Europe? 1t includes, to be sure, the
less populous region Of Tartary, but
still it leaves ample room, con-
sidering the much more populous
regions of the south, for the imputed
population Of 100000. No bo-
dy thinks it strange that Europe
should have two or three hundred
millions of inhabitants-why is it
strange that an equal number should
be sustained on an equal space cal
led China ? What has led so many
Europeans to doubt the alleged
populousness of the country, is be-
cause they are 10th to admit, and
can scarcely realize the remarkable
fact Of a population equal at least to
that of Che whole of Europe, being
under one government. They can
hardly ina CINE such state of things
when they look at Europe, and be-
hold her millions distributed among
sixty-fve indep endant states, or,
counting only the larger ones Il
should rather say those only which
have the honor of royalty into
twenty separate governments But
we are at once enabled to cCh'pre-
bend the fact, if we suppose TO- a
the empire of Alexander 20
exist at this day, or even yet the
Roman empire to be now in being.
II stability of government, civiliza-
ton, arts, manners, applied to vast
mass of men, be proof of wisdom in
institutions, the case of China ex-
ceeds any thing in Europe, or else
where in Asia, compared to which,
indeed, the Kingdoms of Europe are
but as yesterday in origin, and as
utprovinces in power and popula-
ion. Yet changes of dynasty have
occurred in China from period to
% period, having been for long Sc
les of centuries pure Chinese, then
Mongol, and then Chinese again,
md now Manchu.-The form of
government is hereditary monarchy. !
The sovereign is called Ta-IIow-
lng-Te, commonly translated byI
he Roman title of emperor. But
his translation is erroneous, and in
adequately represents the force of
la Howang re, which imparts
something divine, sacred, celestial,
n addition to the idea of mere
.cmporal sovereignty. The term is
Chinese, and is employed by the
Tartar and other subjects ofthe en-
Dire as q proper name, without
ranslating it; that is, Ia Howang-
lie is the appropriate and peculiar
designation of the sovereign of Chi
Ia, just as Emperor is of the Ro-
mans, Gar of the Russians, Sutton
If the Turks, Calf of the Arabs,
Pope of the modern Roman State.
Like Pope, it implies both temporal
and spiritual power and sovcr-
,ignty. The principle of govern
nent is the paternal relation the
Sovereign is the father of his people.
This is the radical idea which runs
trough all the laws, usages, habits
md morals of the Chinese. And
hough fiction, it is quite as true
Is the fiction of loyalty in Europe,
inder cover of which the aristocra-
" of landholderS and rich capital
SITS carry on the government; while
Is a sentiment, motive, or principle
If faction, it certainly is higher, pur-
II and better than that furious big
try ofparty spirit which constitutes