The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-03-10
The Celestial r mpire.


bis second lecture on Oriental life, and chose Chin
as his subject Considering the advantageous po
sition of China, he said. its high state Of cult
walton, the extensive commerce and enterprise o
its people, their curious customs and habits, China
the oldest and still the newest nation in the world
and standing, as it does, face to face to our owl
continent, must form subject Of peculiar interes
10 every one of US. The aspect of the coriatry Il
beautiful, diversified by hills and valleys, and in
tersected by navigabe rivers and numerous canals.
lhe whole OF China is, in act, one extensive
garden IL possesses the greatest population OF any
nation on the globe, being according 10 the census
| of lS47, about four hundred and fifty millions In
| order TO supply such vast number, all kinds Of
| grain ard vegetables are extensively cultivated
| A great quantity OF flour is imported from Sidney
and their rice from Java Il is in social life we
see displayed the psculisrites of a peope-their
national charac and ideas. The Chinese re-
semble the French greatly, by frequently asso-
ciating together. They have tea-gaIdens instead
Eastern bathing, which is very much INDUCED IN,
is also remarkably cheap. They pay compliments
by saying friend or brother. Their saluta,ion
sisis In bowling, and doubling their hands Their
visiting cards somewhat different from ours,
being considerably longer. Their dinners are
served up according to the French style, and very
sumptuous. No nation has carried the culinary
art SO far IS China. They are remarkably fond of
geatnous food, particularly OF several kinds Of sea
weed. chey use chairs TO sit upon, while all the
other people in the East do not. In their stores
they have also seats for their customers The
fsod of the common people consists mostly Of
ducks, pigs, eggs, fish, &c. The higher class,
again, fare very sumptuously They have mlny
attendants, and live, in fact, in style which is
not be sustained anywhere else. Every kind of
trade is considered by them as discreditahle. The
women are never seen in the streets. They live
in constant seclusion The price Of labor there ia
"A da a n Eirat rats
w0rkmen Will, however, earn forty cents a day
The Chinese wear tails or queues; they use the
moustache. In habits, no people are more frugal
and more economical than they are, and none
more cunning and poliuc. They submit 10 the ills
OF life with great degree of resignation. Suicide,
that indelible blot upou the character Of the wes
tern world, is scarcely known in the east. There
are no poor houses or poor rates, the poorer classes
being maintained by voluntary contributions. the
Chinese surpass the whole of the eastern people In
enlightenment and activity. Their institutions in
dictate high degree of civilization. The Chinese
education, although the Oldest, is the best in the
world, and s0mewha similar to our own system.
The government contributes q portion OF the mo-
ney necessary for the support Of schools, while
the parents make up the rest. There every
can read. Virtue and learning in both sexes are
| strenuousy inculcated, and literally rewarded.
Their hrs and greatest statesmen, all their public
officers were in early life, the best scholars and the
topmost in their classes ia no country is know
ledge prosecuted with more energy and indomi-
table zeal than in China. He then alluded to the
expect in this country, and to the niggardiy COM
Iensa,ion for his labor. In the organization OF
their government, the Chinese have seized upon
two principles, which are, parental affection and
fal obedience. Hence their success, and hence
the extraordinary durability of their public insi-
tutons Notwithstanding these advantages, there
are some rebellious and revolutionary movements
going on. China has also her political agitators,
her radical reformers, her socialstic Fourierites
and religious dentalists, who endeavor to
incite The people to rebellion. The language
very peculiar and interesting. Ii consists OF the
hieroghphic, combn alive, and symbolical cha
racters. As spoken Language it is very
harsh and unpieasng, being both gutteral and
nasal. When they write they use pencils and
hnesse and poteness Of the French-all the CRAWL
ty and tacturnity of the Germans, combined with
all the energy and enterprise OF the Yankees. The
tea plant has been cultivated in China for mere
than thousand years. Ii 10 scarcely two hundred
years since il was FIRST introduced into Europe.
The shrubs which produce the tea grow to Sc zen
feet in height. They are very hardy, and are used
as hedges. The coil upon which the plant grows
is sterile and rocky, exactly similar to the quality
in which the vine raised. Ii il the same plant
that gives the black and the green teas,-the DIFF
f a sSS
every third year; rolling, heating and sitting, COM
| pete the process OF curing. The Chinese only use
black tea. The best qualities are not permitted to
be exported; and, consequently, the Chinese tea
markets are supplied with better and far superior
| qualities OF tea than ours are They have as many
| different names, for their tea we have for our
wines: They use neither milk nor sugar with the
| tea. The tea crop is enormous-elght hundred
millions OF pounds are annually raised. The Chr
| nese take tea frequently during the day, and al
every meal. The tea plant is also found pretty
| extensively in Java, Africa, South America, and
several other places. The question has arisen
whether the cultivation OF the tea pant-which
has been attempted in South Carolna-will sue.
coed in this country or not His impression is, that
there is not the slightest difficulty in raising the
common kinds OF IN South America; but that
the cultivation of the finest qualities will be
successful, because il does not depend solely upon
the latitude; the longitude also exerts an Influence
upon the plant. Tea is an agreeable and whole
some drink, il is also the most beneficial and the
most universal; and the nation who first intro
duced this delicious beverage, deserves our eternal
gratitude. The Chinese, notwithstanding Their
high state Of civilization, are heathenish dolators,
They have q pantheisrn, or polythelsm, which
peoples the universe with gods. There are three
sects, however, one worships reason; another have
what's called ancestral worship, system based
on the ties Of conssneuinity. The third
sect is that Of beauties, who without being
initiated in the Cath DlIc faith have adopt
ed Gil the paraphernalia Of the Romish church.
This, of course. was matter OF infinite
astonishment 10 the FIRST Romish mssionarles
Women are not admitted into the churches, for
the simple reason that they live IN eternal Sc
cluson, and because appearing IN public IL con sd
cred a depradatlon. There are fifteen Catholic
bishops in China. aud good nu nber OF priests
There are very few Protestant missionaries. Not
withdrawing their excellent laws. the Chinese in
fct The most haTbarous punish nent, en1 the crme
OF i3ian;cloe is OF very irequep occurrence CT
viiZation in China is statIonary, rn,ir here II Is
progressing. The Chinese, therefore, know no.
thing Of orr modern inye ntons ia steam and elec.
trcty They are, also, very deficient IN geograph.
cal and historical knowledge Bat let christianity
and true civilization enter China; LEI the Chinese
b. once instructed, and the whole empire Of East.
err Paganism vii crumble into dust. This, how
ever. must be the work Of time. The Dutch,
throughout the Eas;era world are hard. cruel and
merciless monsters. They live in eilluence, keep
the naiyes in the most abiect poverty, and mans &c
TO send millions Of dollars 10 their government at
home, With regard 10 the English. their policy in
the East is ~ ohstruct the free institutions OF this
country. They did, however, break down that
monopoly Of the Hong Kong merch ants, before
which time no Chinese could trade with foreigners,
except the mono olisis. But the opium trade il
doing great mischief; il Is destroying millions of