Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1852-03-31
cuiRious HISTORICAL FACTS ABOUT
CHINA;

late missionary to China, he impaired fund
of curious information relative to that dis.
tant country much of which is of fresh and
peculiar interest. He said the origin oi
China was not definitely known. 1t exist;
ed two thousand FIVE hundred years before
Christ. The Emperor Chm then attempt.
ed perpetual dynasty and that it might
be believed that it commenced with him.
he collected together all Chinese books and
burnt them, and put to death two hundred
end sixty learned men. 1t was TO the works
of CONTIGUOUS, which were preserved, that
we are in great measure indebted for our
knowledge Of the early history of China
It embraced $500, 900 square miles. Chi
ma has two millions more square miles than
our extensive country, and population Of
three or four hundred enthusiastically hall
the population of the globe; and this fact
had been confirmed by their statistics. But
they did not recognise females-hence we
doubled their estimates, supposing females
to equal the males in number. In Chinese
history may be found chronology and my
thology.. The fabulous period embraces
forty-five thousand years. 1t was believed
that two brooding powers hatched over
Chaos the founder of the empire, and that
he labored for eighteen thousand years in
forming it, and that when he died; hts heat
became mountains-hs breath clouds and
waters-his veins riters-his beard stars
his sweat rain and the insects that stuck
to his body became people. The writings
have led to the conclusion that Yu founded
a colony on the borders of the Yellow Rit-
er, and that he commenced his reign coe;
val with the Babylonian monarchy. This is
not altogether reliable, because Confucius
commenced his history in 740 B. c., and
the writings being not altogether in per-
feet state, the Chinese attempted an entire
correction, and, therefore, they cannot be
relied on. The government is an absolute
monarchy but there are certain peculiar
estr:ctions-ancient usage is really the law,
and is more absolute than the monarchy it.
self, and is inviolable by the Emperor
The present is Tartar dynasty:
In 1914 China was taken possession ofby
the Tartar sand the conquered people were
decreed to wear badge of servitude:, AT
the time the Tartar chief condhered China,
he require all the Chinese 10 shave their
heads, except small part of the back,
which was made up into cue. This was
indicative of submission to the Taltan yoke.
He passed an let that all criminals
should let their hair grow long, so as to
make the wearing of hair disreputable; and
at the prasent day the custom exists. The
Emperor is believed by the Chinese to be
the vicegetent of Heaven. His succession
is hereditary; yet he can appoint his sue
cessor. All the provinces are ruled by a
governor, who exercises the same power as
emperor, and is so distributed among the
Chinese and Tartar governors as to act as
9 check on each other. The government is
we'll adapted to the genius Of the people,
but the penal code is most severe. Profess
sor L. said he had seen in Canton, on the
execution grounds, piles Of heads and in
some cases the executioner commenced
with the extremities. Some were burnt and
Aayed alive. This severity indicated bar
barism yet there is high degree Of civil
tloted for their utbanity and politeness.-
They have schools and colleges, and confer
degrees. The highest Offices are in the gift
Of the Emperor, and are attainable by ahy
of his subjects: There Is no aristocracy in
China but an aristocracy of learning, and
also of beggars. Their language is not an
alphabetical but symbolical one: There
are 214 distinct elements, and from these
an extensive combination is formed. The
spoken language varies in the different
provinces; there are eighteen different
sounds given TO The same character. Their
literature comprises history, philosophy ,po-
etry, romance, and dramatic productions.
There is much that is valuable in their phi
losophy but of science they have little
knowledge, either Of that of medicine, or a.
nv other. The Chinese discovered the mag
nctic needle more than 1000 B. G.; While
the western nations did not discover it un-
til the fourteenth century. The art of pri N
ting was known to the Chinese in the tenth
century and gunpowder was also known by
them at an early date. The great Chinese
wall employed one-third OF all the male
population. and they say 1t cost one gene
ration, and saved many >generations-lt Is
1900 miles long. 1t now SERVES simply as
boundary, though it was originally con-
st1ucted for the defence of the nation from
tie Tatars. The roads in China are bad.
Tea was known in China as early as the
year A. d. $50.
There are two tea distrcts-the green
tea, and the black tea district. Small feet
existed $50 B. c.; the origin of the fashion
is not definitely known. Although the Chi
nese are idolatrous, no human sacrifices, so
far as is known, were ever introduced
Rites and ceremonies, which the Emperor
and officers Of the government are obliged
to pass through, constitute the national re-
ligion. The principal religion is the Bud
hist religion, which was founded in India,
and had been introduced into China in the
year A. D. IS. The Budhists believe that
every thing came from nothing, and wis
tending to nothing; and they believe in the
transnigration of souls. There is strong
resemblance between the ceremonies Of
the Buddhist religion and the Catholic reli-
gion. This has been remarked by all trav-
elers. The Budhists have nonasteries and
converts, affairs, holy wafer, and holy
virgin and their service is in Sanscrit, as
the Catholic service is in Latin. There are
also in China large number of "Confuci-
usts," who worship Confucius and have
several temples. The Chinese have not
made any advance in civilization for some
years. Their jealousy of foreigners result
ed in great degree from the cruelties they
had experienced from them. Opium, which
is doing its fearful work,was introduced by
a Christian nation. 1t was great obstacle
to the introduction of Christianity: because
that great evil came from Christian coun-
I'd 6n Eatsaa L.