Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1853-10-26
The Ancient and nodern chlne.s.
cuRIoCs MANNERS ASD DISQUALIFICATION ASD POLITICS
-PEoGEEss % TnE REVOLUTION arc.
From the London News


From the London News
The news from China brought by the overland mail
agrees with all that has recently arrived from the same
quarter Success sill; with the insurgents THE gov.
eminent oPekin Is in the greatest distress for
"A scarcity OF grain beginning be felt in Pekin
owing to the districts by which the capital priucpa
ly supplied being in possession Of the rebels" The
mperialists have made another unsuccessful attempt TO
recapture Annoy aud from the received Of the
spiriess behaviour oftAe Tartar troops it is now eviIen
that all up with the Mauchoo dynasty Such is the
news, and the lss, paragraph gives graphically enough
the conclusion TO which the rebellion hss evidently for
some time past been tending The last Of a line OF king,
Is topping to overthrow his throne il undermined his
PRESTIGE nearly gone lis eIchequer empty; his troops
Pusiauimousi bis star about to set.
To appreciate the bearings and probable copseouer.
ces Of tuis political c0nvulsion up.ens the hhcr.
to stationary empire Of China it j., necessary 10 rse
Der the social and political pcculitres Of this cxtrsri
nary and enlightened people We must cease 10 REGARD
them simply dark cOlOred wcares Of plated a and
Jumpers from de:0Imci feet producers OF tea f
folding screens fireworks, and floss silk caryers OF i've
~ Pu@e. or IHi'csqHc che-sueu, as makers Of paper
Kites curious Boxes grote-Iue porcelain and Indian ink
We must assure ourselves that the whole three hundred
millions do not habitualy reside in boats or ia b,,Ioo
rabbit hutces, surrounded boz d8arfeI tree. and
gardens; that they do not an eat brdues or rate or
Foreigners "yarblT.aus spend their DAYS in ,ipping
tea out Of toy cups their nights 10 IFhtinr papsr
terms and opium ppcs great many OF them doubtIes
do these thing, but they have DONE A. nation and st
do vast deal more.
The Chinese arc especially with reference 10 the
pnst, emphaucally great people. When England vas
mixture Of swamp and orcst, the kingdom Of China was
covered with towns and cities DO Of complete DO.
/ itical and municipal government. When the ancient
ritous wore paint aud hulici themselves under wick
cr-Hork hus the Chinese dressed iu silk and resided
10 palaces While many d the European rivers had vet
" be explored China iutcrseced with canals bear.
ing travellers and merchandise on their waters fn Inc
elbow Sea TO countries beyond the GreGt Wall While
the Eise- OF The bsccIus believed in sO0tsaygrs and
drew surcs from the stars the Chinese studied asron.
omy, aud computed the annual orbit Of the earth when
nobody n Europe could read but monks the cts OMAN
kin vas daily pI4clded with Advertisements Of books.
ana 'is" p"pI.'r pays-pays tie success OGwheh put.
to shame the boasts Of European managers for some Of
t1cu lave run, not hundreds Of ugs bus hundreds Of
yeas, many Icing performed will venture 20 a--art
lines When the most that could be done here in f1rci.
commerce was 20 -e iulc Cornish un 10 the Pap.ui
clans, tn Chinese supplied the whole Of India with
Injuries and had invented printing, gunpOvdsr,
tue Mariners compass aud bank notes Those again who
nave sliol thc governmental policy " the Chinese de-
clare TO be- theoretically Out only boo theorvt a. near
perfection ~ 81 coucoivlbir. The country Is ruled down
70 the mnuc-t details and observance Of private life
not 10y t5 la'y of tyrarfs by ti- or hat political
faction but according 20 the written laws Of their .sgcs
lJ ne-c iEs every sort d power n China a. limited and
checked Tho Chinese originated wh1t sydney Smith or.
pressed -Icu horror Oi-srlscf committees Every de-
pirtncut Of thc tale IS governed by bplri-tho army
e"h winch, rcpu1ttng the idea Of hereditary legislator
Poce- 70 admit no 90 The ranks OF the noble WHO
mas not earned hi- nobility by eauug-that il 90 say o.,
knowledge Of The lave precept and general hteraur,
OF tr' classical slgrs. The Of the Emperor him %
while ls Ltber lives has higher rank than the mean
s- "',Her on canal until hc has earned rank school
ihe consequences is chat to borrow sentence iron
HuHal-tucre are boz China book r. and more peDp
b sun.
an'y may therefore be excusaJle foblo In a natio
"hch achieved 20 much while the rest Of the world wa
~ smte Of barJarism, AZ best standardization. But
unnappy The vanity Of the Ceestal they are goo,
~ 70 csI thein'clvesl thoroughly national and " 10
en-e hat ne rt aud fastest article Of their creed tina
tney are perfect They sayhe institutions and precept
OF our ancient sagos have made what We are-percct
consequently, 70 believe Tor instant in anything differ
eht rom What we find in books aud in-iitutions
nmpe lnsahJi and 20 put grain Of faith 10 the posi-
Dy o. Improvement is dat blasphomy. Hence original
~ w Nnhese is crime actually punishable with death
Wsv1 AfkTright and Professor Wheastone would ney
AOy nave suffered the penalty Of the law ha
ney Invented the steam engine the spinning Jenny, o.
tu9 electric telegraph 10 Chins. Those "men made per
lecI Their cages have Ithsy say laid down the limit