Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1853-11-16

they dream, or were their sages wrong 2
The latter conviction is slowly stealing up
on them.
The events of the past year have PROVED
that what we showed 10 the Chinese on tha
occasion was not shown in vain. 1t woult
have been a miracle if the steamboat, i'm
proved fire arms, and other astonishing
Western inventions, had been exhibited tt
an eminently literary and thinking people
without their finding out that their sage:
had erred in not providing better for the fu
ture. They have manilestly, during the
last ten years, been loosing faith in the in.
fallibility of their ancient wise men. ADD
to this, the government having become EN-.
barrassed for money, has departed more
glaringly than his predecessors had done
for the laws of China were never exempt
from the great evil of evasion from the hon
est plan of promoting merit, and adopted
the pernicious abuse of selling Offices
Meanwhile the extreme pressure of popula-
lation meeting diminished means of exist
ence, land both happening coincidently with
the discovery of gold on the opposite coasts
of the Pacific, induced vast numbers of Chi
nese to break their law by emigrating.-
Discomfort and disorganization have been
the natural consequences of these events,
and any sort OF rebels have been welcomed
whether members of the Triad or Lily
secret societies, the banditti from the Wes-
tern mountainous districts, or the half Chris
tian leader, who has headed and is evident
ly consolidating the revolt.
Of course It is the duty of the British, as
of every other European government, to
look on in silence; but whatever be the ul-
innate result of the rebellion, the Celestial
Dragons eye is opened, and he will be no
longer contented with the sleepy existence
he has been leading for the last three thou
sand years. The prospect, therefore, of the
opening up of new field Of commerce, ,ex-
tending over one-twelfth of the habltable
glob b,-wlth one-third of the human species
hitherto shut out from us, ought to be
used for the advantage of the entire COM
mercal world, more wisely than similar
opportunity was used in 1842. During the
throes of war; foreign trade must be Grip
pied, but when peace is restored between
the contendIng parties, on whatever terms,
the advantage must be on the side of COM
merce-and of christianity also. The pres
ent insurrecton is but the expression of the
deep convictions of the best and most en-
lightened among the Chinese people. The
barriers by which European enlightenment,
Christian and secular, has been so long
damned out. have been broken away, and
are flooding the country with light and
knowledge that are swamping the national
prejudices and overweening pride which
have endured for three thousand years.
The existence of political system that
does not provide for change is no longer
practicable. Chinese institutions, change
less as they have been for so many past
ages, are an anachronism and an impossi-
bility in this age. To its other glores,
therefore, this epoch will add, we are per-
suaded, the glory of having won over to
great spiritual and temporal truths, the lar
gest, the most peaceful, most LEANED (so
far as their lights lead them and wealth.
est section of the great Asatic population.