Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-06-25
THE STATE OF CHINA,
FROM THE BOSTON ATLAS.


us to translate II in columns Notwithstanding its
length is written by of the editors of that paper
(who we believe, resided years in China attached
to French diplomatic mission) M, XAVIER RAYMOND
IL will be found well to repay careful examination and
to give, perhaps clear the present
of things in China be gathered under existing cir
cumstances until the seal of exclusion and secrecy
has been broken The Importance of this revolution to
the commercial interests of the world hardly
estimated Its success may effect complete change in
the relations of China with the other nations of the EARTH
and the commerce of no people, in that event. will be
more affected by its results than own,
CHINESE INSTRUCTION.
The just received from China is of the greatest
interest The instruction which commenced four years
ago in the south Of the empire has advanced
than two hundred leagues towards the north it is
ter OF the navigation of the Kang and
seen In 1872, when the English beseged Nankn it
this bare fact makes of all the country SO
much so that the Imperial Government is reduced to
lict the aid of foreigners there question merely
OF domestic revolution, might perhaps give this
affair only such slight interest curiosity might excite
but at present. the overthrow of the Manchou dynasty
the intervention of foreigners in its government must
be considered very grave event. destined to exercise
considerable influence upon the policy and commerce of
the world This question is little known the generality
of French readers; shall be excused then for ex
planning it in detail.
While witness in Europe the decline of great EN-
pre, (Turkey,) Asia too still greater empire a
prey to commissions, which would announce re-
volution, if not nigh dissolution Both are menaced by
the same causes of ruin Undermined by domestic cor
rupton by anarchy by the venalty of the administra
tom Inundated by the and the ascendency of
who have destroyed in the eyes the popu
laon the old prestige Of the conquerng races who govern
them they toter at the with Europe Thew an
pear the menaced their relations become more in
innate with Western civilization. 1t may be said indeed
TO be one OF the laws Of this social organization be
able to knit relations with any civilization inferior to it.
SELF without being led to impose its authority on all of
them even should forbear destroy them as has ham
pened to the red men of America and it happens to
the aborgnes OF New Holland and to the islanders of the
Pacific Nothing capable of arrestinp in fin
ture this movement of conquest of absorption of the
rest OF the world by the Christian nations Like the ava
lanche which falls from the mountain it becomes more
rapid as IT nears the goal the development of
merce mupes the points of contact and with them the
causes OF conflict the application of steam to manu-
lectures or navigation renders the of action the
more prompt and the regular OF yore the empire
OF Constantine required ages to die Look at the
OF the decay of the Turkish empire merely since the bat
tie OF Navarno in modern times Since then it has lost
the kingdoms of Greece and of Algeria 1t has seen re-
lax almost to independence the ties which formerly con-
neced to it Egypt Wallacha, Moldavia Servia the Bey
ship OF Tuns The frequent instructions of Albania have
exhausted its treasury and dscreded the authority of
us Suitans IN Europe, as the battles of Koniah and of
Nezb the revots of the Kurds the nsurgencies in Syria
(which is still in arms the anarchy of Arabia which
some desired to return to it in $780, and which certainly
belongs TO 1T less than when was in the not
very sure butpowerul hands of Mehemet ALI have done
N ASIA Each of these losses has for Turkey the
occasion of and profound Intervention of TO-
egners IN Its affairs to the very day when unfortunate
expedition sent against handful of mountaneers who
paged its territory and the question of Holy Sepul
,hre "a question in truth which should touched
~ produced the present crisis and perhaps the
serous IL has yet traversed Supernduced by similar
causes devoted for the future to the same fatality the
present situation Of the empire of China not more bril-
liant than that of Turkey Nay is perhaps even more
nenaced for the Ottoman Empire will doubtless live for
by yoft
jabnes OF Europe and by the fears entertained by every
me of the probable consequences of its fall while China
concerned with but one Power, England mistress
hoose her own day and hour and who far from being
hwarted in the work of conquest when she shall under
AXE 1T, will rather be pushed forward by common in
erest of all foreign nations desire to see China
ed to their commerce their religious proselytism
We have in France generally but very vague and yery
confused idea of China and the Chinese 1t is not only
to us very distant country although in reality the com
with Canton ut present quite as rapid
frequent and certainly than 1915 or in
loZo the correpondences between London and Consan
tnope, but also strange nation living in almost differ
eRt conditions from those imposed on the rest of the In
man species Most Of have had one of two manners
regarding the Chneseeither looking at their small eyes
he pointed hats their porcelain statuetes Of Monsters
ana thelr chimeras, we have been tempted take them
Tor grotesque people, or, the other hand we have
deemed them the offspring of civilization special in the
world, which developed itself from its own resources
summing all contact with foreigners which has invented
every thing, powder, the compass banks and which is
the type Of immobility; which, differing from all the
others and more ancient than any of them been able
70 exist without religion religious feeling so that in
the midst OF all these data, little connected among
nay opposite, the mind hestaes knows
not what to believe and encounters in all directions
soyable engmas We have wished to see too many cx-
ceptlons IN the life Of the Chnese it, instead Of judging
them by their dissembances rather apparent than real
we had endeavored to judge them by what they have
common with other men, should have gone much |
nearer to the truth for they have neither invented
discovered single passion single sentiment which
does not belong to the rest Of the Species and it is only
in this way Chinese life may be explained and under
stood In reality, the Chinese are men like ourselves
and their history does not differ essentially from ours
We are accustomed to regard them as a great nation |
which for centuries and before our historical epoch
hVed IN the midst Of regular unity most tremendously
but this is scarcely true That there is
principle of unity with them is inconestabe but am
not sure if there exists much real difference between
an Andalusian and n Finlander, or q Dutchman and
Austrian the most superficial observer may remark
between inhabtant of Foken and one of Peche be-
tween the Manchou shepherd and the Yunnan noun |
taneer.
Enclosed on all sides between mpraccable deserts and
which none but European genius could MASTER they
at last succeeded in uniting themselves under the
order Of civilization and the sceptre but attain
this how many centuries Of dscord anarchy intestine
wars and revolutions had they traverse And yet
nature seemed to have taken pride defend well all
access to their territory that they should be labor
without being disturbed from abroad at the great work
OF their constitution and yetthey unsklful labor
ers rs to have been twice conquered since the time their
annals wear the character Of historical certanyn the
18th century by the Mongos and in the 18th by the Man
chous The docility with which they submitted to the
yoke OF conqucrors who represented minority which
quite lmperceptble, would prove, proof necessary
that they have not the horror Of foreigners frequently
advanced Of the principles moral existence
That which proves this still clearer that thew have nm