The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-09-18

Is NJ po6ble that tssir ssosss sfs well supplied.
But for an hat Rnssa b not n - engage IN naval
var, Tor IL has no mercauSne nsrins. The 1sde
Ia ID the hands Of the German. Engtsh, Greeks and
Swedes. In the case OF ell great naval powers the
war fleet sprang from trading feet. TIE Russian
nation; it is thing OF order and command, and, a.
said before, though possibly useful a. means OF
defence, 1t can never become IN instrument oi agrcs
sion.
The Russian feet consists OF ave divisions, % which
three are stationed in the Baltic, and two 10 the
Black Sea- In the last war with Turkey Russia bad
W vessels of the line Is fngates, 20 corveties and
briggs, brigantines l6 cutters, ~ sshooners, 70
galleys, rs floating batteries, l2l gunboats-m, kav
total Of 464 sail, and carrying 5000 guns. since
that time great activity has prevailed In the Ras
sian DOCKS and the result II that at the present dy
the Russian fleet consists Of 90 vessels Of the ne y
from 20 to 120 guns; 81 frigstes, Of from
40 TO 60 guns 20 corvettes brigs. and bhgaa.
tines, 40 steamers, $50 gunb,ats and gseys-ihe
whole manned by AZ 600 sailors and 20 900 marines,
with 8 900 guns.
These remarks clearly show that IN a contest with
any of the great naval powers Russia has no, a
chance of success The various Czars have, indeed.
strained every nerve TO create efficient eel; ba,
all their eDdeavors are fruiteSs, unless Russia sue
oeeds IN conquering AID appropriating the 81
Turkey in Asia aud Sweden. the open sea, harbors
be on the qui ere to bolster up the inevitable
results Of our want Of sincerity towards the Sultan
at this critical crisis for thea will In dian posses
sions be to us as the horns Of a dilemma
w. RI
KESsMGros, Sept. 2, 1853.
The Chinese Rerolttioa-China-Hs Literature
Popular Education Colleges and Learned Men
Collegiate HOnorS and their Effect on Dead Men
Family Portraits and Rei,c5--1Re Rspo's-
tiona'y Chief-Frst Cause Of HIS Discomfort
Cause Of HIS Comqussts-Reiigiou Of both Par
ties-Erp8anation Of the Metaphorieai Prociam1-
tions-Reason why Everybody Wants TO 20 to
Hong Kong-Amusenlents Sc.
After placing my children at DR.. Hesse's celebra-
ted grammar school in this square, and after cap
tai breakfast and delightful tete fets with Mrs.
T.. am resolved, principally at her suggestion to
write you few lines upon the Chinese revolution.
The tyrannical bigotry If the Mantchoos as that
respected lady the mother Of Miss Catharine Hayes
once observed, :" at the summit of its climax AT
the house of merchant prince in Hyde Park Gar
dens, we, (Mrs. 7. and myself) met gentleman,
whose official situation (of colonial surgeon) at
Hong Kong, had afforded him opportunities of OBJ
serving the progress of the extraordinary movement
now going on in China, and from Him W. 4 1aned
and noted down what follows:-
You are aware that in China q 3 nest consider
alton is paid to literary exceleuce and that what
is called education is diffused to a greater extent
than perhaps in any other country in the world. Not
that the literature Of China is of very high order
1t embraces no scientific pursuit; it makes no in
quy into the subtle secrets of nature that surround
us; nor indeed does expand the mind, or tend very
much to promote the conveniences of society. In
fact during the 1000 years that it has lasted it has
not advanced the knowledge, reinements and happi
ness of China oa but consists in unravelling the
mystical webs Of Confucius, learning the remoteet
influence and tendency of his ethics and finding out
the most ancient hereditary lineage of the attributes
Of the Emperor, and the discipline of his celestial
residence. This certainly is not practical ltera-
lure; but Chinese gentleman, we'll versed in it,
holds very exalted position in society. Every man
China who hopes to assist in the councils of State
Or to gain the patent of nobility must graduate and
keep terms at what may be called the Celestial
Oxford" / need not tell you, then, that there is
he greatest emulation 10 literature. Imagine every
wrangler from Cambridge and every class man from
Oxford being made lord or baronet What
stimulus It would be to the turning Of Latin verses
and critical perfection in the knowledge of Greek
idi0ms. How we should be oyerrun with heather
deities in all our publications. and how dreadfuly
would railways, telegraphs, &C., be neglected.
Every man in China has the vision Of pea
cocks feather before him, or Of blue, black, green,
OF white button by which he does not obtain an
hereditary title descending to his children, but
one which ennobles his remotest ancestors. Now
This posthumous retrospective ascent titles grates
the most prominent and redeeming quality in Chi
naman's Character-his generation. He worships
with the highest alteration the graves OF his
tors. He treasures their sayings and maxims; relics
of them are the most valued gems, and their old
bones the most valued Of all. The Dedocks OF China
would despise your pictures of woodworking ances
tors, casting gloom over the rooms you live in.
They treat ancestors as they do their ginger-they
pot them in porcelain pans of the most exquisite
manufacture, and grandfather, uncle, and great
grandfather, are tcketed, casalogued and arranged
in q mausoleum-a kind Of family library and reli,
room-with much more precision than at the British
Museum. But for this privilege You must first have
your grandfather, (and seeing the difficulty in China
with us. Of identifying ones father this is no such
easy matter and without brother the thing is not
to be DONE Well as have said, nobility Is re-
ward for literary excellence, and it is CHIEFLY desired
for the generation which is entertained for
try and the wish to ennOble it. AT the periodic ex-
animation thousands come up and undergo premi-
nary examinations, until they are weeded down to
those who are deemed proper candidates for honors
for there are candidates for examination
and for honors. Very few at least are admitted
to TIE examinations which confer honors. In this
proceeding Of wedding undoubtedly great corrup-
ton exists, and it has been supposed generally That
literary distinctions have been bestowed chiefly on
the persons Of Tartar descent. Well, about three
years ago it happened that there came Chinese
from that region which has never yet ackno wledged
the Tartar sway, (Utds Sir John Davis History Of
China) with the dim recollection of an unbroken
descent from the ancient Chinese monarchs, named,
believe. Tien-Tai, which, if taken to be French,
tTient TheD would in plain English, translate to
hold tea ~" teapot" He had, it is said, ofen
presented himself before, always on his own merits,
disdaining the demands of corruption, but was
always rejected in the preliminary examination.
This was his last trial, and he was again reec ed.
Stung by the injuries he had met with, he vowed
that he would reclaim the honors and rights OF his
ancestors from the corrupt and greedy Tartars and,
VITA promises Of relieving the people from the ex.