Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-02-15
NUMBER 70.
REroRrKD roR rHE AMERICAN ORGAN.
Smithsonian Lectures.
C0NFUCIUS AND THE CHINESE.
BY RKy. Mr.. WAsHBuRs.

1 t CUNFUCIUb AND The CHlNESE.
BY Rev. Mr.. WAsHBuRS.
| Mr.. Washbun opened the subject, by saying
| that little was known of the Chinese as a people,
and that that little was known through commerce,
therefore il revealed but little Of the true character
of the people.
/ AS they were essentially the same through all
ages, the history Of one individual would give
clear insight into the general character of the pee
pie. The person he selected was the wise MAY Il
the Chinese, and he gave minute account q, Bis
habits, character, manners, &C., and succeeded adj
mirably in conveying an idea of the nation
Confucius was born 551 b. @. in the kingdom of
Lou, and was the son of the Governor Of small
Province. He was educated among his relatives
and early showed studious habits. Such was his
in the learning of the day that at the age
of seventeen he was given small Office, and when
twenty-one was offered and accepted still higher
place. He was born philosopher and, like other
great men, appeared in the world when truth was
being forgotten; his mission was to raise it from
oblivion, and he fulfilled his mission
| AS the Oriental is different from the western
genius, so Is the Chinese from both 1t may be called
| strange cross between the two. The Chinese
have no distinct idea Of religion, probity science
but yet they have qualities that give appearance
ofal. The Arabian genius shines through all Sarncen
civilization, brilliant fiery, and short-lived. The
| Hndoo is dreamer'--his life is contemplative
quiet. Revolutions may pass over his land, but
| he remains the same The Chinaman Is different
from each he isneither the fiery enthusiast, or the
quiet dreamer, but practical, common-sense man
OF the world. His historical works. though Of
| course they have their extrayagances are more
correct than Others Yao and Chun, the ideal
kings OF the golden age, are good plain men, who
patronize farming, drain marshes, and take as
| Economical observations.
The literature Of China is like that Of Europe in
its character; calm and placid, without any Of the
Indian or Persian gen or peril in the story but
woven from the common incidents of social lifc It
is composed Of simple lyrics, comic, dramas, and
novels, where the lovers talk sentiment and are at
last married, as in Jamess novels.
The same practical element is seen in the people
Every man has his trade or profession; they are
the most frugal and money-making of men /; in fact
they are the Yankees of Asia. The Chnaman is
the keen, enterprisng emgree, setting up his shop
in Manila, Singapore, or San Francisco and adapt
ing himself to all the changes by which he is sur
| rounded; and this practical understanding has
stamped itself on all Chinese civilization.
AS people, they are, to use an expressive term,
almost devoid Of reiigiosity, or sentiments Of de-
votion. Buddhism is the prevalent popular reli-
| gion, specially imported by pious king and has
never become more than national mummery. It
is almost impossible toinitiate them into Christian
truths they have little appreciation of the lofty
sentiments of devotion. When the Puritan came
| TO New England, he had one eye on religious de-
yotion, and the other on the cod-fshery but the
| Yankee of Asia has no such happy union of quail
ties, he is only practical; he is a man Of strong
elements, and of much germanic excellence.
Confucius was man OF China mould. He
obeycd this national instinct he was philosopher,
but of this practical caste. He spent his life in
/ the enjoyment of social domestic, and political
| affairs He did not eschew the human race and
their follies but mingled with, and stroye to re-
| form them. There is bottom of cheerful, hearty
good nature, and good sense in his biography that
runs through his whole life. In this regard, he
was somewhat like Socrates; but, again, he was
unlike him, for the Greek sage despised politics,
while Confucius was for time governor of pro-
vince, and was cmphatically statesman. .He was
careful in dress, retiring and respectful in habit,
Ipxact and precise in dress, was fond of farming,
and in every way different from the picture we
| should draw of sage. He did not found reli-
gion, or system of metaphysics, but his philoso-
| ply seemed to be grounded on his good nature
and good common sense. His idea Of religion
| seemed 10 be that of rude pantheism he made
no great discoveries but in his own language only
| commented on the ancients He was not reli-
| gous reformcr; he had no religious enthusiasm
he claimed no supernatural mission and professed
no more than simple moral wisdom.
All great men who have made a noise in the
world have seized on some principle Of the mind,
and converted it to making themselves famous.
Napoleon used the chaos Of revolution for his pur
pose. But the greater man, Confucius seized on
this permanent principle of the human heart,
Il the social compact. The idea that binds the Chi
nose nation together Is the patrarchal The En-
peror is the father of his great family, the nation
N family the father is the Emperor of that small
nation, and has the powers of an Emperor over
| ID ntIv ia
all the affairs of the nation, and even to the next
world for the Chinese worship their ancestors.
The Jesuts, in their attempts TO introduce
Christianity into China with their usual subtety,
saw that il would not do TO mcddle with this prin-
Il cpe, that seemed to pcrvade the nation; so,whe
| they taught they said nothing about the simple
custom Of burning giltpaper on the tombs, in honor
of their forefathers; but the Dominicans instantly
exclaimed against IL idolatrous and accordingly
| both they and the Jesuits were expelled from tho
Empire, as trying to subvert the first principles OF
society.
Confucius both recognised and taught this prin-
cipe. He has left four books, which arc the gos-
pels of the Chinese They are in the form of pro-
verbs and conversations. He is their great teacher
Of ethics In fact, there is better, for he is
always clear, never obscure.
Mr.. Washburn now read from his writings many
beautiful extracts, various subjects but princi-
pally showing that lial pioty is the principle of
government.
We can now see the result Of the teachings of
this great man. The proof OF their value is that
they are still extant, and still in common use.
He did not wait till death for fame. His prccepts
we're put in practice while he lived, and he had
the pleasure of seeing the seed that he sowed bring
4 forth good fruit even while he lived
In order to show the pure system of morals he
inculcated, Mr.. w. read still further from bis
works of which we can give but few though VIC
wish we had room for them all
"To be upright Of heart, and love our neigh
bors as ourselves, is the doctrine Of Confhcius"
Tsin King asked els there one word which
may suffice man for his rule Of action "
4 Confucius said -" The word Chou will supply
that rule
II means what you do not desire done TO your
self, do not to others.
Get the love Of the people, and you, get the