The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-06-10
MISTAKES CONCERNING CHINA.
From tho Philadelphia ledger.

From tho Philadelphia Ledger.
A work has lately appeared in London written by
Mr. Meadows for many years British interpreter In
China which undertakes to put the Chinese ia moro
favorable light before the European and American world
than they have been heretofore presented In. Mr..
Meadows protests especially against the idea promulgated
by the Jesuit missionary Hue that tho Chinese beyond
all other nations, material. sensual, money makng
and gross He pointedly remarks that the people of
France, Great Britain, America, to b Judged by
the mammon worshipping inhabitants OF Paris London,
and New York. 1t would be quite fair verdict that
pronounced by Mr. Hue, who has formed his opinions Of
the Chinese the selfish dennsns Of the great cities
He adds with great TRUTH that the majority Of every
tion the most Christian, have lower scale Of
raty than the intellectual and spiritual minority, who
are continually aspiring after q loftier lifc
Mr. Meadows further asserts that thu habits and opn
ions OF the Chinese have suffered injustice from the igno
of translators, who have misunderstood terms,
giving them usually baser and grosser meaning than
truth warrants He cites the antiquity Of the social and
political fabric Of China proof that the character and
condition of the people have been misrepesentcd for
empire he properly remarks could last 90 long,
less it founded In substantial Justice or unless s de-
velopment healthy Weexplxin the decline Of Rome
by its corruption We attribute the prosperity Of Chris
tian nations to the virtue Of the people The Chinese
Mr. Meadows contends, have right to the benefits Of
similar mode of argument Thousands OF years 1t is
well known, have revolutions In China. There
have been overthrows of dynasty, rcbellions without
number but no radical changes in the political social
fabric Is not this instead of being proof Of stagnaon
and DEATH as II Ii popularity cOnSierc proof on the
contrary, of vitality and hcalthf
The real living faith of the Chinese according TO Mr.
Meadows is not Buddhism, but the religion Of Confu-
cius The whole social and political organization of the
empire is based that religion II is, In comparison
with other Pagan beliefs pure and elevated In
sentia point 1t differs however, from Christianity
makes distinction between the intellectual and moral
nature man. but teaches that whatever there Is Of good
the mind perceive and that having perceived it. the
inference Is that they follow it. To render virtu
ons, therefore, educate them. In country In the
world not in the United States, is learning 10 gen
era The entire civil functions Of the government
in the hands Of special GLASS; trained especially for that
employment, the avowed principle Of putting the
right In the right place Europeans and Amer.
cans much they affect to despso the Chinese, might
take lesson from them in this particular.
Mr. Meadows also rcfucs the notion that tho Chinese
ill-fed. Their edbles, though different from oun
nutritious and sleeker looking race, he says,
where exists The best specimens Of the Chinese
are be found in the northern and middle provinces
On the southern coasts, with which Europeans
familiar tho people less civilized brutal and
not religious 1t is from the bays and creeks ON the
southern and southeastern coasts which abound with
mountains that the pirates who ncst the Chinese seas
forth The Westminster Review In able article
China corroborates the views Of Mr. Meadows by tes-
mony drawn from various other II Is exceed
ingly difficult, all know, to understand people I'M
LEES upon long and familiar acquaintance with them
and the opinions of Mr. Meadows worth, Therefore
than those of ninety and nine other travellers who
have merely stopped day or two ut Canton or ounged
away summer at Macao