The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1860-09-07
WHOLE NO., 556.
The Chinese and Japanese.

hcnard IL. Dana, jr., at the present on n
,our through those portions of China and
Japan open to the visits of foreigners, is
writing homo series of interesting and in
structive lotters upon the social historical
pcculiaritics of those strange peoples. Tho
following extract is from his latest contribu-
/ tion, which wo find ia tho Now York Even-
iag Post:
In this part Of tho world one can hardly
think Of tho Japanese, except in contrast
with the Chinese However learned or in
telligoDt may bo the Chinese, it is not often
that wn can disconnect from tho Celestials
somo element Of tho ludicrous. But there
is nothing absurd about the Japanese. Tho
magistrate OF the Central and Flowery
Kingdom may be an umbrella, q cue, q Ian.
torn. fan and button but tho magistrate
of Japan is pair of swords. There are no
crampcd fcot or long nails. The Chinese
is sunk in rut which thirty centuries has
worn for him.
{ Tho japanese are quick to discern and
anxious to adopt ne improvements of West
orn civilization. By no possibility could
Chinese Commissioners havo made tho
proposal which the japanese did to Lord
EIgin in the treaty of Yeddo. that the Ian.
guage of written official intercourse should
DO English and for the reason that they
would DO moro likely to learn English, than
Eng'ish would DO to learn Japanese After
two wars with England and third impend-
! ing, the Chinese braves Il do not speak of
tho Iartars) still turn summer-sets and
burn gilt paper, and flourish bronze banners
and long spears, with here and there a
match lock but the Japanese already mako
their own Colts revolvors and Minnie rifles,
and will have tho rifle cannon us soon as
the Massachusetts Flying Artillery.
Although tho English war steamers have
battered their towns and advanced nearly q
thousand miles up tho Yang Tsc Kiang, the
Chinese still use thoir preposterous war
junks, but tho Japanese cross the Pacific in
war steamers, managing tho navigation, en-
glncoring and gunnery themselves. Tho
electric telegraph and railroad are familiar
to their men of science, and arc already
beginning to DO introduced amcng them.
word more as to the contrast between
tho Chinese and the Japanese 1t ehould
not 6o given entirely in favor of the Japan
ese, as Oiiphaut gives it. The Chinese arc
moro scholarly. moro literary, more indus
trious, moro pcaceabe and more dcccnt.--
Nowhere on earth is external decency moro
rigidly observed Than in China. Not tho
sisters of religious orders are more modestly
attred than tho women of China. Moth
ing could induce even tho girls of tho flower
boats-porhaps as abanGUned as any wo-
mon IN tho world-to expose the neck or
tho arm in their dress; and tho evening
dross of European lady is revolving to their
ideas of propriety.
Nowhere arc industry and learning moro
honorCd than in China. Tho Hterati are
tho ruling order, the military are the iufe-
rior class; and overy election and Office is
open to the successful scholar, under their
competitive system without the Instructions
of rank or hereditary castles. The industry
of China is infinitesiinal, unccasing and UNI
versal. Tho Chinese are nation of corn
traders, scholars and dplomatists. Tho
Japanese though by no means indolent, are
loss universally industrious, and there arc
moro non-producing consumers among
them.
They arc moro violent, moro Incorporate
in drink, and nre shameless, whore the
Chinese arc scrupuous in tho extrme;
and though they arc generally taught to
read and writo, and excel tho Chinese in
somo branches of the arts and sciences,
scholarship has not the position and honors
il has in China. On the other hand, while
tho Chinese arc cffeminate, luxurious and
self cumplacent, tho japanese arc proud,
manly simple, in their food and costume and
their government, though more exclusive
md more bloody, are moro vigorous and
ust, with less Of corruption and speculation.