Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-06-17
Our Washington Letter.

our washington Letter.
The Chinese Ena6assy-Reconstruc Rere-
nue. La,cs-Ihe City acknowledgements
| nqent-Pohflcs.
WASHINGTON, d. c., June 10, 1868
TIE CHINESE EMBASSY.
Mr.. EDITOR The past has been rather
an interesting week here, though everything
seems to us tame after the great excitement
produced by impeachment The Chinese,
whose arrival has been SO long awaited, have
been among us, paying their first official
visit to our government. While We felt
fattered at this homer and at the fact that
one OF our own countrymen is at the lead of
the embassy, there is much to be learned
from these people that is not SO flatiering.
| We know that the Chinese have had the
same civilization for centuries, never acyanc-
ing and never improving, carefully shifting
out, we have accustomed ourselves to
think, every educating influence. We should
| naturally look, under such circumstances,
for bigoted. Ignorant and stupid people,
and such has commonly been the estimate of
them. But we have to confess that even now
their systems are i'll some respects superior
to our own; and New England with her
| magnificent systems of free schools is no
more intelligent than China. where every
one is educated, and only is superior to her
by reason of her Christianity Had China
a church by the side of every school house,
no civilization in the world. and certainly
none outside of New England, could com pare
with hers. They have a government from
which We can learn much, for they fill their
Offices not for political easons,-havins on
that account quantities of worthless men in
them,-but require excellence and ability
as test of the merits Of all officers. The
consequence is, their money is not squandered
by dishonest and worthless officials and their
duties are we'll performed; and in addition a
stimulus is given to all to excel in every
branch, that they ay compete for all or
any of these public prizes Their political
economy must be very perfect to enable them
TO support so vast population, almost en-
tirely from their own soil. To be sure they
were so little advanced in the art of war
that an American revoiutionized their whole
all nations if they could forget how to fight.
They have not subjected all the elements to
themselves as we have, and have no railroads,
telegraphs other like inventions. which
belong in their perfection to our own age
and race. If the result of this embassy is
to open China to the world and place her on
equal footing with other nations. the
Chinese will not be the sole gamers, but even
we can learn many things from them, while
teaching them many more
The embassy has been received very cor
daily here. had the pleasure of witness
ing their reception in the House of Repre-
5entatives, and good opportunity was there
given for taking good survey of them
There were two mandarns, who both pos
sessed the Monaghan features, one being
particularly homely. They accepted the
situation, and went through the ordeal of
hand shaking very handsomely, while the
young attendants enjoyed the whole scene
greatly. Of these six attendants, two speak
very good English, and two others French,
and none have bad faces at all, though per
haps they would be considered rather sleepy
looking for Americans. The ladies would
certainly envy their elegant hair and their
gorgeous silk dresses. 1t is said that after
the ambassadors were appointed, some Euro
pean, with accustomed impudence, himself
rather plain man, demonstrated with the
Emperor against sending such homely men
W noroISn COURTS Thu Minioto, of Foreign
\ fairs for tho FIN miro ratortaJ NJ +bo
" estern powers always send handsome men
to China?''
We certainly can donothing less than hope
that their mission will be successful, and
that all Christian nations will gladly en-
brace the opportunity to open the whole
world to the influences of Christianity, and
hasten to remove entirely the distinctions
and jealousies caused by race and color
RECONSTRUCTION.
| hoped that l could tell you to-day of the
completion of the reconstruction of those
states which have adopted their constitutions.
but though they are virtually admitted, the
bill having passed both Houses by large
majority, they are now awaiting the action
of the President In regard to them In the
Senate the vote was 81 to 5, and it is a curi-
GUS fact that not one of the Republicans who
opposed impeachment, voted against the bill
and OF course none of the others did. In
the House the vote was IL to- o Thus Won
see that two-thirds vote is secure in each
House 1t is thought that the President will |
hardly veto it. but will show that he prom |
ised to withdraw all opposition to reconstruc !
ton if he should be saved from impeachment
Arkansas is the only state that is quite ready
for admission, she having adopted the con-
stitutional amendment. Virginia and Texas
will hardly be ready for admission this SEES
sion while Mississippi will probably just edge
in. have taken great pleasure in examin-
ing the constitution of these states, and find
them very different from those in force before
the war. The United States authority is