The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-11-08

or the establishments already existing win suer;
crat OF every size, sailors and pilots will suer II
ey are allowed to construct teegraphs ana railroads
so"es Hal calts mules chairs land INNS and the
coones livelihood will suffer.
Inese arguments against progress used by
the Chinese Minister are very natural ones.
we remember that many intelligent men
argued, when railroads were first proposed,
that horses would become valueless, and
thousands Of people who depended upon the
transportation of merchandise for a living
would starve to death for lack OF employment.
The Chinese have to be taught by experience
that machinery, steamboats, and all mechani-
cal improvements increase commerce, demand
more supplies, give new openings for labor,
make this more valuable, and, il general, add
beyond all estimate to the prosperity of a
nation. The highest civilized nations have
opposed modern Innovations with the same
Chinese arguments used above, and not
until they have been absolutely forced to see
their value have they ceased opposition to
their Introduction.
China will, however, rapidly come up to the
modern mark, for its inhabitants are an intelli-
gent people despite their brain lethargy. They
only want waking up, and Brother Jonathan"
will give them no rest until they have their
eyes wide open to the fact that the New World
is in existence and that the Old must bend
to it.
With Japan the problem Of regeneration is
little more complex. There they have a
feudalism similar to that which existed in
Europe in the middle ages-Church and State
are closely mingled, and despite the SUI
periority of the race over the Chinese they
must 60 through long period of civil warfare
before they can hope to have so good gov
eminent as their Celestial" neighbors China
is well centralized, and through it's admirable
system of education for official power de-
serves great credit at least for placing it's best
men in Office. In this the United States might
with great advantage try to initiate them.
One great source of trouble which appears
to agitate both Japan and China is the per-
sistent efforts of the different religious sects
to force their creeds into prominence. So
great is the opposition among Catholics, Pro-
testants and others that they are with cash
buying converts by the wholesale, to the great
discredit of true religious principles. 1t
appears that the French Catholic Church at
Nagasaki and vicinity numbers some three
thousand converts. Japanese documents are
circulated warning the people against ''the
insidious and poisonous attacks Of the Jesus
men, who violate their eighth commandment,
which says, Thou shalt not steal in Selling
on other countries" 1t is strange fact that
while we get news of these religious dis
in Japan we find in the State docu-
ment of the Chinese Minister, cited above, the
AS to the opening OF the interior for the spread OF
religion your Minister would observe that the Roman
motives, but lately, through the poverty Of the mis-
sionarie3, this nducement has not been held out so
much and their arguments accordingly not so much
believed.
The Confucian doctrine was somewhat obscured
after the Ts'in and Han dynasties, while Buddhism
gained strength. Buddhism had its rise in India,
and II Is now supplanted IN great measure by Mo-
the East and Vest Now has ar snrn1
up In the East and West and opposes Roman Ca
tholicism with much power.
IL Is very evident then, that the different religions
nuctuate from time to time in their vigor. COnfu-
canism has not suffered by attrIti0n through myriads
OF ages and 1t has regenerated China In government
morals manners and doctrines.
If the civilized world is to penetrate Asia on
a religious crusade, following the style of
Spain in her conquests on this Continent, we
may expect much trouble in our contact with
China and Japan. What they both require
are the modern elements of progress, and
trlle religion will result from them If we
offer them in sensible manner Asia will
accept them; but if we commence by stirring
up religious hatreds and planting thereby the
seeds of civil warfare well may the jealous
Asiatic races laugh at our boosted ci vilization
and truly call MS ''outside barbarians.'