The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-06-28
China. and tho chinese.


China and tho Chinese.
AS China is very much of terra
incogmita to us, and the Chinese re
garded a peculiar people-as people
generally know of them only that
they are fond of rats-we have
thought that some extracts from the
account given in the World of the
recent entertainment given in New
York to Mr.. Burlingame and his
four Chinese companions, fresh from
the celestial country" would be in
teresting to the readers of the Phos-
mic:
- DRESS OF THE CHINESE.
The Chinese were dressed in 'full
dress, " which consisted of gowns of
rich Chinese silken material with
tunics Of the same, and an umbrella
shaped hat, such as our readers
will remember to have seen in their
school biographies upon oriental
heads. The hats of the guests last
night were made of fine woven
straw, over which foated red tassels
of horse hair. On the top was the
official button, those of the two mi
nisters being of red coral, making
them as of the second order of Man
darins; and those of the attaches
being Of crystal, which belongs to
the fifth order of Mandarins. These
hats, according to our ideas of hats,
(but again we'repeat it, tastes differ
were not graceful in appearance, and
gave the Mandarins who, in accord
ance with the custom of their coun-
try, wore them the whole evening,
rather effeminate appearance. Chih-
tajen and Sun-tajen do not under
stand English, and we're consequently
at disadvantage and entirely de-
pendent upon Secretary Brown, who
sat between them. They, however,
enjoyed their dinner and the applause
with which Mr.. Burlingame-upon
whom they looked with evident vene-
ration, as became them, toward their
chief in the Embassy-received in
token of the good will of the Ameri-
cans toward the nation he represents.
Fung-laoyeh and Teb-laoyeh, on the
other hand, both speak English, and
manifested lively curiosity and en-
joyment of the conversation and
amusement of the witticisms of the
speakers to the toasts.
PROGRESS OF CHINA.
And 1 aver that there is no spot on
this earth where there has been
greater progress made within the
past few years than il the empire of
China. She has expanded her de-
fences; she has reformed her revenue
system; she is changing her military
and naval organization; she has
established great school where
modern science and the foreign Ian
guages are to be taught. She has
done this under very adverse circum-
stances; she has done this after a
great war, lasting through thirteen
years-a war out of which she comes
with no national debt. You must
remember how dense is her 'popula-
tion; you must remember how diff
cult it is to introduce radical changes
in such q country, and that the in
PRODUCTION of your steamers threw
several thousand jinkmen out of
employment; the introduction of
several thousands of foreigners into
single service was resisted by O
party led by one of the greatest men
Of the country, and yet in spite of
this the present enlightened Govern
ment of China has advanced steadily
along the path of progress, sustain
ed, it is true, by the enlightened rep
resentatives of the Western powers
now at Pekin-guided and directed
largely by modest and able man,
MIR. Hart, Inspector General of Gus.
toms, at the head OF the foreign
service Of China.
CHARACTER OF THE PEOPLE Oh
CHINA.
I say, on the contrary, that it is !