The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-07-05
CHINA AND THE CHINESE.

dern-Virtues and Vices Of the CeIestials.
part OF their philosophers, in fact a part of
the philosophy Of all the Oriental races-the male and
female principle, upon which their theory of creation
Is founded, enters into and forms part of the
governmental economy Of the tawny- phizzed Mon
goans who acknowledge allegiance to the throne of
the dragon. In theory the Emperor Is the father of
his people, the government being based upon the
same ostensble principle those Of the Oriental races
generally. The real name of the Emperor is never
used HOang-te, the Great Man. being the title
generally appropriated to his dusky majesty who is
also termed Huajin, the Little Man, and Kua-kien,
the Little Prince. His edicts are unappealable and
constitute sort Of statutory law Of the kingdom in
contradstinctiOn from the common law, which Is
old as the age Of Confutsee and is handed down in
violate from generation to generation. BY an eX-
peditious though somewhat clumsy mode of print
ing, the body OF these laws in volume form is af-
forded at price so low that no subject of the En-
perOr Is deemed excusable in being without them
and, hence nearly every denizen of the kingdom is
as learned in the laws Of his native country as
Is an ordinary lawyer In those Of any European
country. Further to carry out this theory of the
fathershp of the Emperor, all penalties are inter-
preted in the nature OF fatherly correction for the
good OF the subject, that should his tawny mai.
esty decree that the subject be beheaded or basna-
meekness of an errng youth submitting to the
fatherly reproof Of his natural parent. The death
penalty is administered in two ways, viz: by be-
heading the offender, which is the extremity OF dis.
grace, and by stranguation, which is rec koned less
disgraceu for the reason that in the latter case the
comes the bastinado, which Is administered
for long catalogue Of petty offences.
OF the offence. There is also the wearing of the can.
que, winch ls sort OF wooden yoke fastened about
the neck OF the petty criminal; and there is the
branding upon the fOrehead-whch is only resOrted
to In cases OF repeated offence and marks the victim
as having disobeyed the paternal emperor at least
once too many times. These constitute the classical
penalties according to the theory of the common law
The death penalty Is administered for greater mum.
per per OF crimes than among European nations and
Oriental preferring to be beheaded or strangled
rather than to be held in duress for any term
Europe or America. 1t Is worth the while
TO remark here that in the case of the has.
Of which the public executoners are not tardy in
taking advantage, so that the weight of the blows
received by the condemned Is made to depend upon
the capacity OF his pocket and his liberality in dis
bursting his funds to the functonary question al
belt the blows are always laid on with pompous
exhiDltion OF vlgor, though they may sometimes be
OF the KIND designated as upper strokes heavy and
downward ones light. Whenever criminal Is con.
demned to the bastinado, which is administered
sometimes with ratans and sometimes with bamboo
sticks the administration of the sentence takes place
on the spot, the culprit being Immediately seized
In presence of the magistrate Outside of the elias.
steal or common law, however, second and varied
list or penalties has been developed. OF these a few
only need be specified. In some cases the victim ia
condemned TO stand on tiptoe for certain number of
hours-a penalty which IL executed In exceedingly
ingenious manner. frame is fitted with woke nj the
top which can be moved up and down IN the frame
TO accommodate IL to the height OF the individual.
This frame Is composed Of couple OF upright pieces
about six feet apart which morsed into and set al
right angle swith wide piece OF plank upon which the
victim IL TO stand The cuprit, with arms pinioned,
I'm
the yoke rs fitted to his neck. This being done the
bar and yoke are lifted, carrying up the victims
hcad with them until he Is just able 10 rest his toes
upon the plank Should he relax the muscles OF his
toes OF course he suspends the whole weight OF his
person upon ms neck, and in this s constituted the
agony OF the situation. From long standing On tpt0e
the muscles OF the leg and ankle suffer cxcruciatina
agony, cramps and commissions often supervenng;
while, ON the other hand, any relaxation OF these
wearied muscles leaves the poor unfortunate hang.
ing by the neck and In Imminent danger
OF strangulation. This device Is often resoried
or toinduce an individual 70 confess and is thus anal
ogous to the thumb screw In its purposes though
unlike the latter II has not the eject to main s VIC
tim Another penalty In use constitutes simply a
painful application OF the stocks and ia only applied
10 the ankles Several upright sticks fitted exactly
in point OF distance the ankles OF the culprit are
driven into the ground The sticks are always four
In all two for either ankle Of the culprt and are 30
set That the ankle can be just passed between them
The offender Is then pnioned "a TO the arms thrown
upon bis back and his ankles inserted between the
Upright STICKS which are then drawn together and
tied ut the upper end so bring q thorough and
regular squeeze upon the ankles in question
happens OF course, In this method that all crcula
uon In the rect speedily stopped, while with the
pressure OF the blood and OF the bamboos upon the
ankles the torment soon assumes the most horrible
phases. cramps succeed, and the victim writhes
with pinoned arms and pinioned ankles. Every
nerve becomes abnormaly sensitive and pricks
S an9 he poor nn ss
dies unless mitigation or liberation In extended
Deaths In fact occasionally occur from this mode OF
he Emperors fatheriy correction, though IL Ia at the
option OF the. executioner to liberate should
the strength Of the cuprt be perceived to fail
resort Is had to that system OF extoron which seems
TO De part OF the code OF every public oicer The
cries Of the sufferer are unheedsd the grave faced
which by the way, q word of Monaghan origin, at
which time the ofcia commences to pay some little
attennon. bargain as TO amount Of cash then fol.
lows after which, and according TO the amount spec
aed, the strings or grths u the top are relaxed or
loosened altogether. fearful swelling Of the feet
and ankles b consequent upon this method OF adj.
mnsfering public justice, while occasionally morti.
ncst,on ensues ser the cnlprt has been liberated
anu resort u nad 10 the clumsy operations OF native
surgeon.
third method Of administering justice IL by
process known "a straining, which consists simply
Of Juggling az the culprit's legs and arms In this
case the culprit w laid nat on his back Eight execu-
TONERS taen seize hold Of him. two at either arm and
In nearly opposite directions those at the legs pull.
ing partially ct tangent and those At the arms
pulling forward very littie but mostly lateraIly.
upon the whole body IN four different drections.
here, as In other cases. liberal fees TO the EIGHT
executioners have material erect in modi.
Tying the severity OF the pulling. Other methods
OF torture are reeorted 70 for the purpose of
ext0rttng confessions; but these are mostly at the
option OF the State, and form part OF the regular
code OF penalties they may be passed over with q
single exception that OF compelling the victim To
keep awake for given length Of tnne the operar
ton OF which has been too frequently descrtbed 10
need particular explanation.
TO recur, therefore, TO the organization of the
State, II has been stated that the male and female
principle e understood by the anctents, u one OF
application Of this principle to creation
heaven y reckened ~ the male principle
and earth the female. In govern
nsns The Emperor b the representative OF
heaven. or the male principle; while Tue BmDssss
= the eptthet aoDlisd to the Emperos. while Hosng.
hoi " Ne ta>aS q We ansress. uhs = - wus e