Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1869-07-24

only Of his power Is delegated 10 the
officers Of the government. SO. also. in
the family, the parent is supreme. but
also responsible for the conduct of the
children. The entire population Of n
city is responsible for the citizens; each
ward for its families; each family for It's
members No crime is greater than the
violation Of filial duty in the family re.
lation, and all crimes acting against the
public good, are brought to the doors of
the public sponsors. .' H.I
But the Chinese, always too material
and practical a people to vest the control
of the imperial will In heaven alone. es.
tablished, so far as We know. first AMONG
mankind, the principle that the will Of
tho people and the will Of Heaven are
synonymous. Inthc Shu-King, compiled
by Confuciis, 500 b. c., from authorities
much more agcient, we find the following
axiom: "rhat which Heaven sees and
hears, mailifests itself in that which the
people see aud hear" "That which The
people judge worthy of reward and pun.
isbmeiit indicates what Heaven desires
to reward and punish" Again il is said
in the Chung King "The wise Emperors
Of ancient times used the eyes and ears
of the empire to see and hear, for the
wishes of tile people that the intentions
of Heaven are manifested" Believing
thus firmly that "tiieivoice of the peopie
is the voice OF God,n council of The
wisest men Of the empire, themselves
rsised from the people, has ever sur
rounded, The throne, holding the position
Of cens0rs, iheinorializing the Emperor
on the state Of the country, and rener-
ally not hesitating to risk their lives in
efiticising q wrong policy. ia' iar'f'' P
As the people Arc the children OF the
Emperor, they are ;ill equal as members
'Of Uiie fanii.y. There is no distinction
OF class The drscendants of Contucius
have indeed by that title certain priv.
leges of nobility, and the members OF the
imperial family form, during the exist
ence of dynasty, class OF mobiles; but
they enjoy only few slight proroga-
tives, which end with the ninth remove.
Whenever q citizen has rendered some
signal service to the State, advancing
the public. good, he is enobled, receiving
certain titles and privileges, but these
cease at his death, his descendants hav
ing no further share in them than the
honor OF being his offspring AS no
nian can be greater than his father, the
whole line of ancestors is enUbled. Thus.
an aristocracy is formed, indeed, but it is
wisely perpetuated backward into the
outer world. ''| L"" "t
All being equal, competition for Office
is open for all. Education is universal,
and proficiency IN scholarship forms a
basis of this competition. The govern
ment, 1t is true, appoints most OF the
othcials, but they are chosen from those
who, IN tie successive competitive exam
nations, take the highest houors
That these principles have not merely
been acknowledged, but that they have
been the true handspring, acting weakly
at times, IL Is true, the Chinese nation at
this day a standing proof Among
tn m alone, Of all people, has the pril-
ciple thai forms the basis of our own
government, the equality Of man existed
through all history. q ~
The early philosophers cf China taught
these doctrines as Il moral and political
code, and as the only just basis of gov
erilinent. AT that time the country was
split up into numerous teudal kingdoms,
but when, some time alter the death of
Contucius, the empire was consolidated,
the doctrines OF the great teacher be-
came gradually the rule of action, and
until the present time they have never
lost ground III their hold upon the na-
tlonal mind. AS q code OF morals it Is
not ventnfing too much to say that the
writing of Contucius have always been
and still are as much respected as is the
creed of ahy other people.
The universal esteem in which scholar
ship has eyer been held has made educa-
ton one Of the chief aims of life to
greater degree in China than in most
other nations. AN aristocracy of intel
lect has here the position which in other
countries is assigned to birth or wealth
schools arg universal, and the proportion
OF the inhabitants who are unable to
read and Write is very small. The class
les and the history OF their own country
are very generally studied. That their
ability To learn is not confined to the
groove of their own system OF study is
shown by, the, instances of Chinese edu-
Gated in the west. About twenty years
ago two Boys, children Of very poor
were cent to America to be in
stracted. After leaving the school at
Mupson, oie went through Yale, and in
took the highest place ia
English composition; the other carried
Off the highest honors in Surgery and
botany in the University of Edinburg.
Since ltaat lime the first has carried the
experiences gained in the west into the
conduct of his business in China, and
the other il esteemed by the European
residents # English colony Of Hong |
Kong as one Of the best surgeons in the |
East, TheIscience OF war is considered |
inferior. to lscbolarship, and the Chinese
are essentially q Peaceable people, al |
though they have carried on great wars !
during Efficient periods Of their history. |
!, The power OF the central government |
g felt but lightly throughout the empire
There is 4 practical decentralization
which leaves a'wide scope for free action |
10 the provinces and their subdivisions