The New York herald., 1870-10-06

Boodlst religion. any number OF gods the greatest
Or "The Old Boy" ana the most merciful @ Of which
| is Lootyoo. the god OF medicine
There Is another sect TO which all the government
officials Ostensibly belong which cannot be called
| religion, but rather the absence oi religion. The
adherents OF this doctrine claim to be followers Of
the Conluclan teachings and practcers oil those ra
tionalisttc theories which his precepts tend Con-
fucius recognized no God, but went about teaching
morality aud advising people to practice 1t ior their
THE RIDICULOUS FEATURES OF CHINESE CHRIS
The aborers OF China, as q class, have no clear
idea OF any one religion. The belief or this coolie
class Or their faith may be called belief at ALL Is
MADE up BY strange combination OF all that "
natural and mysterious to be found the faifh OF
a o. o the several e, sec they equal devotion
homean, Jewish, Catholic ana heisttc ideas, CON-
blned with superstition that makes every circum
make up the faith OF the class from whence the
laborers for America There may be something
p0etical about the mind that
Finds tongues trees, books the running brooks,
Sermons IN stones. aud good In everything;
but the coolies belief that trees brooks and stones
benent man. as they may happen 70 Ieel. Is lar from
being poetical one. 1t keeps the soul constant
bined with the other cooe IDEAS, that the heavens,
tue earth, the sea. the sky Paradise and hell are
alled with wranging, nckle, avaricious gods whose
shall he made OF man here aud his soul hereafter 1t
becomes tss douS,y terrible Then the beasts
insects are supposed to contain the souls OF
future generations, OF the generation thai
grandmother is COW, his grandfather an all igalor.
his little sister Goldfish, his father buffalo and his
alone because he has no means to purchase and
burn mock money! 10 SIMPLY her necessities, is as
terrible aud harassng to the believer 1t is rdicu
lous TO u.s. HIS life Is state OF fear. Blue devils
hold dire calamitles over his head at night and
white ,rooed imps repeat the threatenings by day.
He VIII be punished by one god tf he does an act,
and sc0uIged by another II he does it not.
THE ILL WILL OF THE GODS.
This superstit0us religion OF the lower classes
places great and dangerous power In the hands OF
the rulers They may be never so cruel and the igno
rant coolie VIII excupatc them from all blame, and
still thinking the Chinese government the best on
eartn win attribute all his hafdships to the i'll VIII
or some devil god whom no has offended. This has
been the case for the past twelve years. The
tyranny OF the rulers, shown By the laxity In the
execution OF justice, high taxation and low
wages, combined with a threatened famine.
has awakened the fears OF the coollc
classes ana made tnem doubly vigant In their
sacrifices the evil spirits. This feeling strongly
excited In 1858 and again In 1852 has been Kept up
and increased each year by the exactons OF the gov
ernment until the religious condltion OF many at
present is a state OF terror.
AN INTELLIGENT CHINAMAN ON THE SUPERSTITION
OF HIS RACE.
The following letter. written by an intelligent and
educated Chlnaman. gives interesting testimony on
the matter OF the superstition OF mis- race:-
'sSAoRAMHNTo, Cal, Jan. 81.
DEAE sIR-It is with doubt take my pen in
hand communicate with you. the 18th
bes pardon for this long delay hope You don't mean 10
s w ss a% % schor % lar N % %
say IT, My opinion the religion which YOU cali
ana as they have little chance to grow Il educa5n p "a
Sy sssss "ss sna s"ays
% asn
. .o%s ).
s % All asr ssa
here in 3 for long time don't seem e be
ha makes them uneasy and want to go away How bad
o1s
China all slaves and NO r'ce at all which wond DC sad they
great sword horizon to horizon. and that they lind
sometimes in ihe ssy with $rcas smoke under e All much
fearful and 50 they don't back when ready They ask the
he dom. tell You must think aaythins Of H.
If they could cannot thns MANY ihem here BE-
'y y U % n by ike s ann ana 90
Bu, we wl al home time when the hang shang
much business they much TOO ihey are n.
told that my coun,yen like not China. All Of US viii
and weep TOO Please write me and say you love this
PRIDE, rEAE AND CUNNING or THE COOLIES.
| Whatever difference OF opinion may be entertained
about their intellectual ability. or with regard TO IN
divdual integrity, there be but little controversy
over the statement that PRIDE fear anu cunning are
ter TneJ pride themselves on their ancestry; tney
pride themselves upon their family wlth all the re-
ations; and they pride themselves upon their fea-
lures and any race that differs from them is ugly
and unattrachve; and they pride themselves on
their dress, and even the best educated
glory IN new gown or new pair OF
Shoes With all the simplicity Of a child. Fear, as
has been stated, enters largely ipto their religion,
form many arduous ceremonies to insure that atdeitys
good Win, While they almost wholly neglect the
benevolent and propitious gods to whom they are
Indebted Tor all their blessings. Their superstltlons
consist, IN great part Of omens oil evil that work
upon the fears. They dare not stir IN defence OF
then rights under their own laws and sufter almost
Incredible tOrtures rather than offend officer OF
justice They are afraid OF every person occup wing
higher station than themselves, ana TO all out
| ward appearance would endure much prlvaton
rather tna tranSgrcss his slightest viii. WItn ali their
dlsrespcet Tor foreigners they are AFRAID Of them,
| and the presence OF European bearing an Official
character seems 10 strike them with something like
awe. They are also deceltful ana cunning people,
| ana whenever thej can trallssfesS custom Or a
statute without exposure TO ridicue the penalties
Of law think they would not hesitate do it, pro-
vided tney were TO gam anything by so dong.
| They dare not take much risk and they cum
Mug enough TO know ald weigh the chances. If
tae subject over and over IN then minds and look Of
1t from all possible situations before they make any
| move. The policy OF the government IN its inter-
with foreign nations shows this spirit OF
pride, fear and cunning Had it been bold and less
| proud depending on the justice OF its proposals
/ China and may say the whole world would have
| been much benehted by our diplomatic intercourse.
/ THE BURIAL OF CHTNAMEN IN CHINA.
1t mas been supposed by many that they were
the most patriotic people on the race Of the Whole
earth. THIS idea mas doubtless arisen from the
/ exhibitions OF national prdc to be found among
the higher classes. and the universal desire OF
| grants TO be carried back when they die and lie
| buried In their native SOIL The latter act, how
| ever, owing much more to their superstition
than TO their love for the land Its institutions.
They have an Idea-the coolies more especially
that somehow the spirit fingers near the body or
lts back and forth between the grave and The
ettered tablet set up to be worshpped IN the Kitchen
OF his relations. They also believe that cetran
localities are lucky and certain others unucky. ana
that wel-nade grave with plenty Of burning JOSS
sfir nltp OFF gnf an m IA lee
locality. II the body OF deceased parent rea.
rve Is buried III very fortunate locality--oue that
is blessed by the presence OF an naginery spiri OF
luck called Fuug Shwuy--they believe that
tins proptiOus circumstance WIN build up
The fortunes OF his family by making IL
learned wealthy and numerous. A. the Chinaman
feels that alter death ne VIII be dependent upon his
living relatives for mock money! 10 make his pur-
chases while in purgatOry. and thar he VIII need
into % GuD III