The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-08-17

tfict (Which is not brutal at all, but
simply placing the body in coffin
and leaving it exposed to-. tile sttn
and air. About nine months after,
the Emperor of China, for whom
Ward fought, ordered the body to be
placed in abeautifully carved sarcopba
gus and taken to Soong Kong, where
it was placed IN the country yard Of
the Temple of Confucius, aud country
yard of the memory in the sanctum
sanctorum of the Temple itself, The
reason assigned for. the removal of the
body was, that it was more appropriate
for the hero to sleep in that great city
which was the first scene of. his dar-
ing exploits. There his coffin can be
seen to-day, among dragof flags
! and under the shadow. of dragons flags
and unnatural wooden images. Some
time during the fall or winter5-so
some of the missionaries at Hong
Kong and Shanghai informed us-the
Emperor, who has not only temporal
and spiritual control of his subjects
here and hereafter, but can manufaci,
ture gods to order and hold them also
in subjection. issued an imperial ediet
declaring Ward to be and to have been
n god, and commanding the Chinese
to pay him the same homage and de-
votion that are paid to the greater
deities of the Empire, except; per-
haps, heaven and earth. Every faIfi-.
ly at once began the worship at their
affairs, and priests set about incorporat
ing his name and deeds into the print
ed religious literature of China. To
the superstitious common people, who
have ten thousand religious notions
peculiar to each locality, Ward will be
the patron saint of such asunder
take dangerous enterprises, 70 the
spirit, invoked at the christening or
naming of children, and the. great
power whose protection will be sought
| in time. of war. All of which will have
its influence upon the Chinese ideas of
| America.
It can not fail to give them an in.
creased interest in that land. For the
fact that their gods and deifed ances-,,
tors were born and lived in China is
what gives the soil here sueflia sacred
character, and creates the desire to be
buried upon it. They have had many
local superstitions in regard to the
United States, and now is added, with,
authority. the story of one of their,
owu deities who was born there. III
Swatow there is story current among
the common people that IN old Emperr-'
or of China went down to purgattry
one day, and asked the great oversc e.
pf soul what he-Emperor- could do
for the good of his people. The over
seer told the Emperor that for tbs
present he could do no better than he
was doing; but when ta fiowery flag
with heaven of stars and the light.
of the North upon its wings sshalF
come over the water to the fewery
kingdom, then shall the great dragon
turn his head to the East and find a,
a land raising from the ocean, to be
owned and enjoyed by his suffering
poor. Then, o Emperor stretch thy
head and look across to the setting
sun and rejoice, for the gods have
given thee another kingdom greater
| than the first. e7 ~ =.
Whether this tradition has, ever
been made to apply to the United
States, do not know, but the fact
that they call our flag the 'aowery
flag" and often make use Of the ex-
preston of the ''heaven of stars when
speaking of the national colors, would
seem to indicate that it was so applied.
Whether religious or superstitious;
J Wa d or gold, is the real incentive,
may be matter for discussion; but
that for some reason thousands, hum
dreds of thousands, are longing and
hoping to get to the United States, ne
one can deny. A thousand influences
have been brought to bear, upon
them in favor of the United States, of
which the canonization OF Ward is the
--latest and perhaps the greatest. And
it is because of these and other in
fuences I shall name that SO many go
to California, as stated in my last let
ter, running such risks for the passage
money. Men in Hong Kong, who
have been in the business, for, years,
told me that the excitement over
Cantonese district that other colonies
and nations could only get such coolies,
as could not by love, force or fraud
get passage to the United States.
Ten vessels have just left. for Cali
forniaan Oregon, filled with Chinese,
and were it not for the pernicious
working of the United States laws,
there would be a handred vessels in
stead of ten.
| o.