The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1871-01-04


wonder of modern engineering. and yet
they have roads over she Himalays
Noun aims equAling the Simplon road
over the Alps. They have two thou
sand canals, the groat highways Of
travel, which serve also for irrigating
and draining. Their Agriculture 10
the best in the world. For hundreds
Of years they have been using the
same land, supporting nm Immense
population, and yet the soil il richer
than ever. We boast much of our
virgin soil, but it cannot surpass
theirs. Th,y have bridge of
granitc at Fouchow, eight hundred
years old. Here many of our bridges
break down If such thing happens
, in China they bastinado tho builder.
All these works we're bnilt and in
complete operation while tho dark
ages lowered over Europe, and the
civilized nations of France, Germany
and England, bowed to priest and
Pope, and monkish PROFESSIONS aud
worshipping old bones and relies were
the earnest occupltion, Of multitlles
in polished Christian Europe. Cor.
tainly the contrast in civilization
is in many points in favor of China.
Great in her system Of laws and
languages. The great Roman empire
in her palmiest days numbered $780,
100000; China exceeda 400, 100000.
The Pandects Of Jnstinian, the great
law code Of the Romans, so highly
culogized by Gihbon, WAS made late in
the empire. The laws of China were
codifed 1000 years ago. These laws
examined by the ablest British
jurists, and commented Oh by the
! Edinburyh Revieo, are pronoNhced
the wisest and best of Asia. and will
compare most favorably with the laws
Of the most civilized nations. These
laws are revised every five yesrs.
This fact proves the Chinese not to be
the stereotyped nation they are So
often represented to be. In China
they all read the same language. AS
the Roman empire was consolidated
by the use Of the Latin tongue and
ours by the English Language, so
China has preserved her empire and
nationality by similar means. In
these respects the comparison is not
unfavorable for China.
Great, too, ia her literary system;
and in this they excel ether liatioas.
Popular education is more general,
aud the social structure, tested and
tried ,hrongh centuries, is more firmly
established than in any other nation.
All public officer are opened to gradu-
ates alone without distinction of birth
nationality, or creed, and inteUysncs
is the only legalized passport to office:
III c emperor is supreme, and yet the
law b nds him so that only literary
graduates can be appointed to office.
Compare this with England, France,
or favored democratic America, and
the palm must be awarded to China.
Great is she in her m,ntrciul ad:
vahtagcs-an unrivalled system Of
f., internal communication immans6
ingenious, active, and laborious peo-
| plea healthy climate--a sel.codst
Of several hundred miles in cxtcnt-a
tonnage equal to that of England,
France, and America. Her mer.
chants-shrewd business men-coming
in contact with English, French, and
Americans. fully equal them. The
rich men scattered up and down
through Asia are largely Chinese.
AS diplomats, as merchants, the uni i,
versal testimony is they are active;
shrewd, agacious men.
CHINA AS AFFECTED by rRorEsTAEf
MISSIONS.
| What is the present state of Chinu7
AS we in America; in our late war, ex-
tinguishcd many abuses and abolish
ed slavery, so these Chinese, by their
last European war, have dohe the
samo thing, freed themselves In d
measure from tho exclusive dominas
tion of an idolatrous religion. Now
oil religions are FREQ, and Christianity
Is tolerated throughout the Empire:
The Radicals are in power. The
uncle of the emperor aud tho leading
viceroys side With aid favor the for.
oigncrs. The cabinet Of the dmper.:
or will compare, favorably with tho
caolhetS OF france, Bngland, or
America. They have established a
national college at Pekif d navaf
school like our Newport; and rYili-
tary school like West Point. All
these Institutions arc under the con.
troll of foreigners; principally British
and Americans In China they have
no tolls upon their canals and bridges.
let America think of this, overfidlen
by many and mighty monopoliee:
They have no banks, no paper money:
They have an income Of three hun.
dred and nineteen millions; iii this
being fourth on the globo. They
have no public debt, though II fey
have had many wars and internal
commotions: Would that our oiviliz.
ed financiers could discover the so
cret, taxes are very light: With oui
; vast debt and enormous taxes, let ut
l pondar {b;S Thoro Z, a lo,tl AssL