The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-11-25
China. &c.
Correspondence to the New York Evening Elk.
press from the Hon. James Brooks.

press from the Hon. James Brooks.
PEK1NG, August "a. 1871.
To-day have had two grand vlslts-one
to the living temple of the great Contuclus,
and the other to the grand temples of the
Buddhist Lamas. VINO here represent the
Grand Lama of Thibet and the Lamas Of
Mongolia. Iapproach the temple of Con-
fucius as / once approached Jerusalem, Or
the Areopagus, or the Pantheon, or West
Minister Abbey, or the Sorbonne. 1t Is the
we'll of knowledge in China-the light, the
only light, where no Bible Il read. Con1u-
cius was born about 800 Il. o., and from the
his books have ruled the kings, the
mandarins, the people of China-lhat is,
nov about one-thrd Of the human race.
Christianity and Confucianism are yet d.
yiling the empire of the world. Over two
thousand years Confucanism has kept
together, under stable government, now
the oldest Government on earth, one which
has survived all the empires and wrecks OF
the European world. Hence, one must 90
ND to the temple of Confucius as one goes
I'D to the AreopaguS, if not to Mars Gtll
and Jerusalem. ConiuciuS was wiser and
greater than Aristotle, or Plato, or Cicero,
or Seneca. His political and social lessons,
and obedience to them, have saved China
nations in Asia, Europe, and Africa.
There is nothing very remarkable IN this
temple of Confucius to look at. The asso-
citation is the only inspiration. The hall is
lofty. the roof supported by large teak pill
lars from Southwestern China. The front
is broad and handsome marble terrace,
with bsluStrades, assembled on three sides
by seventeen steps. The Inscription on
the tablet, In Chinese and Manchu, is:
The tablet OF the soul OF the most holy ancestral
teacher, Confu :ius."
Tablets of other four distinguished
sages-Mencius, Tseng-tsi, 1en-hWay, ana
Tzs.sze-are placed, two on each side;
and six more, celebrated men Of The school,
occupy Il lower position on each side. On
the walls are handsome tablets IN praise OF
Conruclus. Each new Emperor presents
one in token Of veneratlon for the sage.
Some Of these are:
"oF ALL MEN BORN, TIE UNRIVALLED.'
"EoUAL WITH HEAVEN AND EARTH.
"EXAMPLE AND TEACHER OF ALL AGES.
On each side of the court is range OF
bindings where there are tablets to more
than hundred celebrated scholars. On
the east side are seventy.eight Vlrtuous
men. and on the west tifty-four learned
men. Then, there are rows OF tablets, or
monuments, with the names of the success
full competitive scholars who, at the tr.en-
NAL examinations in Picking, win Their
honors on topics given to- them when shut
up for three days with only pencil and INK
for companions, all books and all other
companions excluded. These tablets look
as il they ran back for three or four hun
dred wears; but the names of those over a
century old cannot be deciphered, US time
has obllterated the engraYlngs maue OF
them upon the marble. What better shows
the vanity of human pursuit, of ambition,
of the love of glory? 1t reminded me OF
the Consular tablets on the Capltoilne Hill
of Rome-but what vanity is it all
Nevertheless, these competitive examina:,
tions and contests have the widest and
greatest influence over the Chinese En-
Dire. They open the door OF promotion to
the very poor as well as to the rich. and
they make every humble person feel"
can be mandarin ~ 6 can have the go;
vernment of q province ;" can gee, knee
by, and advise the Emperor ! " They con-
vert the absolute, hereditary, and other
wise uncomfortable and supposed-to-pe
heaven-given despotism into an educateo
democracy. Learning must goVern-not
blOckheads and ignorance. a man musl
knop something in order to rule. The 20.
yernment, in short, Ia put In the hanas