The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1872-06-26
PUBLISHER
NUMBER 40.
The Virtues Of the Chinese.
.ssas3t u8

creation, Is constructed on the principle
| of Infinite diversity, natures constant
effort being to avoid repeating herself,
| whether it he in races or-indiviauals.,
A letter from the Rev. DR.. Prime to tbs.
New York Observer recalls some re-
markable contrasts between Chinese
civilization and our. The mariners
compass is made to point South, instead
of North, by putting the index on the
opposite end of the needle; rider
mounts horse from the off side; iii-9
stead of b!aeking shoes, they whiten
them with chalk; the old men f1y the
kites, while the boys look on. ,7'i'i'i
An American, as an act of hospitality
treats YOU to il glass of wine. A China
man Introduces you to his dead grand
mother, in her coffin. He shows you
his own coffin with as bland politeness
as a Frenciinan would show his PEE
lures or an Englishman his dogs. To
express his pleasure ut meeting sou, he
does not shake your hand, but his owu,p
moving them up and down as if he.
were pumping out lis feelings, and the
gush was slow. In cases of small pox
and the itch, this mode of salutation
has the highest HYGIENE qualities. In
stead oftakipg OF his hat, on. coming
into your presence, lie takes off his
shues. AS mark of special honor at
feast. Ire seats you at his left hand,
not at his right, and sends your ladies
into an interior room, TO eat by them
selves, SO that you can get as drunk as
you please without gratifying their
curiosity. a.. .zs e r.
Unmarried women are regarded as
of very little account, but mothers
always rule their children and grand
children, to whatever age they may
attain. Here on the contrary, pretty
young girls command all who approach
them, and the rule of children over
their parents is only less perfect than
their sway over the grand parents.
Here you ask a father how many chill
dren he has and lie answers, perhaps
three. In China he would answer :sone
child and two girls" Chiuamen wear
frocks and carry fans, and the women
wear rantafoons and smoke. In these
respects, however, the two countries
are not very unlike. When a man
malries, his mother acquires the right
to ';boss" his wife rs. well as himself,
which is very conseling to both parties.
The mother7in-luw is coDsoled by hay
ingone more to boss over. The hus-
band is consoled by the feeling that his
labor. is divided. !, The daughter inlaw
is consoled by knowing that she'll do
the same when she becomes,a mother
ln-taw.59ei 10 % $50 .st E.g -aas
a1In China your dressinaller is a man,
If you are a-woman, but the person who
constructs:your hat for you is a woman.
The men wear their hair braided, and
never cut it, esteemipg it, as Sic Paul
says, ''an ornament.n The women do
theirs mp very close, or siiingle it short,
feeling, as the Apostle remarks; that i5
is shame to them to wear long hair.
A book is READ from the left of the page
to the right, from fhe bottom to the
top, and beginning with the last page
and ending with the first The writ
ten language is not spoken, aud the
SPOKEN lanSuag is not written, 'se THAT
two persons may be able to understand
eacli other perfectly by writing when
neither can comprehend q swofd tho
other may say. The detectives sound
a tom tom agthey 60 through the streets
to warn rogues and thieves that they
arc coming. a',''''T'i'J '''f.z7 isft
: The tax coilec tors arc regarded, not
as officers Of the government, but as
licensed thieves, authorized to take all
they can get without, melting my in
surrections which they cannot them
selves suppress. But one of their wisest
customs, worthy of all imitation by
Christians, is, when they get very angry
with their friends, aud nothing but
vengeance and Stake their fury, they
kill themselves, 10 the confident belief
that the enduring remorse of ,hsir
friends, ats having been the cause of
their death, will far exceed their own
temporary and tfifling incopyepiepee
in dying. The more seriously we
reflect upon the pr4foupd deduction of
the Chinese philosophy, the more we
are impressed with admiration and
surprise that it never struck Christians
in exactly the same light.
This brings the sweets of revenge
within the reach of every deserving
young man or woman. 1t enables
every afflicted person who can afford
to invest five cents in ratsbaue, or half
that sum in rope, to punish his enemies
to his hearts content without even
being subjected to trial, except by
corones's jury, who would generally
find verdict Of complete justification.
Had Daniel Mcfarland, for. instance,
been brought up under teachings of
Boodh and Kong futse, instead. of The
odore Parker, he. would have shot him
self instead of Richardson, and would
have left LaiDpy cnutle in esxistp,n.,.