National Republican., 1873-03-08
SLAM AND TuR sIA,fPsF.

Mrs, Leonowens at Lincoln HaiI-Au Tn
teTes'tng Lecture rpon Japan and the
Japanese.
A most respectable audience listened, in Lin. |
coin hall, last night to the remarkable account |
OF Slam and tho slamese contained in Mrs. |
LeonowenS lecture, which Ia q record Of events
and personal histories Included in residence Of
several years duration In Slam a. teacher to the
royal children. The lecture was characterized
by most ornate phrueology, and glowing de-
scrlptions Of the rich and strange country and
people, knowledge Of whom was acquired by
the lecturer 10 an experience almost unparall-
eled.
Mrs. Leonowens expressed the opinion that
the slamese race belong to the same people to
which Europe owes lts civilization, and that they
doubtlesslJ date their senealogy back TO the
days Of Buddha. She spoke Of the city Of Slam
| a. the perfect antlpode OF this city in which we
live, and described the outer and inner walls Of
Slam, the former az being twelve and fifteen
feet In thickness, and gave fine description Of
the city OF yelled or forbidden women, within
the inner walls. 1ts Inhabitants, exclusively
women, perform every function Of citizens
laws, and being themselves its Judges and
chants and mcchsnics. Here no man
hero women form the regular army and guards.
Among the inscrptlons on the entrance gate,
Seiors which al bow, are the words, secrecy
women administer Justice to women. Here
. girls are seen performing all feats Of agile
supple as TO be able, bendlna backward. 10 p,eS
up 9traw. with their eyellds, this latter accom-
plshment requiring
} The gates are guarded by amazons who have
power to klll AL who attempt entrance. Here
scotch physician. who % wa, IN GG sttePasncs eP upon
: described ne result Of their rash endesvor in
rushed out, end. seiSlns the Doctor In her arms,
deposited him IN q deep ditch near by.
! Mrs. Lsonowens said that the
! HARKN or THE srPRRNE ENa
ls composed OF women purchased In different
parts Of the wofld.Perslan, Malay and Clrras-
. thousand slaves. The women Of The royal harein
! appear once day In full dress before the King,
9 and on the birth OF child he Visits the mother
! Is tried BY amalons, and often il heard Of % no
. more. Husbands living outside the walls are
ireqnen,g Visited s,t Sy wives employed within.
q In the priesthood. While priests they are
: FORBIDDEN TO LOOK At woNET,
and earry lana 20 Shield thelr eyes: An amusine
: learned and deyout priest who became enau.
a ored OF pretty English dressmaker at her house
q mssss
Q performed, the lecturer proceeded TO explain
Il only In the case Of tho nfst wife. Courtshlp d
carried on sy the elder members Of families.
sNow-wHrTR DOVE AND RosR
9 are sent to the home Cf the chosen one; n &C
y ceptable, the rose IL kept and the dove senl
= back. The dove not returning, the fact Ia &C
! Sfp'e' 81, as bad om'n' and the match is broker
The bride, richly dressed land Jeveled, Ia me
!, by the groom In new boat Seven youni
!. nlaldena meet them. A pan Of burning Goals 4
= placed between the bride and groom, sitting Ii
70 the middle Of the room under canopy. Eact
takes torch, and as the nres Of them meet tn,
y The lecturer eulogzed the condition Of the peo
y pie In the mining dIstricts OF Siam n comparlsol
y y with tina, Of many English miners. Women an,
n. mers and anyis, and polygamy Ia not practice
~ among the miners. The King hasa
:, and unnumbered concubnes on whom he ha
~ ~ power OF life and death, as did the Chaldiani
y the Egyptians and Hndoos; they sacrifice
~ man, q horse, and hull, aud as narrated b
IN Xenophon, others have done, In ancient timei
0o they, In Siam. annually, make clay image OF
n, ne beautiful woman and cast It into the rvel
~ Innocent young men, deslgnated by astrologer
and seized out Of an assemblage. No petition
prayers or payments may save them. The kin
and all his court treat them with the greatei
Difference, and enJon seven charges upon thei
as the future guardian angels Of the gates OF n
as palace, for which guardianship they are so sacr
IN. Tue lecture concluded with a nne account
re the present King OF Slam. lie was q most an
bllous anu resOlute student, studying EnRlls
ed with great success, and other languages.
en- has granted perfect freedom In religion to h
subjects, and The keynote OF his adninlstratio
se Is the abolition Of all slavery. lie emancipate
ed slaves, serfs, and debtors, and no human bein
1w Ia branded In his name. Al this he accompsht
ed after struggle with his opposing council for Al
months, and the royal edct went forth that aft
he January, 1874, slavery should not exist In Sian
to and q tax levied on all according to wealth
order to remunerate slayeholders, and this wi
81 done In q spirit OF emulation Of Abraham ~
III coin and the free States OF America.
In