Pioche daily record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1872-1876, 1873-12-11
THE ..CIyHIZED HEATHEN. "


This was the subject Of lecture by a
Mr.. Murray recently, in wich the lecturer
made ferocious onslaught upon the
American hallucination that our civiliza-
ton surpasses that of any other people.
He actually poured gall and NORWOOD
into the cup from which Americans have
drank self-esteem and self-glori6cation
these many years. Mr.. Murray first
took up the religion Of Buddha, Of which
be said:
The word has strange heathenish
sound to US, and to church-goers sug-
gests only heathenism. Yet religion
that numbers nine nations Of followers,
more than half the world, and has al |
ready developed more Of art and science
than we shall in 500 years more, and
must be treated with respect. We may |
learn that our religion can ind some |
things to copy, and New England go to
school to China, Japan and Ceylou. The
basal idea OF this religion is the ''infnlte
capability of human intellect 1t has
nothing sensual or emotional about 1t.
It is pure rationalism, better than any
Ralph Waldo Emerson ever taught, ez-
cept what he borrowed from it. 1t always
appeals to reason; tolerates no passion
or undue appetltes; seeks to win con-
verts only by argument and persuasion.
Its weapon is,the sermon, lis champion
the brain, and its reliance argument.
For 1890 years it has never known
but one religious war, and that Is so
small that nothing definite can be learn
ed about it. How does this compare
with European history and the records
of our ancestors in New England? Take
a thousand years from human history
and see how Buddhism was continual
ly an instrument of peace and tolera-
ton, and European religions the insti-
tutions Of war and prosecutions. Bud
dhism never prosecuted; never deceived
the people; debased or discouraged liter
AZURE; appealed to prejudice or passion;
never appealed to the sword. If this is
heathenism it is civilized heathenism.
But the heather is more. He is human
being. The Buddhist priest recognizes
as q ''man and brother" whoever has
intellect. 1t is only Of late years that we
have learned that the church and State
can exist apart. But the Buddhist re-
ligion has no connection with the Gov
eminent now, nor has it for the past 500
years. We establish hospitals for suffer-
ing humanity-they for suffering brutes
as well. Our magazines are just begin
ming to advocate the planting of shade
trees, and shall We do it, if at all, as q
matter Of taste? They have done 1t from
sense Of duty. for thirty centuries. We
entertain strangers-at hotels, II they
pay. Their poorest huts are always
open and they receive every stranger as
a guest of God. to be given the best of
everything. The testimony of missiona-
ries who have spent years among them,
is that they are very polite, almost uni
versally temperate, and that indecencies
of word or act are almost never seen
Contrary to the generally accepted belief
children are kindly treated, the meI
taking delight in helping to care fol
them; widows with children are thought
more desirable as wives, than those with
ont, maternity always bringing respect
Here it is hard to get any law agains
the sale Of Intoxicating drink, but Chin
long ago refused to license the sale @
opium, on the high moral ground that
was not right to license any evil what
ever.
Referring to China, Mr.. Murray wa
more complimentary than the San Fran
cisco Chronicle has been at any tim
within the past six months. In his RI
marks he gave Americans some hon
thrusts, which we copy for their edific'
ton. On this branch of the subject II
lecturer said:
Its China'sl mechanical triumphs al
unrivalled. rs great wall stands alor
as work of masonry; its largest canal
twice as long as the Erie; it was perforate
with artesian wells 1000 years ago; inc
ulated all children in the ninth, and pc
sibly in the fifth century; had splend
libraries of printed books centuries befo
the art of printing was discovered. III
basal idea Of the government is the p
ternal and here is one of the chief re
sons of its stability. The Emperor
considered the father Of the nation. A
other reason is that revolt is always
order in China; that is, the governme
is never overthrown, but the Emperor
liable to be at any time. What have ,
10 OHtr IOT tuest tuiuSo' Soii upeioi
Ability to deceive? The governme
idea OF China rests on education. MOI
but thorough scholars are honored wi
Office, and the poorest may work himse
up to any station. Can we offer NOR
Their arstocracy is of brains, and it is be
ter than the French of military power, Il
English of blood, or ours of wealt
What can we give them? They are w
fed, we'll clothed, universally educate
have every art and science. What {
you propose to do? To teach them
cheat? To forge? To get drunk?
become irreverent? To adop. our fearf
American profanity, grosser than any I
earth? To give Illinois, Arkansas
Texas ignorance to nation that has h.
common schools for over 1000 year
To introduce Yankee ofice-holders al
New York rowdy Congressman? Or
we propose to send Bibles, and, as W
recently done, send three missionarl
and 240 barrels of rum on the same shi
When, after 20 or 40 years observation
such things, these educated men rep
diate our religion, what will you sa
The trouble is, we have not reduced o
religion to practice. They know me
of this life, we of the life to come. WI
we need is not more ecclesiastical n
chinery, but more piety. When Anne
lean habits are better, when We ha
escaped heathanism at home, we sh
be more ready to go abroad.
A CURIOUS case is that of John Ste
A.