The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1873-04-17
The Chinese.

OauChblhn THce, nave MI ibb pOliblchit
moral, and social capabilities. Long
ago, they reached a higher plane OF
civilization than most OF the European
nations attained until n much later
period. The Western states have since
risen above that plane. The whole
world is anxiously inquiring whether
China is to retrieve the advantages she
has lost, and if she is TO come within
tho family Of modern civilized states.
Mr.. Burlingamo's sanguine tempsra-
ment and charitable disposition led
him to form too favorable IN opinion Of
the present condition Of China. In his
anxiety to secure n more liberal policy
on the part Of the Western nations to-
ward the ancient empire, he gave us to
understand, especially in his speeches,
that, while China has much to learn
from the Western states, she is not
without some peculiar institutions
which they may advantagsously adopt.
This is not quite true. Although China
is far from being a barbarous state, yet
every system and institution, there is
inferior to its corresponding one in the
West. Whether it be the abstract
sciences, such as philosophy and psy-
chology, or whether it be the practical
forms of natural science, astronomy,
geology, geography, natural history,
and chemistry, or the concrete ideas of
government and laws, morals and man
ners; whether it be in the aesthetic
arts or mechanics-every thing III China
is Gillette. Chinese education rejects
Chinese industry prosc,ibes
invention Chinese morals appeal not
TO conscience, but to convenience;
Chinese architecture and navigation es-
chew NIL improvements Chinese gov
ornment maintains itself by extortion
and terror Chinese religion is mater
ialistic-not ever mystic, much less
spiritual. II we ask how this inferior
ity has come about, among II people
who have achieved 80 much in the past,
and have capacities for greater achieve
ment in the future, we must conclude
that, owing to some error in their an
Client social system, the faculty OF in
v~ention has been arrested in its exercise
and impaired.
China first became known to the
Western world by the discoveries Of
Marco Polo in the thirteenth century.
AT that period, and until after the ex-
plorations of Vasco dc CANA, China
appears to have been not comparatively
great, prosperous, AMI enlightened, but
absolutely so. An empire extending
from the SHOWS of Siberia TO the trop-
les, and from the Pacific to the noun
sources of the great rivers of Continent
al Asia, its population constituted one
fourth of the human race. Diversified
climate and soil afforded all the re-
sources of public and private wealth.
Science and art developed those re-
sources. Thus, when European nations
came upon the shores of China, in the
sixteenth century, thoy found the EN-
pire Independent and self-sustaining.
The Mantchoos on the north had in
yaded the empire and substituted n
Tartar dynasty at Marking, but tho
conquerors and the conquered were still
Chinese, and the change was n revolu-
ton and not n subjugation. China,
having thus attained all the objects of
national life, came to indulge q senti-
hent OF supercilious pride, under the
influence of which she isolated herself
from all other nations. Her govern
ment from its earliest period was in the
hands Of a scholastic and pedantic
class, a class which elsewhere has been
fonnd incapable Of practical rule.
Since the isolation took place, that
class has effectively exercised all the
powers Of the state, in repressing in
quiry and sitting invention, through
fear that a change in any direction
would result in their wi overthrow.
The long isolation of the empire, and
tho extirpation of native invention, have
ended in reversing the position OF
China. From being self-sustaining and
independent, as she was when found by
the European stsaes, she has become
imbecle. dependent, and helpless.
Without military science and art, she is
at the mercy Of Western nations. With.
out the science Of political sconomy,
the government is incapable Of min.
tanning an adequate system of rsvsnae
and, without the science of Western
laws and morals, IL is equally incapable
OF maintaining an impartial and eYso-
tive administration Of j~nstice. Having
refused ~ adopt Western arts and
sciences, the government is incapabl,
of establishing and maintaining q bono
fetal domestic administration: ynsm'
reotions. and fevolutions are therefor,
unavoidable, o can the government
ropress then without the aid Of the
Western powers. She pays the En-
ropeau nations for making her clothing
for her people, AID the arms With which
they must defend themselves. She i'm.
q. rtt .gfS .Hf.
IaF anvil :. 81
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