The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1873-10-04

FEMALE CnJlUNkW IN CMIv0A'
Aousisus o1eial PaDss % thslgasass .
xitsis ouie
A letter from Shanghai, which We find IL
the London 7Sssss. contains . proclamation
which he's been lately issued BY the Pfovin'
cisl Treasurer of Hupei, district in China
condemninG the destroying Of female chill
dren Il 10 interesting both from ito owl
quaint language and as Illustrating th'
degrceu IF civilization which p,evails in soms
parts Of that country. Il 10 . follows:
"Thr Provincial Trcasuresof Hupei ha'
to issue . proclamation prohibiting. in the
strongest terms, the drowuhg of female
children.
I'm ancient times the girl Tying begged
His Majesty to permit her ts sacrifice hel
liberty 10 order that her fathe,, who was ia
disgrace. might Lr released Ss,n bondage
In another case again, the girl Mulan,
wished to serve rs soldier in order u take
uDon herself the liability Of her oldfssher
W serve in the wass. These instances show
with what filial instincts girlsof Old were
imbued. At the present tine. too, the
Treasurer apprehends, there Is no lack Of
daughters equally ready to acrifice them.
selves .o their parents. or to rnder the names
of their family ~ illustrious ~ filial acts Of
devotion. Such beng the cse, b ~ comes
Il that the female infant 10 lOked upon Is
an enemy from the moment otits birth, and
no sooner enters the world !hsn it is con.
signed to the nearest pool o wster! Ger.
tainly, there are parents ,ho entertain
IN affection for their femak infants and
rear them up, but such number scarcely
reach twenty or thirty per ccA.
The reasons ore either 1st) that the
child 10 thrown away IN disgut because the
parents have too many childea already, ur
(2d) that It 10 drowned from ,hcer chagrin
at having bceotten none BIT females, or
from apprehension that the m,sber vii! not
conceive again readily enougtif che has to
suckle the child, or, lastly. irshe fear that
the poverty of the family willmake 1t difii-
cult to devote The milk 70 Or own child,
when the mother might otherwise hire.her.
self out - vet nurse.
Nov al these ore the met stupid Of
reasons. People seem to be igprant of the
fsct that no men are born rom heaven
without some share of ito blessings, and
that hunger, cold or bodily omfort arc
matters of predestinstion; 20 sla with sons
and heirs. which are even In . greaer degree
dependent upon the destiny Of heasn and
cannot be forcibly coaxed on. of It.
''An that those have to do who areuuable
through poverty 10 feed their childna is to
send them 10 the Founding Hospital where
they will be reared up until they become 10.
men and wives, and where they will dways
be sure Of enjoying natural lifetime.
with regard n the question Of m,ney
or no money In the bridal csskes, meass a
no means Of bringing up family, why tie
bare necessaries OF life for such children I,
the shape Of the cosssest gown and head
gear % not cost much. There are cass
enough Ut poor lads not being able 10 6n1a
wife oil their lives r'nk, &-.~.-~ a a,..sn<r
has ypi =, ,.ser of pUr girl who can1Ss
ind husband, % that there Il evs iess
cause for anxiety on that score.
But there 10 another way Of looiug at
1t. Heavens rctribution 10 sure: sh cases
are common where repeated femal births
have followed those when the infats have
been drowned; that ia, man lOvest0 slsy
what heaven loves to beget. and thos perish
who set themselves against heaven, . those
die who take human life. Also, hey are
haunted by the wrai,hs Of the mrdered
children, and thus not only fail nhasten
the birth Of male child, but run ,risk Of
making victims of themselves b their
behavior
"The late Governor. hearing sat this
wicked custom was rife 10 Hupei, ct forth
the law some time ago in severe pra,ibisory
pro-Iams,ions; Notwithstanding tn, many
poor districts and out-of.she way pieces will
not allow themselves to see what 10 right.
but Otstinately cling to their old illusions.
lila Chieo yin. graduate from Eanghia.
and Others have lately petisiond that .
proclamation be issued once moreprohibis
ing this practice in strung terms. The
Treasurer has now to issue this pDhibitory
proclamation for the Information and In.
struction of the people and soldiey of the
whole province:
Wherefore you are now required and
requested to acquaint yourselves oil. that
male and female infants being Of your own
nesh and blood, you may be visited BY some
mopstrsus calamity II you rear only the
male. and drown the female children.
".Let al heneeforth start up from their
deluSve lelhsTey, and exhort their nsighbors
u eechew this dreadful abomination; let
them cause their families and neighbos to
become slive to it, terrible nature. and with
one viii and consens wrest themselves from
under its pernicious indoence.'
III these exhonasions ars looked upon
any more = mere formal words, and II any
people with conscious wickedness neglect "a
turn over new let. they will Be punished
(bat with one degrss Of additional severity
under lie law providing for The punishmen,
Of 'wilful homicideof ch,ldren and grand
children.'
Relatives living with such ofEepden and
neglecting 70 rescue The children. or delib-
erately melting the parents . drown them,
will also b severely dealt With.
a. n