American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-07-11
Chinese Ideas About Death.

THE Chinese are almost Indifferent to
the phenomenon of dissolution, and fire.
quently compass their own end when life
becomes wearisome. a wife sometimes
elects to follow her husband on the star
lit road of death; and parents will de
stroy their offspring in times of famine
and great distress rather than allow them
to suffer Still more remarkable is the
custom of selling their lives in order that
they may purchase the superior advan-
tage of obsequies, which are considered
to insure the body in safety for the fu-
ture resurrection. n wealthy man con-
dcmned to death will arrange with his
jailer to buy him substitute for GER
tain sum of money, to be spent upon the
poor wretch's interment and preservation
of his body. Should he have parents, so
much is usually paid to them in compen-
sation for their sons life. Cinnamon in
variably help to support their parents;
filial respect and devotion is the great
Chinese virtue and religious precept, in
which they rarely fail. Regarding death
rs inevitable, he makes the best of IA bad
bargain, and cunningly and comically gets
paid for dying. The wholesale destruc-
ton of life in this country is greatly the
result of Indifference. Hence the massa-
ere of Europeans, so terrible to us, seems
to them matter of little moment, and
they cannot comprehend why we should
make fuss about it. They regard our
indignant protestation very much as we
might treat our irate neighbor whose dog
we had shot We'll, well, be pacified; if
it was such a favorite, l am sorry; but it
is only dog, and there are plenty more
How much do you want to be paid for
it," g" You English think so much of a
life argues the Chinese; " have you not
plenty of people at home?' Death in
China is awarded as the punish
ment for the most trivial offenses
and frequently for none at all, except be-
ing in somebody's way. A story was
told to me as IA fact that, during the visit
of one of our royal princes, a theft was
committed of a watch or chain belonging
to the royal guest The unfortunate at
tendant was caught with the property
upon him, and, without further ceremony,
his head was chopped off. The mandarin
in attendance Immediately announced
the tidings to the Prince as IA delicate at
tention, showing how devoted he was in
his service To his establishment the
Prince expressed his great regret that the
mans head had been taken off Your
Highness," cried the obseouious manda-
rim, bowling to the ground, g it shall i'm
mediately be put on again. SO little did
he understand that the regret was for the
life taken and not the severed head In
times of instruction or famine the now
ing down of human life like corn-stalks
at harvest time is appalling to Euro
pean ideas. / must confess to a nervous
shuddering when / stood upon the exc
cution ground at Canton-a narrow lane
or Potter's tield-where so many hun
| dreds had been butchered per diem during
weeks together, the executioner requiring
the aid of two smiths to sharpen his
swords, for many of the wretched vic
TINS were not allowed to be DESTROYED at
one fell swoop, but sentenced to be
hacked to pieces" by twenty to fifty
blows. / was informed by European
who had Travelled much and seen most of
the frightful sides of life, that witnessing
Chinese executions was more than his
iron nerves could stand; and in some of
the details which he was narrating | was
obliged to beg him to desist. And yet
he said there was nothing solemn about
it, and the spectators looked on amused.
1t was the horrible and grotesque com
bined-Iemi,Le Bar