The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1878-06-27
a Chinaman's Lecture.

, VINO is master OF English an
: French, has been recently lecturin
In st. Louis. He is only twenty si
years old, speaks huently and with
out notes. His purpose, he sale
was to correct gross misapprehen
sions of the character, habits an,
religion of his country. He con
fessed that the Chinese in tn
United States are the poorest ant
meanest of the race, and that mos
of them are thieves or other crimi
nails, whom the Emperor gladl,
sends abroad. Fifty thousand o
these depraved Chinese have beer
shipped to San Francisco. Vans
Chin Foo would not have us sup
pose that these wretches represen
the masses of his countrymen il
morals or intelligence. On the con
trary, they are the most degraded
of 45O,O00,000 of their compatriots
There are Chinese in the United
States having capital and intelli
gence, but these find it difficult to
adapt themselves to American hab-
its of living and thinking,and there.
fore Americans have very incorrect
notions of Chinese morals and phi
losophy. American missionaries
encounter the same difficulties in
China. Finding themselves driven
into association with the servile
classes, they make deductions from
their conduct and habits wholly un
just to the masses of the Chinese.
The government of China, our lee
turer insists, is the wisest in the
world. Controlling absolutely 49,
100000 of people, it knew nothing
of wars and revolutions till the
white race came with priests and
canons and opium and Bibles. The
Chinese were printing books one
thousand years before English or
French or Roman history began.
They built a suspension bridge be-
fore Christ came, and used steam
boats and cannon and gunpowder
two thousand three hundred wears
ago. No practical use was made of
steam and other machinery because
1T deprived the poor of employment.
In fact, China was civilized before
England was known to exist. The
two races of China and America are
so utterly dissimilar in history.
manners, language, literature and
religion that they cannot compre-
bend one another.
eve Chinese" said the lecturer.
''are recovering somewhat from
these blunders. Many Americans
are in high position in the govern
ment there, and their influence is
felt throughout the empire. The
change was brought about by such
Americans as Secretary Seward and
Minister Burlingame. A like change
will yet be made in America. The
time will come when Americans will
look up the philosophy and the sci
entific teachings of Confucius. CHI.
namen do not worship idols any
more than Catholics or Protestants.
no matter what Christian mission
aries may say to the contrary. The
Christian has an idea that God
smiles upon only one religion, and
that one the Christian religion, and
the people of all other religions are
to be eternally damned. 1 cannot
see how any intelligent man can re-
spect such a religion. The Chris
Lians make a great mistake when |
they neglect their own people to
save Cinnamon"
The two great things which
struck the lecturer on his arrival in
were Mrs. Winslow's sooth-
ing syrup and the Christian reli-
gion, or rather the amount of ad
vertising they received. The reli-
5ion of the Chinaman didn't need
SO much holsteTing up. 1t stood
alone, and the lecturer thought If
,he Christian religion wouldn't
command admiration among the
people without the constant putting
t received, 1T was time to change it
or another religion. China never
'ent out n single missionary, be-
;ause the Buddhists didn't believe
n it. The religion, however, COM
handed the admiration of all the
people at home. 1t was such a re-
igion that, when properly under
TODD, it never failed to make a deep
Impression on the man and to con-
'ince him of its genuineness. Chi
lese tradesmen don't put their
promises on paper The word of a
nan is sacred and nobody swears.
Chlnaman couldn't be hired to
wear. Budha preceded Confucius
TX hundred years, the latter pre-
eding Christ SOL years. The God
hese Chinese prophets describe is
IDENTICAL with Him of the Chris.
ians.
The lecturer further insists that
;hinese forms and ceremonials of
1orship gave origin to those of the
hebrews and of the Romish church ,
5, even as these borrowed from the
)rientals their system o.: moral phi
osophy. No Chinaman, he saws,
yer worshiped an image any more ,
han the Romanist does the picture .
+ the Savior. But the two peoples !
ill never understand one another. !
hey are not only antipodes on the
lobe, but in everything they do
hey reverse each others habits,
lith and actions. The Chinese :
ompass points south; ours, north.
hey read from right to. left; we,
ON left to right. They keep their
ats on, and we take them of, when
ltering a friends house. They !
At, and we walk, with sticks, They !,
Ike soup last, and we first, at the i
lble. They freeze tea and boil S
ines. and Chinese women ride n
5traddle and the men sidewise. 1t =
no wonder the races do not com y
rchend each others virtues, or e
ices, or religions. r
An Astonishing Fact. 8
a large proportion Of the American d
sople are to-day dying from the effects L
Dyspepsia or disOrdered liver. The II
suit Of these diseases upon the masses a
intelligent and valuable people Is {,
Ia L.