Smyrna times., 1879-10-22
Progress in China.

There are two races of men, one yellow
the other copper. colored, whom certain
Americans, native and adopted wish to
keep on the same political plane. Perhaps
on the whole, those Americans would rather
accord to the red Indian the rights of citi-
zenship than to the yellow Monaghan.
Yet the disparity between the achievements
and knowledge Of these races is not sur.
prlsing as to be almost miraculous. The
Indian is still incontestably barbarian.
lie lives in huts Of sticks and leaves or in
tents Of skins. II uses implements of flint
or stone. His dress is the hides OF beasts.
lie has no books or literature. His food is
Of the coarsest sort and;he knows as little
of cookery as Of art, science or agriculture.
The Chinese, ON the other hand, have a civ
iization so old that when our forefathers
were living as the red Indian now lives
they were II polite and advanced nation.
Long before Europe had dreamed of the
mariners compass, Of gunpowder or of
printing, they were known and used on the
banks OF the Yangtse andi the lIoang.
Books, architecture, chemistry and naviga-
ton were more or less familiar to this sin
gular people for ages before Julias Caesar
was heard Of or before the tribes who made
the civilization Of Western Europe had
wandered from the fastness of the
Caucasus. These facts, standing alone, are
sufficiently eloquent and suggestive; they
need no commentary.
But although these facts are generally
known it is commonly supposed that they
end there and that the Chinese of our own
day are totally unprogressve. That the
suppoSitiOn is inaccurate some news Just at
hand clearly shows, and may be added to
other already cited reasons for treating the
Chinese with respect and consideration. A
Chinese war fleet has been gathered in the
Yangtse with the imputed purpose of
taking part in the expected hostilties with
Japan. The usual notion of Chinese fleet
is that Of a crowd of clumsy iunks which
tiny gunboat could scatter like chafi,
and single rihed cannon dispose Of as a
puntgun does of a Covey Of ducks. 1t may
excite some surprise to know how opposite
to this notion is the reality. The feet con.
sists of steamships having competent com.
manders and engineers, and being other
wise efficiently manned. Their armament
guns. Probably neither the vessels or their
batteries will prove as formidable as they
might be in Caucasian hands; but that the
Chinese should have such a fleet at all is
a remarkable sign ofthe times.
There are other facts at hand which show
that the Celestial Empire is by no means
standing still. An imperial decree has just
been issued directing that pecunary aid
shall he given to an inventive person
named Tung Yu-ch'i, who has given reason
to believe that he can propel steam vessels
without the use Of fire. The same indi-
vidual thinks that he sees his way to in
venting perpetual motion, so that perhaps
he is destined to bestow less upon the world
than in the absence Of such a pretenson
might be hoped for. Still, the interest in
scientific progress that is implied by both
circumstances makes, $50 far as it goes,
against the existence of that uniform inert.
ness popularity ascribed to the Chinese
people or the conception that while the
rest of the world is going forward they are
disposed to lag behind. A suggestion was
thrown out by the Shanghai correspondent
of the London Times, writing July 90, to the
effect that inasmuch as so many of our
most important inventions were in use in
China long before they were discovered in
Europe, a Chinaman may yet startle the
world by some new invention in mechanics
which has arrived at by purely a prior
process of reasoning; and what We now
hear certainly gives fair color to the posi-
bility.
IL Is, no uOuOt, true InaL Lne comparative
inefficiency of the Chinese in war has lead
many people Of the outer world to rate toe
low their capacity otherwise. They do no
love war, and their skill in it is but small
Sitting Bull and his braves would, doubtless
make mincemeat of twenty times thei
: number of Mongolians. Young. Man
Afraid of, his Horses would not be at al
afraid of John Chinaman running down hill
with a sword in each hand, while his com
rades beat gongs and touched off firework
TO inspire the foe with terror in the rear
But nation of traders, artisans and farmers
substantially at peace for generations, VIII,
went into the field and won the creates
civil war known to history, knows we'll hov
, much matter of habit and discipline mill
I tary efficiency is, and will forbear to con
denim for the want Of it people who hav
many other deserving qualities. We cal
teach the Chinese a great deal, but the
can teach us something also; and if, b.
precept or example, they can disseminat
among US improved habits of frugality
: temperance and diligence they will b
. doing quite as much good as their detrac
! tors are likely to do, whose own merits
) admirable as they may be, are by no mean
:. too conspicuous in the particular virtues W
J have cited.