St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1879-10-25
Progress ina China.


\. !. t,Ntninx Pos;

49, L. i-N' iii-t '''t'I
There are two races Of men, one yell
low the OF her "copper" cololCu, whom t"r-
tain Americans, nntiNr and adopted,
wish To keep on the SAME political plane.
Perhaps, on tie whole. those Americans
would rather accord to the red indl"ns
thu, rights OF citizenship than TO the yell
low Sionynliar. Yet he disparity be-
tween he achievements and knnWied@r
Of these Races is 30 s.;rrri:;in= as to ht.
almost miraclliutl>. The Indian is still
inroutcr;ahiy Il Barbarian. He lives in
hIts OF >tict.>> and leaves or in tents of
skins. lie uses implements ut flint ar
stone. His dress is the hides OF beasts.
III. has 40 books or literature. His food
is o; the coarsest sort, and he knows as
little III cookery as of art, science or az
ricnltrTe. Ti,r Chinese on the either
hand, have Il civilization 80 old that
when urr furriHt|icr~ We're living aS the
red Indian NOW lives they were: an adj
vuncest and polite nation. Long before
Eurur,. had dreamed I'll the man lnel 5
compass, OF gtutNnWder or OF printing,
they were know uuu used Oh the banks
OF the lanxtsr and the lloaug. Books,
architecture. chemistry and navigation
were more ur lrsS familiar 90 this 1lngu-
lar people. for ny,S before Julius CHSar
va4 htalt. OF, or before the tribes who
made he civilization of " cHtcrIl Europe
had wandered IvnEl the fastnesses Of the
Callra>t@. These facts, standing alone,
are sufficiently eloquent and suggestive.
They need no tomnicutarN.
But although these fact, are generally
known. it is commonly SURPRISED that
they end there, and that the Chinese of
ujlr own day alu totally NnproGreS-lyc.
That the snppus:tion i, inaccurate some
news Just at hand clearly shows, and
may be added to other already cited
reasons for treating the Chinese with
,cSu.ct and consideration. \ Chinese
war fleet has been gathered in the
IaugtSc with the imputed purpose Of
taking ,,art in the expected hostlities
with Jarau. The usual motion Of a
Chinese fleet is that of crnHsl of
clumsy iunks which a tiny gunl,oat
could scatter like chat and a single
riHed cannou dispose OF lis IL shotgun
does of Il covcy of ducks. 1t may excite
some s,,rprseto know how opposite to
this notion is the reality. The feet cou
sistS OF steamships having competent
commanders aud engineers and being
otherwise efficiently manned. Their
armament Includes krupp, Whltworth
and Armstrong guns. Probably neither
the vessels 3or thc.r batteries will prove
as formidable ~ they might hc in Cau-
casian hands: but az the Chinese should
have such Il fleet at all is u remarkable
sign of the times.
There are other facts at hand which
show that the Celestial Empire is By no
means standing; still. M imperial de-
cree has Just been issued directing that
pecuniary aid shall be given to 81 in
veutive genius named Tuug lu-chi
Who has given reason to believe that he
Ican prorcl steam vessels without the
use of fire. The same individual thinks
! that he secs his way to iDvcntlng per-
pptuai motion, so that perhaps h9 i.
destined 10 hcstoW less upon tho world
than in thl absence III such a prctcnsioI
might he hoped fox. still, the interest
! in scientific progress that is implied by
! both circumstances makes, 80 fal as i
goes, against tbs eA!steucc ~ :hat mi
. form lncrtucss popularity aScllbtH! totht
! Chinese pcopl. or the conception tia
! while the rest of the world IS .:o!n:
! forward ,iluE are disposed 10 iaE he
! hind. \ suggestion was thrown out b.
the Shanghai correspondent of the Lon
dom Times. writing July 29th, to thu
p,l,ct that, inaSmuch % 50 many OF on
+ most important inventions We're in us'
in China long before they were dis
covered in Europe, n Chinsman may re
sta.tlc the Nnl!;. i,E some new invention
i'll rhacninics which he ilaa arrived at b,
; q purely priOU process of reasoning
and what We now heTr certainly gives
fair color to. the possibility. z
It is, no doubt, true, that the compare
tive ineiiciency OF the Chinese iii VA
has lch many people of the outer wcr('
to rate too low their caplci,y otherwise
They DO not love war, and their skill II
it is but small. Sitting Bull and hi
braves conld, doubtless, make mincc
meat Of twenty times their number o
Mongoiians. Young Man Afraid Of his
Horses would not he Ut all afraid q
John Chinaman lunillnE dawn hill wit
81 svoId III each hand. while his coInrade
beat aOng3 and tonGhtl of fireworks t
inspire the foe with terror il the lcal
But u nation Of traders, artisans AM
farmers, substantially at peace for gen
erations, who went into the field an
won the Srlteste civil war known /
history. knows we'll how much a matte
of habit and discipline military efiicicnc
is, and will iorbcar to condemn for til
want If it 3 people WIZ have il4;tt., s,iife
deserving Qualities. lse eau rcacL IL
Chiussc 4 great deal, egt they ca :::: ttac
MS Son,e,nlng alsO, ANA ii, by nerccnt q
example, thcy can disseminate among II
; improved habits Of! irugality, tonlpc1
auce ait: diligence they Will be dun
quite az much good as their detractol
are likely to do, whose own merits, nc
miracle as they may b., arc by no NEAR
; too conspicuous in the particular virtue
we have cited.
, 4 youn. lady was showing Hn elder
woman beautiful cluster ditilnn rim
a present, when the old lady arnlne
: her spnctaclcs 10 the eld CT her DOS
. and exclaimed. 'i-or s;,ilcs, thought
|, Was An old seed wart.
4 country newspaper i'll WlscUns
: wants weil-bred boy to make u dcy
| Of.
DEED9
, LEWIS-In orclnrs;as Sunday October lot
1872, JOSEPHINE. infaut daughter IF T. IL. III
: J. N. Lewis, aged mont hs and q few days
1 Whether He makes of the dust flower,
I Or turreth a fiaWrr tn dust,
: The Lord Of Life i'll His supreme power,
! Callsth for love ana trust.
= Oh Heavenly gardens o? radiant glow!
,, Where rn:ths blighted rosc buds bloom,
Il ,,.ft- ~,