The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-09-10
THE CHINESE WALL.
The Greatest Territorial Fence In the Wrold
"A Story Of Its Length and Strength.
ff;hinsse Letter to the Boston Hsrald1

The Greatest Territorial Fence In the Wrold
"A Story Of Its Length and Strength.
(t;hinsse Letter to the Boston Hsrald.l
Like the pyramids Of Egypt. the great
wall, or the wall of myriad miles, as its
Chinese name signifies, is of great antiquity,
but its origin and purpose are not closed in
the same almost impenetrable veil of uncsr-
tainty As useless as the immense work
must now appear for the purpose for which
it originated, or inadequate as it is to stand
the assault of modern arms, or defy the ad-
vancing step of an intruder, it is still the
greatest fertilization ever built by man, and
for l, 400 years it wholly, or in part, served
its purpose. And why, now, we may ask,
was this long rampant thrown along the
northern boundary Of China? For an ans
wer we must go back over the long centuries
in which, with gloomy strength, it has watch
ed the rise and fall of kingdoms, the CONVEX
sion of dynasties, the strifes and wars of
opposing factions, the advance of civiliza-
ton, and, perhaps, the crumbling of q
mighty empire. Hundreds of years before
Christ the Mongolians of Northern Asia
formed kingdom futher South, but they
were not suffered to remain in peace, for,
greedy of the power ofthose who had proceed
ed them, other hordes followed after, and
began strife which ended in the overthrow
of China. Fearing for their safety, the Chi
nese, under Ching Wang of the Tsin dynas-
ty, or as some write it, Chin Wangti, built
the great wall separating their dominion
from those of the Tartar tribes. Different
dates are ascribed to the work, one being
from 240 to 220 B. c., period of 20 years,
and another putting it few years later.
OF the magnitude of the work, one can
form some idea when remembering that it
has a length of 1900 to 1900 miles, crosses
ravines, stretches across plains, and reaches
over lofty mountains. It is not all brick.
and were founded on walls hewed in solid
granite. Beginning at the coast of the Gulf
of Pe-chili, it runs 10 the northward, then
turning, extends in a southwesterly direction,
passing Picking about 40 miles to the north
ward and 1000 feet above it. Then passing
the Yellow river, and reaching over the
Khang Kai Mountains, it continues on south
of the great Desert of Cobb to the borders of
the Desert of Thibet. What distance for a
rampant to be carried, and what stupendous
undertaking for man to undertaken And
yet now it remains but a monument of human
labor, an evidence of the folly of man. Time
has marched on with ceaseless step, and his
tory with tireless hand has registered the
never-ending changes.
Six hundred wears after the completion OF
the wall the Tartars had obtained foot
hold in the upper part of the kingdom. Ii
was the first step in the advance on the
Celestial Empire. Another fight of time
1000 years have passed-one dynasty after
dynasty has uprooted and overturned it,
predecessor with strife and bloodshed. Early
in the seventeenth century the Tartar king
was assassinated by order of the Chinese
Emperor, and when, 20 year.: later, ar, usurpel
had mounted the throne, and all China wal
agitated by internecine wars, the time of hel
overthrow had come, and the Mantchoo Tar.
tars, uniting with the Imperialists, defeated
the king, and proclaimed Emperor the sor
of their dead king. To-day, the Mantchooiar
dynasty occupy the throne. Who can pre-
dict the fall thereof? The great wall nc
longer protects the Chinese Empire. 1t lies
in the very heart of it, and the conquerina
Tartar rules the conquered Mongolisn.