The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-03-25
some anomalies OF the, Chinese Gov.
erHnieffs


The North China Herald, In an article
on the constitution of the Chinese En-.
pire, referring TO some of the anomalies
which puzzle foreigner, says:
"As long as there are no hereditary
iegislators, so long will China present to
European eyes an inconsistent picture.
The constitution Is hybrid thing be-
tween republic and despotism. Eome
of the theories which underlis the Chi.
nese Government are essentially republi-
cen. Every man Except some degraded
casts, such as BARRIERS and stage players)
can rise TO the highest Offices OF the State,
and this rise is possible not TO the acci-
dental winners Of imperial favor, as IL
Turkey, hut to the men wkc shc~s most
proficiency in that learning which is es.
teemed the beet training for office. Then,
again, there is the recognition of the right
oftyranDicide laid down by Mencius, and,
as the late Thomas Taylor Meadows
pointed out, there is the right Of rebel
lion when the acts of the sovereign reach
a certain pitch of cruelty; the final safo.
guard of liberty and the last argument Of
the oppressed. But If China has some of
the blessings of the republic, II has also
eome of its banes. It has been ZEN said
that the course of the middle kingdom is
its oficialism. Mr. Bagehot pointed out
that the existence of on order Of nobility
saves nation from two idolatriea. Frat,
from the idolatry OF mere money. Nov,
China, not having anything answering to
House of Peers, is At the mercy of mere
wealth. Hence, servility, meanness, dis
honesty, and hundred kindred vices
corrode the national character. And,
unfortunately, the Chinese arc unprotec-
ted from worship more perilous to the
individuals self-respect than that of
wealth. The existence of @ house of
hereditary Legislators would save the
Chinese from Che idolatry of office. To
quote Mr. Bagehot: The basest deity is
q asubofdinate employee, and yet just now
lin civilized governments IL Is the Hom-
monest. In France and all the rest of
the continent it rules like superstition.
It is to no purpose TO prove that their
pay is smaller than mercantile nay, and
their work is mole monotonous than mer.
camille work; that their mind ia less use.
full aud their life more tame. They are
still thought to be greater and better.
They are decores; they have little red
on the left breast of, their coat, aud no
argument will answer that These re-
marks, made when France was under
Napoleon LII, are terribly true of Ger
many now, and they may be extended to
China. The worship Of ofIicialism Is as
damaging to national character as the
corruption Of ofIicialdom. In England O
clerk in the public service is nobody =
and you could not make common Eng.
liShman see why he should be anybody.
In China the commonest and smallest
clerk With button is parsonage, and
the people who are brought into contact
with him are degraded by compulsory
cringlng to authority without any nobilf.
ty or even wealth behind it. Respect is
compelled because the MagistTate's clerk
hes the power to delay The, acceptance of
claims and TO obstruct justice in it's pro-
gress toward tho unfortunate indigidual
vino mas 10 sue in forna pauperis FOR that
which in any European country texcept
Russia) would be regarded as right In
this consists the hardships of the China-
mans lot. He ia oppressed by those
whom he cannot for moment respect"