Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-06-21

HE CHINESE AT HOME The ch!et
characteristics OF the Chinese, as nation,
the speaker said. is industry. Their work
ing day begins at dawn and lasts till sun
set. Schools open at sunrise and do not
close till ) p. NJ, there being but one short
recess during The day. The emperor and
his court rise soon after midnight, and
court audiences are given between 5 and 8
o clock in the morning. This same in
dustry is exhibited by all classes. After
sunset very few peop'e are in the streets.
the Chinese, like domestic fowls, retiring
early TO rest. There is no day correspond
ing to Sunday, and only a few holidays IN
the year. Busily as they toll, these people
al @ never in II hurry, are mover nervous
and are not given TO worrying; but are
steady, cheerful and sober. They rarely
quarrel and even if they do, seldom come TO
blows. There will be little que pulling,
some calling of hard names, and then the
by ISLANDERS will quietly separate the COM
batants. 1t is not physical timdity but a
sensitive consciousness of the disgrace of
fighting that keeps them from engaging
in brawls. That they are not towards is
we'll proven by the fact that they submit
without fllnching 10 the most severe sur
glcal operations without ever using an@s
thetics. They maintain that it is very
Injurious to health to be nervous, to worry
or TO give way to anger.
As a people, the Chinese do not desire a
voice in the government. The common
people are not public spirited. and are not
only, through ignorance, Indifferent to
beneficial reforms, but they oppose them
strongly If they are apt to increase the
taxes. The government of China Is not
nearly so aristocratic as foreigners are ac-
customed to think it is but when the pop
ular voice is once aroused it is sure to have
great force. In any case where there is
a conflict between the mandarin or GOV
ernor. of district and the people, if the
people are patient and commit no acts of
violence, the mandarin either yields or Is
removed by the government. The people
have the profoundest respect for precedent.
and are, in fact, conservative. Although
in the main they use the same implements
and materials known to them for thousands
of years, yet their religion itself is an i'm
portation from India, and they use foreign
watches, needles, kerosene, sulphur match
es. cotton fabrics, etc. They are, as q
people, excessively polite, and their cere-
monial of social intercourse is to foreigners
painfully elaborate. 1t is an error to sup.
pose, however, that they are oringing
race; they assert their rights vigorously
enough when occasion calls.
They are not truth-telling people. They
give false evidence in trials, furnish false
sta tistics, and even officials present reports
that are tissues of falsehood. 1t Is impos.
sible to shame them by exposing their
untruthfulness. They are not addicted to
thieving, however. There Is much said
about the gross immortality of the people.
In China, at least If it exists 1t Is not soen
There are societies for the suppression OF
immoral books. The sacred writings con.
tain not one indecent word, and their
paintings and sculpture are perfectly pure
Vulgar language is never heard above the
lowest classes. All Cinnamon drink some
wine. and a native beverage made of rice,
but drunkenness is absolutely unknown
80 that there are none of the evils of In
temperance there. SO common here-wife
beating. brawling and violence OF all kinds
The habit that curses the nation, opium
smoking. enervates the physical, menta
and moral nature, but does not lead Il
violence. e. y. DrcW.