The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1885-05-06

/ in it, who are ugly in western attire. ms
desirable dress. may make rs less sorTy
that so large a part Of the women in the
world are Chinese, Careful consldera-
/ ton of the effect Of modes Of dressing IN
both countries, has made me sure that
/ the custom of binding the feet hampers
the body and soul Of Chinese women, less
than the changing and following Of
| fashions does that of American women.
| This healthful dress, may he reason
why with hoorless and windowless houses,
poor food. and unwholesome surroundings
| Chinese women live to very old age.
Owing to causes some Of which have
/ been explained. the Chinese are n very
homogeneous people, although with so
great diversities Of dialect and situation.
They are not lacking in national feeling.
/ but are deficient in patriotism, for there Is
/ at present nothing to call 1t out. With a
/ good government, and a wise admiuistra-
| ton OF the existing laws, patriotic feeling
/ could be easily developed
This discussion has been conducted
quite independent Of any consideration OF
the moral condition Of the Chinese A
high state Of civilization is not inconsis
| tent with low moral condition, rs Is seen
/ ia AAAt AAASN hhNA VI AAf AAhAAAAnAANAAT eAAAA
| in the history Of Egypt. Greece and Rome.
The moral condition Of the Chinese. &C
/ cording to my view. may he ascertained by
an examination Of their acknowledged
relation to God. TO men. and to their own
| selves. In these several relations, the
| most prominent characteristics which l
find. are an all peryading atheism, upon
/ the opposite face OF which Is polytheism;
an all pervading insincerity, and an all
pervadIng selfishness. There Is no hope,
50 far as / can see for the improvement Of
these conditions, but in Christianity as
| applied to the mass of the people. This
is not missionary society, and it Is not
my purpose 70 dcvelope this opinion, hut
merely to express it, as bearing upon the
general subject under discussion.
In closing. let me call your attention TO
two considerations 1st. tis antiquity 4
/ Chinese CirHisdiiss Is ,-Fo1S. When our
ancestors were roofing in the woods, the
Chinese were as really civilized as now,
and in substantially the same way The
/ golden ages Of China, were before the
birth of any modern nation the Han
| Dynasty, which began 2O6 Is. C.. and con
tinued until 4 D. %; and the Tang
| Dynasty. from 4. d. go to 9OT. The
period of greatest metaphysical activity,
was in the Sung Dynasty. at the time
when western nations were engaged in
the Crusades Within the space of about
100 years. there are reCkOned y different
I dyuaSties. enduring on an average. about
/ l25 wears each. yet the form Of govern
ment and the institutions remain from
age to age substantially the same. 1t has
been SAID Uf Greece, that she being
conquered. conquered her eonquerers.'
The same Is eminently true of China. She
/ has been once the prey Of Mongols, under
/ kublai Khan. and Is now ruled by Man
| choos. and has been 50 FOR the past 30
years, but the machinery Of government
/ is the same which 1t has always been. II
| It were supposable case that Russia or
I England shLlld seize the Chinese Empire.
and attempt TO run it. as the saying
| goes. It Is next TO certain that these west
ern nations. with all their experience,
would be obliged TO follow the example Of
/ their predecessors, and govern China by
/ the institutions which already exist. and
which have proved themselves so well al
apted to the end Tor which they we design
] ed The more we consider what the
| institutions Of China have done for the
| Chinese, the greater respect must We feel
for the Civilization which produced them.
But 2ud. nc dTE aaf ftl fiis rEspdr for chi
| aasr gfrli-1fiaa HHltss frs haze s1as 0eYgGiHi-
Gao. -N %. 1t is said to be a characteristic
/ Of the average Gurkshireman, when he
sees q stranger passing, to cave arr
| brick at him" 4 somewhat similar i'm
/ pulse though under much restraints often
/ felt in China toward the Foreign Devil.
/ and in the United States generally under
much less rcstaint. toward the pig tailed
| Monaghan 4 gentleman remarked at
| ter the close Of meeting Of the Social
! Science Association" of Honolulu, that
] he never saw Chinaman, without want
| iug to kick him This / take to be a
case Of imperfect sympathy, due per
| haps 10 lack Of acquaintance with the
I better side Of the Chinese character II
] is a feeling however in which many Others
l share In a now almost forgotten essay
] by Thomas De Quincy upon China, written
[ at the time Of the difficulties which led to
| the way Of lSjT-5S, we find view Of the
/ Chinese, which may be worth citing in
] this connection. 1T Is well known he
says ito all who have taken pains TO
I study the Chinese temper and character,
I that obstinate Obstinacy like that Of mules,
[ Is one Of It's foremost features The
/ Chinese, as may easily be observed in
their state papers. and acts. are intel
lectually q very imbecile people. and their
/ peculiar style Of obstinucy Is often found
IN connection with a very feeble brain.
and also. Though it may seem parad0xicall
with a very feeble moral energy. Appar
| emily secret feeling Of their own irresOlu
| ton throws them for a vIcarlOus support.
l upon q mechanic resource Of artificial
lObstinacy.' In the same paper De Quincy
! speaks Of the ridiculous 400 millions Of
] people which some writers assume" an
estimate which by a stroke Of his pen he
| deity reduces TO 30 millions, for no as
| signed reasonl and then moralizes upon
| the vastness Of this remainder. as compar
| ed. say with the population Of Russia.
] Quoting a nOhleman who had said OF the
| Chinese. that though they are a people
/ learned in mathematics, and in some Of
/ the erudIte sciences. they are yet harba
[ rOus people" De Quincy continues: As
| 20 the barbarism, nobody will contradict
l his loTdshIp Ngs: but rs to the mathe
MATES and eTudlte sciences. tins L. the
I first time they were ever heard Of" After
/ referring 10 the introduction Of Western
mathematics TO China, by the Jesuit, iu
the 18th century, he proceeds: In fact.
a lively picture OF the temporary light
/ spread by the Jcsuits, might be drawn
from tine relation Of PrOspero 10 Culiban.
The mighty wizard first taught the cruel
F. dog 10 distinguish the greater and the
| lesser Hght-in fact to understand the
cause Of day and night But beyond
certain point, he could not goi and teach
Ing was thrown away upon one who could
not be taught To '9rs knowledge. Caliban,
however, was at last made tractable 10
discipline he understood the meaning
Of o kick But the Chinese Caliban.
"Abhorred slave, that any print Of good
ness would not take was visited by suc-
Icessious Of Pr0sper1s, and prosecuted them
all, whenever the casual caprice that pro
tected them for the hour. had burned itself
ont Erroneous praise given 20 such vile
burlesqHes Of Intellectual humanity forces
a man to lodge his protest Had the Chi
uese ever been inOculated with any true
science. they would have learned 20 apVre
ci8tc those who have more. Once let them
In any one pursuit, manifest a Of any
thing really intellectual. and we shall then
have q hold on them then first thcy will
rise ont If that monkey tribe. capable Of
mimicrv. hut ri no original creative act, To-
which they now belong. -Heavensr be
cries azaru, "what q destiny, 10 DE Oh
. iact- II deri-i1n and banter 10 nation Of
what IN old English. would have been
/ styled haifwits. With such notions q
/ tle Chinese a these, no wonder De Quin
ceT believed, as be- elsewhere remarks that
. If be bad been compelled to- live among
Thorn be- should have gone stark mad On
I observation which 7 have z1metimes re
paaied to eidcaiei Chinese. 10 their very
I great amusement As an Offset iJ these
.rl-.cL- frnt. Dc lr-nr.. m rInL n N