The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1886-07-28
the CHINESE IS they ARE,
TsAsasKilroar'. Contrast stEas.sra and
western Civilization.


China Tho speaker Is Gen. Tcheng.Hi.
Tong, military attache Of the Chinese
embassy at the German court. -We ire
nation Of over 400, ,OOo, 900 inhabitants,
and yet the most erroneous impressions
exist concerning Us. Barbarians We can
hardly be called, for our civilization,
although different from that Of the
West dates back q time prior to eyenthe
conception Of most Of those great nations
which at present are preponderant In the
desttnies Of the world. 1t was in China
that g1npowder was first invented. !
admit, however, that We only knew how
70 make fireworks Herewith, and Il was
not until the Jesuit missionaries taught
US that we learned how to vi itfor
weapons Of warfare Printing was
known in China IN the ninth century Of
the Christian era, while a Chinese manu-.
script dictionary ot the second century
gtNfs . description. Of tho magnet and Of
the marine compass, the latter Of which
some Arabs who visited China towards
the end Of the ninth century brought
backto Palestine and subsequently taught
the use thereof to the Crusaders, Need
less to talk Of silk and porcelain, which
would alone have been sufficient 10 indi.
cate a high state Of civilization.
~onc thing which struck me greatly
on arriving in Europe was meeting Ia.
dies in society. In China they are kept
apart from the men and do not become
acquainted with any members Of tic
stener sex beyond those Of their own
family. This has It's advantages. A
Chinese proverb states that out Of every
ten women nine are always certain to be
afflicted with jealousy, and on the other
hand men arc not perfect. The peace
aud welfare Of the family are therefore
exposed to great dangers. Now family
life and family institutions arc tho basis
on which rePoses the whole social and
governmental edihce Of the Chinese en-.
pirN. II is therefore absolutely neces.
sary to assure tho maintenance Of peace
IN the family. Hence in China VIC con.
slider 1t more prudent by separating mon
from women to avoid the possibility OF
trouble and to do away with any oppor.
tunity Of disturbance. BY these means,
moreover, we prevent to great extent
marital troubles, which arO always un-
pleasant. For what can tho husband do:
II he kills his laithleSs wife he Is sure to
regret It afterwards, for 1t Is probable
that he loved her formerly. On the
other hand il heappeals to the tribunals
Tor redress he finds but little satisfaction
therein, for tho ex.matrimonial cond.
dition Of betrayed husband inspires
neither pity nor sympathy.
4In Europe whenever scandal, no
matter Of what nature, becomes known,
the first inquiry Is always who Is the
womanT This saying Is not arpli.
cable in China, for remembering how
Confucius warned US against women as
the greatest danger in life, we avoid the
Opportunity Of doing wrong by Keeping
them apart from the men.
"No one has ever been so calumnIated
as tho Chinese woman. She Is repro.
sented "a ignorant sillyy dha6Ie d, &c,
count Of the malformation Of hcr feet
to walk and passing her whole life
locked up in a kind Of seragllo, Thisis
quite wrong. She Is able to walk as
well as you or I. She goes out shopping
and making visits unveiled and takes
her every afternoon drive in her open
palanquin. Her occupations consist OF
the education Of her children, the caro-
Of the household, dominoes, embroid.
cries and tending flowers, We disap.
prove OF excessive instruction rs far us
our women are concerned. Their edu.
cation must be entirely distinct from that
Of the men, The latter are brought IN
to trades and receive instruction In.
tended to fit them for the government
or merchant service, whereas the woman
must apply herself to lesrn all that Is
Necessary for housekeeping and raising
her family. We do not insult our
women oy imagining that they arc In
capable OF scientific instruction, but VIC
Consider TINT It would be taking them
OIL from their proper track m life and
would unit them for tho place they
hold IN tho family Woman has no need
70 learn 70 perfect herself. She Is born
perfect and no science in the world will
ever .each her the grace and gentlencSs
when are the two chief ornaments Of
the domestic hearth.
from The day OF her marriage the
Wife becomes her husbands equal; can
sign Az documents IN the name OF the
family; can sell and buy property give
her children In marriage, and, in fact,
with one exception, has Just tho same
civil rights as her husband. Moreover,
any honor conferred on the latter Is
shared equally BY her, and she Is even
entitled to wear the insignia Of his rank.
Women however can not inherit money;
no dowries are given, and hence that
eurSe OF western civilization, namely,
money marriage never occurs in China.
arc almost unknown in China, and may
be considered as a product Of western
civilization. Celibacy is looked upon by
US as crime and contrary to the Gus