Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1886-08-13

| the Chinese PHYSICAL Type-Mode,n II
! COnqnests of China-thinese ImnIigra-
tion in the Philippines-The Origin Of
| the China Question.
Reasoning from such data, we may
infer with certainty that both the
home and foreign Isolicy of China is
founded on far-sighted ideas of ma
tiOnal welfare, and is carried into
effect with no inferior degree of exc
cutive talent and experience; but
this conclusion need not rest Oh in
ference alone 1t is demonstrated by
what is known of the civil policy of
China during many centuries past,
and foreign ambassadors have not
been slow to concede the qualities of
cOnsummatc statemanship to the
high officials with whom they have
been brought in contact. These
qualities are displayed in the strict
ceremonial by which the honors of
office are held before the eyes of the
pOpulace, in order that authority
may receive its full NEED of the re-
spect which tends to insure 0bedi-
ence to law; each grade among the
mandarins being entitled to special
! observances Of regard from all below,
and the Emperor being held as the
incarnation of all that is to be rever-
enced by men. They are shown also
by the extent to which the people are
regularly informed OF all that is be-
lieved necessary for them to know,
and yet systematically misled in
whatever becomes the interest, for the
| time being, of the government to
withhold, as was we'll illustrated after
the victories of the English, when the
Chinese throughout the Empire were
made to believe that the invaders, in
stead of being victorious, had paid
tribute for permission to retire from
Canton. They are illustrated in
stronger degree in the mingled force
and acuteness with which the outly-
ing dependencies are held in allegi-
ance to the Central Kingdom, lead
ing example of which exists in the
political subjugation of Thibet, which
is ruled through Grand Lama, whose
| appointment by sinuous methods has
long been controlled by the Emperor.
! The same craft and astuteness were
also displayed in the influence brought
to bear upon Nepaul as against the
interests of Great Britain, and with
the manifest intent of maintaining an
independent State as barrier be-
tween British India and the western
confines of the Empire. The states
manship of the Chinese rulers is fur
ther shown in their systematic knowl-
edge of the condition of the outside
nations, and the manner in which the
Imperial policy has been modified ac-
cortling to the necessities indicated by
external circumstances.
A few passing references to his
toric events will illustrate this. A
thousand years before our era, for
eign embassies passed from India to
China, and from that time to the pres
ent there has been no exigency requir-
ing the exercises of astute foreign diplo-
macy that has failed to call it forth.
Wherever interest, whether Of trade or
of policy, has made it requisite that
the representatives OF China should
pass to foreign governments, they
have done so. And what is now
deemed step forward on her part in
sending ENJOYS to the United States
and the western powers is but re-
currence to what she has done, on Oc-
casion, during many centuries. In
the year 141 B. c., the Emperor Woo
te sent embassies to encourage foreign
trade, and twenty years later his sue
cessor sent plenipotentiary, with a
retinue of one hundred persons, to
visit the regions of the West; and
only twenty years later still, the
Chinese Emperor received tribute
bearing embassies from Japan. Two
centuries and a-half after this SINH
lar tribute came from the King of
India; and after this in rapid success
sion were embassies from Rome and
India; and so onward, although at
comparatively long intervals, down to
the present time, ambassadors have
been sent and received by the Chinese
Government. Where Chinese in
terests have required it, her embassies
have gone forth with pomp to distant
nations, and, in like manner, when
she had no purpose to serve, those of
other countries have been with the
same pomp harnessed in the guise of
contempt. But whatever her course,
there has seldom been an instance in
which, from her standpoint, her
methods have not been dictated by
far-sighted and enlightened regard for
the welfare of her people.
We have already seen that more
than two thousand years ago she en-
couraged trade with nations less pow
erful than herself, and that in the
ninth century her ports were open to
the commerce of other lands. This
was continued down through the