Morris tribune., 1889-08-14
CHINA AND IT'S PROGRESS.
INTERESTING DESCRIPTIVE LECTURE
BY GEN. JAMES II. WILSON.

Inc SOCIAL ana FOulcal STATUS Oh the 10
lestial Empire-New Ideas from the West
Not Received with Cordiality-Autocracy
of Science.
Mai. Gen. James II. Wilson delivered
a lecture before the American Geograph-
ical society, in Chickering hall, New
York city, during the course of which
he said:
In China the family is the political
unit, and if one member goes astray the
whole family may become extinct If the
emperor pleases. No man can bes gov
ernor in his own province, and no gov
ernor is allowed to surround himself
with officials who are his own relatives.
Nepotism is unknown.
The great rivers of China flow east to
the Pacific, and the populations gather
in the deltas in towns and villages. A
popularity of the great cities is that they
are surrounded with great brick walls,
with bitches, parapets and gates, and the
gates are regularly opened and closed
every morning, as they were 600 years
ago. The new capital of Formosa has
such a wall, after the manner of the
middle ages. The crystalized labor OF
Japan is seen in these great walls OF
cities, the great wall of the nation that
separates it from outlying provinces and
the grand canal. They spend every year
large sums to keep the grand canal open.
Yet it is inadequately supplied with re-
serve stores of water.
He spoke of the civil service system OF
China as q democratic institution, that
gave every man a chance to advance
equal to that of his neighbors. There is
no nobility, only the autocracy OF sci
ence. The last examination comprised
the competition of sc, 900 students of ma
t,lre age, of whom only thirty succeeded.
The learning relates to Chinese history
and jurisprudence and the philosophy OF
Confucius, but has nothing to do with
modern sciences. There is a college in
China presided over by an American,
DR. W. A. p Martin. but the govern
mentis very slow to admit new ideas. II
only lately began to investigate electric
ity 1t is not best for the native China
man to know too much of modern SCI
ence.5 r. E. ~
Gen. Wilson spoke of the successive
destruction of Chinese dynasties as
inseparable from the Chinese sys-
tenn. AS far as it is practicable,
| wherever there is Cinnamon in
office, there is a Tartar to watch him.
The operation of the censorship is inquis-
| itorial and offensive. The whole empire
is held in subsection by the army and the
| censor. The present emperor is only II
years old. He is the nephew of the late
| emperor; for the first time in many
| years the direct male issue failed. Fol-
some years the practical sway was held
! by two women, the wife and sister OF
the late emperor. But recently one OF
them died, and the empress dowager was
left in practical supremacy.
She is never seen by foreigners. She
is remarkable woman. She selects the
emperor's wives, and has begun by
choosing as his first wife her favorite
niece. The imperial clan occupies a
| place about mile square, walled in, in
the middle of the city of Pekin.
The high officials will not hold inter
course with foreigners. No diplomat
has ever seen the empress dowager or the
emperor. Not even the great men OF
China can approach the throne without
permission, and then they must be pros
trate. There is no such thing as popular
education. The people have nothing to
do with the government. The govern
ment is absolutely isolated, and holds nc
communication with the people. Ideas
never reach the throne from the people.
The foreigners are confined to a very
small part of the seaboard, except that
missionaries are allowed to go to the in
| terror. The foreign merchant does not
deal with the Chinese merchant directly
| but through servants. improvements &C
on slowly. Yet in the interior may be
found kerosene, cotton cloth needles ano
matches.
The TAPPING rebellion had its origin
with a disappointed student. The an
tipathy of the rebels to foreigners led tt
the establishment of the sever victo
rfous" army, under the celebrated Capt
Ward, and the development of the hail
Drained Burgevins, whose ambition even
scared to first shipping the rebels and
then taking possession of the empire
The result was that after he had deserted
to both sides several times the Chinese
lost him one night while crossing river
Gen. Wilson quoted one of the me
MORALS recently sent to the emperor by
high Chinese official, written, accord
ing to Chinese customs, On his deathbed
advocating the building Of railroads
mining, the construction of ships, coast
defenses and other progressive things
That this and other similar memorials
have reached the eyes of the emperor Il
known by the fact that many such me
MORALS have been printed in the Chinese
official paper, which has been published
about 900 years, not daily, but every
now and then. But the ideas of the
government progress slowly. The cen
sors are conservative and slow to move
and suspicious Of foreigners, although
they have admitted, that the foreigner
are not necessarily enemies.
American watches and clocks are max
ing rapid progress in China. The only
drawback is the fact that American
trade marks are counterfeited.
The Chinese students who began theil
course Of study here, but who were re
called by the censors, complain bitterly
of their treatment, and despair of the
progress of China while the present
regime lasts.
China has no floating capital. Ths
legal rate of interest is 81 per cent. Tit
lowest rate on the most favorable loans
is 25 per cent. Every man is liable t.
spofiation. The imperial treasury is il
constant state of collapse. The EN-
press follows her own Judgment, anG
She is now engaged in vain effort tt
turn the bed of great river, and thu
treasury is not equal to the task. There
is one railroad fifty miles long in China
The present condition of the country a:
regards it's foreign foes, particularly
England and Russia, is deplorable. The
prospect seems to be that before long the
great empire, unless she can arouse her
self to progress, will be partitioned. Thu
will of the emperor is supreme, but Jun
less he can be reached and directed there
is little hope for Chinese progress.
A curious notion in table decoration il