The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-01-08
CHINESE CHRTS7IlNS
Letter from . French Omccr Who was
Made . Mandarin,

To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Sir: It seems to
me Just that any one having any knowledge
on tho subject should bring II to bear in the
campaign 30 Justly begun against that class Of
Chinese who are responsible for the immo-
rality OF certain Chinese Sunday schools. l had
the honor, about twenty-five years ago. to be
made mandarin with five buttons. through
tho instrumentalitv Of the Marquis Tseng. at
that time President OF the Emperor's Privy
Council. member Of the reigning family. and
later Chinese Am ba ssador at London and Paris.
A mandarin with five buttons and privileged to
wear green hat is the highest office to which
a foreigner may attain. Yellow is tho color
strictly reserved for the royal family.
and mandarlns OF nine and seven but
tons must be chosen among natives OF
high rank. In my capacity OF mandarin
l was called upon to preside ut tribunal in
one OF the most turbulent divisions OF the
southern part OF the Chinese empire. on the
boundary line OF Yun.Nan and Fo- Kien and
Laos OF Cambodge. 1t is from these districts
that como those pirates who infest tie south
ern coasts as far as the Straits OF Formosa
and the robbers who used to pilage the vii
lagos OF Anam and Siam. and who became
celebrated by the name Of BLACK Flags" dur
ing the war In Tonkin. On this account
think that know enough about the emigrants
wise measures OF precaution and severity. oven
to expulsion. against the Cinnamon who come
to this country.
l desire. however> to do justice to the
healthy-minded population Of the Chinese en- :
pire. The generality Of the Chinese are mild
OF disposition. quiet Of habits. and deeply at
tached to their homes and their families. But,
on this very account. those who give up their
homes and their families foil to depth OF
degradation which can be eaualed by no other
nation nI.I Crimes committed BY the criminal
civilized communities.
According to the laws Of Confucius. exile
ahe OF se ePmpe to another no
ing. Exile from one city or from one village
into In another is considered greater punish.
one province into another is only surpassed in
81 sG IS n sSa By By sse pauns
time. This punishment ' is resorted to to
royal family Specially against s ths a E%pero ns
who represents the divinity On earth. Deeapi;
as the body IL resorted to in cases OF murder
and piracy. Almost all other crimes are pun
ished by Punishment to distance greater than
Therefore. who Voluntarily en- crate from their
homes. class themselves with criminals. and,
ali respect for what the good Chinsman holds
most dear and most sacred.
The love OF home is strongest in the north oil
China. Seldom does a northerner emgrate
try are from the south-from that region where
the river and ocean pirates flourish Since
France and England have sent fleets to pro.
tect their, commercial interests against these
pirates the latter: not daring to live on land
seek foreign shores. In this country, greed
for money and the visible force Of the law are
all that keep them in submission.
Such arc the people whom We are trying to
| convert to Christianity with our daughters and
our sisters! We are trying to eonyert them
them Of One whom we, depict in the. attitude
nnctian ,xif Sny m nr;r WIN In con-
that Cinnamon pretend to accept Christianity
merely, as u matter OF business. It brings
them clients; In China every convert receives
| selves to he baptized as often as three times q
day. That is where the money goes that We
contribute hero to foreign missions. and the
lists Of converts which we see in some relig
| ious journal are the aliases Of those Chinamer
who have taken to being converted az a profit
| able vocation. J. J. " NJ.
Formerly an officer Of tho French Navy on the
| China station.