The Irish standard., 1894-01-20
DOOM OF THE BURMAN.
He 1s Drecming Himself Away
Into Extinction.

Unenviable Lot of the Women of Burmah
Seeking Foreign Marriagea-The Pure
Blood Disappearing-Men the Most
Conceited and Indolent.
The standard of a nations greatness,
it has been said, is the esteem in which
it holds it's women, and there is doubt
less no small amount of justice in the
statement, adds the New York Trib-
une. Historians have pointed out that
the golden age of the far eastern
empires was when the women of India
were free, and ranked, socially and in-
tellectually, at par with their BROTH
ers, and that the decadence Of those
nations dates from the time when
they began to seclude their women
and esteem them inferior to men. The
present day, at any rate, offers one
striking example of a nation, once one
of the most powerful and most splen-
did in Asia, actually passing out OF ex-
istencc. Or being merged and lost in
alien races, directly because of the Ill
treatment given to it's women under
it's social and religious systems.
This nation is that of Burmah. OF
it's old-time glories there is no need to
speak. The land is covered with mon
uments Of high and powerful civili-
zation and no land is better gifted to
be the home thereof Nowhere are
the conditions of life easier. The
climate is genial, the soil is rich be-
yond description. The minimum of
- No ~ re
The opportunities of achievement are
vast and innumerable in former cen-
turies they were improved. But to-
day the Bur1nan is the incarnation OF
happy-go-lucky Incidence. and is
dreaming himself away into extine-
ton. He still. it is true, possesses ele-
ments of distinction, both physical
and intellectual. Says a recent OBJ
server, G. H. LIE Maistre, in the Asiatic
Quarterly Review: ''He is the prince
of easy-going fellows. Short in stat
ure, the Bur1nan possesses a sinewy
and well-knit frame and carries him
self proudly. He inherits the chief
characteristics of his Mongo1ian ances-
try-eyes slightly oblique, a yellow
brown complexion, broad, fiat nose
and an almost beardless face. He is
gifted with considerable intelligence
and is often extremely witty. Like
most easy-going men, he is a pleasant
companion and is troubled by no caste
prejudices to mar the harmony of in
tercourse between Europeans and Ash
atics. He is of an extremely generous
disposition and spends large sums of
money on pagodas, or other religious
edifces the creation of which he hopes
will bring him rich reward in a fr-
ture state. The cares of life sit lightly
on him. and he bears reverses of fortune
with the calmness and fortitude of a
stole. In his person he is clean and
neat, and, when he can afford it, is al
ways smart1y dressed. To his good
ty; drunkenness in Burman is quite
exceptional, and, as the Burmese race
are inveterate smokers, some think
this moderation all the more remark
able The Burman. however, has his
faults--faults SO great that when
weighed against his good qualities the
balance unfortunately inclines to the
wrong side. He is the most conceited
and self-satisfied of men; and any at
tempt to convince him that his pride
in himself was not altogether justify
able would be mere waste of time. He
is intensely indolent, and quite un-
able to appreciate the value or realize
the necessity Of perseverance,. Pain,
and even death, he will face with great
calmness of courage; but he is intol-
Grant of all discipline and so makes
but an Indifferent soldier. He is fond
OF gambling, and spends his money
very freely, for OF thrift he has but
the barest conception. Driven by the
greed and dishonesty of his own Off
Gals in the past to practice dishonesty
in all the ordinary affairs Of life, de-
ceit has become, to certain extent,
habit, and he retains but little genu-
inc love of truth for it's own sake. He
is superstitious. and often cruel in the
extreme, in spite of the hurnanizing
doctrines Of the Buddhist creed.
Woman he considers mere slave,
born to minister to his wants. and as
such he treats her. And because of
this fact, and because the Burman
woman has begun to realize what it
means, the race seems doomed to dis
appear.