The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-03-27
WHY CHINESE COMMIT SUICIDE.
Their Generals Kill Each Other When De-


10 suppose Ill''1 'He ie|eA' S"io4''e'
OF Chinese naval and military leaders
we.e inspired by cowardice would be
an egregious mistake. The victim:
killed themselves because from then
point of view it was impossible fol
them to do anything else as gentle
men of honor. If they had done
otherwise they would have been con
sidered by their countrymen as dis
craced. When Canton fell, 1857, Gen
Yeh. commander of the Chinese forces
incurred popular detestation by refus
ing to take his own life.
1t is always the proper thing in Chi
na for defeated general to commit
suicide. When the Takoo forts were
captured in 1860 many mandarins des
troyed themselves. Their sense ot
honor would not permit them to sur
vive the disgrace. They acted, accord
ing to the Oriental idea, like virtous
and brave men, and the gates of Para
disc were opened wide to receive them
Anv officer of State may appropriately
have recourse to self-slaughter under
similar circumstances, or If an insult
has been offered to the Emperor. An
historic conference between represen.
satives of China and Great Britain,
the object of which was to settle terms
of peace, was interrupted by one OF
the pig-tailed officials, who withdrew
to commit suicide, being overwhelmed
with modification.
Sometimes the wives of officials fol
low the example set by their husbands
and commit suicide. Women who
have lost their husbands often do like
wise. Such action on their part is
considered highly creditable and not
to be interferred with by anybody.
They dress themselves in red for the
ceremony and hang themselves in the
open street Or in some other public
place, surrounded by an admiring
crowd. Tablets inscribed with their
names and a record of the virtuous
manner of their deaths are placed in
the temples. A girl who has lost her
afianced husband may with propriety
do the same thing, and it is expected
that the Govern of the province will
set forth the case in eulogisic memo
rial addressed to the Emperor. Thus
premium may be put on suicide.
When the British captured Annoy,
Ningpo and Chang Kiang the bodies
of many women we're found in wells.
They had destroyed themselves for
fear of experiencing at the hands of
their European conquerors outrages OF
the sort unhappily common and even
customary in Asiatic warfare.
Entirely apart from the considera.
tons thus mentioned the Chinese
seem to be more disposed to suicide
than any other people. Many Chinese
laborers were broughtto the 1sthmus OF
Panama to assist in building the rail
way which now joins the two oceans.
The work being hard and the climate
unhealthy they killed themselves in
greatnumbers, and it was no uncom-
mon thing to ind half dozen Of them
on any fine morning dangling by
their necks from the trees along the
road that was in course Of construc-
ton. These pig-tailed Orientals al
most invariably select poison, hang
ing or drowning as a means of self
destruction. They seldom cut their
throats. because they believe they will
appear in the next world exactly as
they have left this one, and it would
not be agreeable to 60 about with a
slit throat in the land of spirits. What
has just been said is supposed to apply
even to their dress, so that the intend
ing self-murderer puts on his or her
best clothes before committing the act.
If a man, he goes to the top of hill
or to some other retired spot and there
accomplishes the purpose in view. If
a woman. the deed is usually perform
ed in the house.
The recent suicides Of the Chinese
naval and military leaders made them
safe at all events from sentences of de-
capitation such as were issued against
others of the commanders. This was
fortunate for them, for, if they had
been beheaded, they would have ap-
peared in the next world without any
heads. incidentally, all their ances-
tors would have been involved. 1t is
quite possible that the Emperor will
issue an order depriving the ancestors
of the defeated leaders of the rank
which they have hitherto enjoyed.
The power of the sovereign thus ex-
tends to the domain of spirits When
a title is to be conferred upon one of
his subjects, it is a customary prelimi-
nary to raise the rank of the ancestors
of the individuals so honored This
matter being somewhat technical, it is
to estimate with exactness
the amount of damage done to Ii
Lung Chang's great-great-grandfatheT
by the withdrawal from that eminent
statesman of the Yellow Jacket and
the three-eyed Peacock's Feather. This
idea, absurd as it seems, has found its
analogy in England, where, within
quite recent times, the whole family
Of person guilty of treason was at
tained, and the estates of innocent
relatives were confiscated.
Perhaps the most famous and highly
form of suicide is, rather
was, that called hari-kari. Formerly
it was national institution in Japan,
but it no longer prevails, having been
dropped with other barbarous customs
incidentally to the adoption of West
ern civilization. In that country every
gentlemen used to be taught while yet
4 boy how a person of condition
should kill himself, the exact spot be-
ng indicated at which the entering
Knife would cause death and destroy
Immediately. If the
Emperor was displeased with an otii-
,ial he sent messenger informing
lim that his Majesty would gracious
" permit him to commit hari-kari.
The official then promptly availed
himself of the permission, as matter
If course. This idea of permitting a
person to kill himself is be-
ng adopted even now in the United
States. the criminal himself releasing
he drop" and thus hurting himself