New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-20
III HING CHANGS BOOK.

II Is reported from the far West tnat III
Hung Chang may write book about Amer
ca when he gets home lnsructing his coun-
trymen concerning the mighty people beyond
the sea which have built up q fence to
keep them cut OF it's territory and discrim-
mated against their pigtails in its legislation
in what seems TO him so churlish ana limos
ptable n manner. The great mass or the chi
nesc people have never heard OF the existence
of such n country as America. and to them the
Niceroy would be its Columbus bringing pack
with him tokens Of more wonder than the
real Columbus brought back to Ferdinand and
Isabella.
It will not impart any dlsrespect to the au-
thor that his readers do not believe half he
says \ generous privilege of drawing the
long bow is accorded TO writer's there, ana the
imaginative element is expected TO infltrate
books Of travel as we'll as histories and ro-
mances The Viceroy will. of course, set down
fairly what he sees. but it will be too much
for the credulty OF most of his compatriots.
His survey takes in only few cities-New York,
Brooklyn, Philadelphia and Washington. with
flying glimpse Of the towns which lie between;
and for the rest of his American obscrya-
lions, they will be Of such Canadian charac-
ter that it is doubtful If he finds it worth
while TO record them. He will, however, have
seen what is best worth seeing, and may he
expected to draw picture Of it worthy of its
splendid proportions When he describes the
great Bridge mile long. invsibly supported,
like the spiders web. hanging in airy outline
between two enormous cities, each larger than
any in the Chinese Empire, one Of which he
never heard of till he got here. they will pre-
h. hut ll,r
put no confidence in it, regarding 1t as deco
rative affix of the chronicle put In to make
the book sell 1t Will be the same way with
his description of the Statue Of Liberty and the
twenty -oddstory buildings along Broadway,
and the big hotels around the Park, to say
nothing of the churches Of all faiths except
the Eastern one. compared with which the
Temple Of Heaven resembles rustic summer
house or newspaper kiosk They are TOO
large for the Chinese comprehension, and, like
our great railway system and other tremeh-
dous material upbuldings. stand for force
of civilization which he has not yet mastered
The same thing may be said of the Capitol ana
the Congressional Library and Washington's
Monument not higher than the virtue and re-
nown It commentaries, but overlapping any
of Kuba Khan's pagodas or the most as
pring turret of the Tartar wall.
When il comes TO his description OF the men
and women he has met, and his registration OF
their respective ages and salaries, there is no
reason why ne should not carry his country
men along with him. They may not readily
grasp the idea Of a system. Of ruling magis-
tratcs with no pigtas and no buttons on their
caps and no yellow jackets or peacock feathers,
the most of whom will rot steal. but it need
not seem TO them entirely incredible. AS the
rulers Of people with which they have
prospect Of doing n good deal Of business in
the future, multiplying intercourse and rela-
tionships With them in many ways. they will
be interesting figures for the Chinese to con
template and compare with their own of like
grade and function. 1t is lucky for Ms that
those now in power are such handsome ana
personable lot in this respect almost riyalling
their chronicler himself. The Niceroy's book,
# he writes it, is sure TO be 4 capital one. NO
more profound and penetrating observer from
anv land has ever visited us. When his volume
Is translated out of the teachest characters IN
which II is written it is likely to have greater
run here than ut home