The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-02-04
The population NJ the Sanrtle Valley, from IN,

The population Of the yanr',e Valley, from the
ocean 10 the unexplored riffs Of The Chin Sha
is homogeneous, that IL 10 say, Chinese. with
the exception Of certain tribes in the Tar West
The Tartars, OF Manchus. who SUPPLIED he throne
with The present dynasty, whose ia hers drove
the Chinese before them like sheep, who still
garrison the great cities, have mainly degenera,ed
into opium smoking loniers, the principal agent
in their downfall being the system Of hereditary
pensions. Mrs. Bishop ies,ifies that, amid his
enormous population, not PERHAPS over estimated
at $50, 900, 900, IT may be said that, with the OK
cep,ion Of ~spasmodic and local rebellions, law and
order, prosperity and peace prevail, and that the
security for the gains NJ labor exists, which is the
indispensable condition Of civilization, The sys-
tenn 81 government. he written language and The
education are uniform as for the three religions,
Confucianism, buddhism and Taoism, they are
50 mixed up that there il little antagonism
between them. Our author. indeed, found
something marvellous In the social and
mercantile organization Of this valley population,
With lis methods Of traffic, its trade guilds. trade
unions, charities, banking and postal systems
and powerful trade combinations. II is essential
for lis she tells us, II We would estimate he position
In the sociological scale occupied by the inhabi.
tants OF the Yangtze Valley, 10 recognize clearly
tina, our Western ideas find themselves confronted
not with barbnrism. or with debase theories of
morals, but with an elaborate and antique civ
ilization, which yet is not decayed. and
though i'm imperfect, has many claims to respect,
and even 10 admiration. Those ideas meet with
a perfectly organized social order, a system OF
government theoretically adapted TO the country,
combining the extremes Of Capitalization and de-
rehabilitation. under which. in spite Of the
inhrmitips and iniamies Of the administration, the
governed enjoys large measure OF peace a nd pros.
perity, a note worthy amount OF individual liberty
and security for the gains Of labor and under which
1t IL as possible for a peasants son 10 rise 10 high
position as 1t is in the l nited States In her own
travels through the Yangt1s Valley. from the great
en.repo,s OF Hangchow and Hankow TO the trading
cities Of Szechusn, Mrs. Bishop received very
definite and deep impressions OF the completeness
OF The Chinese social and commercial organization,
Of the skill and cArefulness Of their agriculture
and the clever adjustment oi means TO ends: Of
tho existence Of provincial patriotism, or rather
Of local public spint and Of tho possession by the
race atlarge OF back bone. the po werof combination,
resourcefulness and Independence. II is. In a
word. by no means an eiete or d~scaying people
which the Western nations will have 10 face In
serious com petition when II shall have become
conversant with our sciences and some OF the
methods Of our manufacturing industries.
In some remarks on Chinese contradictions,
contained In her second volume, Mrs Bishop In
siss that nothing is decadent In China except
the administrative system Butfor the Increasing
Use Of opium in certain provinces, the people may
be described as sound: /, is the officials that as
corrupt The verdict Of the Inspector-Genernl