Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-11-07
RACE OF LORN LIARS.
D.

A magnificent and telling boast was
made by the Chinese ambassador to
London a short time ago to a represent
tative of the Enquirer. Referring to the
imperial edicts, of which Europeans have
made so much, he said: ,
Il do not understand why reflection
should have been cast on the imperial
edicts. For 1900 years the emperors
have issued their edicts, and during all
that length Of time they have never
uttered falsehoods!"
Four thousand years.! It takes us back
to the beginning of the authentic historX
OF China, to the days of the Most Exs
cellent Emperor Yao, 9Th all-informed.I
intelligent, accomplished, thoughtful,":!
who ruled the "black-haired race sd
wisely and SO we'll that the bounds oE
his empire were extended by n%eighborinaI
peoples voluntarily coming under his be,i
nign sway.
Since the close of the dynasty of this
most estimable prince China has been(
ruled by many dynasties, and soyereignsI
of all kinds of character and tempera-
ment AVE occupied the throne, butt
down to the present hour not one of
them ever yet told a lie-in an imperiall
edict. Yet. Notwithstanding this exalted
example and the continuous flow of tho
stream of truth in the imperial edicta
during forty centuries, there is no race
thai can lie with such sweet simpiicitv
ana with such complete indifference as
TO being found out as the race that de-
nights 70 be called Sons Of Heaven"
Their readiness to lie to Europeans NAV.
perhaps, be partly explained by their
contempt for the western barbarians.A
ana a writer in the current number Of
the Spectator, who processes an intimate
knowledge Of Asiatic. says:
Long observation has convinced US
.hal 'he Aslatlc who lies to the European
oesplses the European so much for ac-,
ceptlns the falsehood that he often, Out
vi sheer contempt. makes falsehood less
ar.stlc IMAM he could. Anything, he
thinks, will do for a mind so dense AZ
'hat. ne Is veXed, too. When his lie Ia
roughly exposed-vexed, not as an ordtn-
airy European is, because he has been
detected, but as a diplomatist is yexed
when his smooth arguments are not put
aside smoothly. He ought not to be told
that he is lying, but only to be shown
as lightly as may be that his lie has
not succeeded"
But the Chinese lie to each other when
"'Nt as ISllCSIlitS Ieduls
ness as they do In the case of Europeans.
Not the least confusing instance Of the
~incapacity of a European to understand
Chinese morals is the fact that wing.
which is theoretically held by us in such
extreme detestation, in China is only re-
garded with ~disapproval if it should lack
cleverness or fail in it's intended purpose.
What you call a lie and shudder at"
says the C%hinaman. Gin our country ia
merely an essential part of diplomacy,
and every Chinaman is a diplomat &C.
cording to the extent of his intellect.
If you like to put it so. you may say that
the Chinaman of mean intellect is a
clumsy liar, and that the cleve China
man is a clever one. With you. what
suggests degrees Of contempt. with us
indicates degrees Of appreciation. And,
after all, what does it mean but hat
we a civilized ourselves to the full
recognition of what is unavoidable in
life, whereas you. who can no more do
without 1t h we can, stupidity try to
hide it?'