The Washington weekly post., 1900-09-11
CHINESE ETHICS.
some Occidental misconceptions Cere,,..
ins an Essentially Neral Race

Some Occidental misconceptions Concern.
ins an Essentially Neral RACE.
From the London Globe.
The like OF Bret Harts's "Heathen -,
nee" with smile that Is pensive and cbrT
like, and twenty-four packs OF carzS h,
his sleeve for use in game he d.d nj,
understand" may doubtless be found frs.
quently in his own country, as weu "a
amoEg immigrants to the United STAT
but 10 take An Sin as the typical sre,i'
men OF 40o, ,0o0, coo OF human beings wopi,
surely be the most gigantic libel on re-.
ord For, strange as IL may sound 10 ira
man in the street, John Chinaman IS o..
sentially a moral parsonage. Perhaps bi.
practice, considered all round. Is not ouir.
up to the mark Of his preaching. buf as
need not go all the way TO China IN srt
an incongruity OF that kind. No nation. IA
a body, ever did or is ever likely To live u,
TO the standard OF its prophets and AN.
givers, but neither, on the other hard "a
great ethical teachers arise among a racs
Of savages or "Hooligans." China bss
produced ethical teachers in abundance
and it may be not uninteresting 10 com.
pare some OF their maxims with our own
Toward the end OF the seventeenth cen.
tury, in the reign of the Emperor K'an-.
Hsi. code of ethics. known as the "Ss.
cred Edict," and containing precepts
handed down from time immem0rial. was
published and diffused throughout the en-.
pire, by royal command, with the express
object of stimulating the people 10 virtue
Curious as We may think some OF the COM
mandS TO be, and even more curious some
or the omissions, IL must be admitted that
were An Sin to practice sincerely, but 4
small fraction of the course Of consuct
there laid down for him in detail We
should be compelled to describe MIN. even
in the light of the NOucUnf0Tmist CON
science, as a highly respectable man. The
Sacred Edict" contains nothing quite
comparable TO the first four commands nf
our Mosaic decalOgue; while our sixth.
seventh. eighth. and tenth commandment,
though, perhaps. to b deduCed from soma
OF Its precepts, are nowhere definitely eX-
pressed. But our fifth commandment.
which. by the way. the rising generation
seems TO consider a counsel of perfection
IN Christian countries, is the bedrock 0f
all Chinese moral philosophy and ethics.
f1lial piety, and the necessity Of obedience
and submission, first TO the father. then to
all the aged and, thirdly, to all superi0rs.
are SO sedulously inculcated on the youth
Iul Chinese as TO profoundly influence
even the political condition of the country
and 10 generate an extreme Venera ton for
their governors. Again, the twelfth pre-
eept OF the Sacred Edict" is equivalert 10
our ninth commandment. forbidding the
bearing OF false witness, and the second
ana third precepts are so expounded as {,
bring them almost on a level with tbe
CHRISTIAN maxim that a man should love
his neighbor as himself. although there
are evident indications that In China, As
elsewhere, this was looked upon as no
task a.
you mean TO perform" says one moderate
ana sensible commentator but he adds
Remember that If q Door relation needs
assistance II Is your duty to give II, and.
moreover. you should enhance your good
Offices by the graceful manner In which
you do them"
Hold agriculture in honor and cultivate
the mulberry tree" saws the "SacTsd
Edlct." for the simple reason that fooj
ana ralment are the two essentials for
very very people, Also, prize order and econ
omy ana save out OF your riches" not
forgetting that the fourteenth precept az
your sacred Edict" enioins that Won che
exact IN the payment OF your taxes
Young China Is exhoTted, as is Young
England In our catechisms. 10 do NJ
duty appertaining TO your station IN Iife.''
but, In addition. the former has ID author
itatYely explained to him that the sch0l
ar the agricultuTist, the artisan ina
tradesman, the soldier each has his obli-
cations 10 fulfill, and I'm that respect an
are equal" He also has the satisfaction
or knowing that what we in Eur1pe term
the liberal professions are in his country
on the same social level as handlcraffs
and are. moreover. open by means Of com.
petitiYe examination 10 all classes with
bQt tOur insignificant eXceptOns) OF
Cnlndmen- lie also has what to him NAV
perhaps be the additional satisfaction Of
knowing that a certain Book OF Ritesp
mas mapped out the possibilities Of his
career, and laid down strict regulations
Tor MS conduct from the age OF seven 10
that OF seventy. At seven he should DE-
taught to count and name the cardinal
points. At eight he must learn TO wait on
his superiors. At ten he should be gent
10 private tutor TO study writing ami
aflthmetlc Al thirteen he learns music
and poetry. At fifteen he must practice
archery and charioteerng. AT twenty hs
Is formally admitted 70 the rank OF man
hood AT thirty he may marry and ser
Up in business At forty ne NAV enter
the service Of the state. AT fifty he may
must retire from public life.
Legal enactments have great erect In
stereotyping the ethical conceptious az a
people, and Il Is a significant fact that ar-
cording 10 law, the sacred Edict" has
been read TO the people by high officials
IN. iito,'shout .p me Iand every month Tor the
list Two centuries. Bet IN spite OF 0ne OF
rs prominent precepts. IN which suing a.
the law is denounced as unedulvoc4bly as
IN the Sermon on the Mount. litigation "a
very common In China, and Is frequentlv
carried 70 ruinous extremes. while az the
same time. the prevalence Of bribery AMI
perjury constantly defeats the ends 0f
justice. solicitors and barrisfers. how
yer, are dispensed with. the plaintiff and
defendant each conducting hls 0wn case.
and the magistrate giving his decision in
pubic whether che Chinese possess any
Hs-H HH.FssN
4 point upon which the best authorities
nappen at the moment 10 be az divergence.
In many cases a kind Of domestic arb-
tration Is resorted 70. and responsible
of the families OF the coHlsndiHg
parties adiudicate. with probably as much
CT dissatisfaction. % pa.urn
snc defendant as attends the decision %
the paid magisfracy- Johns public be-
neYolent institutions. which are the prac-
teal outcome Of his system OF eih.as.
must De passed ever for want o. space.
but a word must BE- said concerning .hs
respect for labor. which Is such a cardinal
~ Chinese ethics Man. accord
Ing 20 their philosophy. Is from the nature
Of bis being a creator and a worker. dni
labor. whether mental or manual q heit
70 be both his duty and his privilege. IN
certain Industries labor il paid on ,a-
piecework principle. IN others on the prl1-
ciple OF profit-shaFing but in most l:F-
tricts individuals or families work Tor Their
own direct benefit. and not as Wage-earn-
ers. Combinations OF sOrkingmen are E1t
only allowed. but encouraged by law and
although laboreTs are strictly c0nnrei to
their own districts. there = 20 encieu; 4
system for the trsDsferrence or labor ac.
cordlng 70 the vaFring requirements y
distant places thar Europe may learn WIN
envy that a coagFsted labor market or 9
strike Is a thing totally unknown.
when you say your blood Is lrGpute sat
appetite poor you are admitting yogf Iefd
OF Hoof'H SarsaIarllIa EeRin faH.E b