The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-07-22
NO SUCH THING AS CHINA.

CNineteenth Century Review)
We are accustomed TO speak of China"
and the Chinese people" as il they were
distinct entities. This is an error at the
bottom OF many Of our mistakes and con
tuslOnS- We may use the word China as
a convenient expression to cOnnOte a GER
tain vast portion Of the earth's surface,
but IN no more exact sense. What figures
as emma on the map Is a. number of dis
tr1ctS often separated from each other and
from the center by immense distances,
differing widely in climate, resources and
cOnnguratiOn, inhabited by, people of
largely varying race, temperament, habit,
rehsion and language
Tue Mohammedans, of whom there are
3O,0OO,OOO, regard the Buddhists as ire
GgiOuS foreigners The inhahitanfc If me
central and northern provinces" saws Mr..
heane, scarcely regard those of the ex-
IRENE southeast districts as fellow coun-
trymen at all" A native Of Shanghai was
heard to say There were seven Chiua-
men and two Cantonese" A man from
T-en Tsln and a man from Canton can
no more talk TO each other than can a
Frenchman and a Dutchman Moreover
there exists between them a yfrulent race
hatred: l lost the best Chinese servant
ever had, because, being from the north,
nothing would induce him to accompany
me IN the south of China, where his
speech would have betrayed him. Can
tonese Velly bad man, master" he said
TO me; I go home" This curious inter-
hatred is conspicuous where Chinese from
Inherent parts Of China meet together as
Tor example, in Bangkok, OF on the plan
tations in Malaga or the Dutch Indies.
Savage faction fights are Of constant oe-
currence- Consequently il is easy to raise
force OF Chinese in one place to fight
Chinese N another.
II IS because there is no such thing as
China" that the military caste of the
Manchus, comparatively inflnitesimal in
numbers, have been able to impose their
rule upon the enormous masses Of Chin
csc. Thus 1t is unwise to predicate any
thing of China as a whole, or to believe
mat what suits one part will necessarily
suit another.
Over the heterogeneous and conflicting
masses Of China there has never been
any effective central control, and what
control there has been has steadily groWr
weaker. The 'VermiliOn penciI' makes
a faint mark in the south, while in the
southwest and extreme northwest il has
| little but an academic influence and or
/ the Thibetan borders none at all RE
spect thisi" appended to every Imperial
| rescript in the Pekin Gazette is as fan
/ from actually as the "Oyez'' of the usher
with US. or the challenge of the queens
: champion at the coronation There is
/ therefore, not the slightest possibility Of
/ the establishment by Chinese authority
/ OF national army, or navy, or civil sery,
/ ice. And the corruption which is The
] fatal curse Of China is directly due TO thf
/ fact that there is not and cannot be any
| central authority to exercise control Owe,
| local officials, or, in the absence of this
! 10 pay them. The Chinese people. in the
! language OF physics. is a mechanical mix.
! ture and not a chemical compound. am
! therefore II is irresponsible TO the actor
i OF any single reaSent, and incapable o.
! eNnloltlng any common property