The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-03-20
MINISTER WI TALKS
OF NATIVE COUNTRY
Compares Civilization OF China
With Other Lands.
SUGGESTIONS ARE MADE
WARNED AGAINST ATTEMPT TO
SHAKE SOCIAL FOUNDATION.

/
delivered the convocation address of
the University of Chicago at the Stude-
baker theatre this afternoon before the
faculty of the institution and an audi
ence that packed the theatre to the
doors. Mr. WI took for his subject
chinese Civilization"
His defense Of the civilization of his
native country, in his comparisons
with that of the civilization of the
occident, was much applauded- In be-
ginning his address Mr. Nu said China
had been to other nations like the re-
cluse community in the heart Of
mountain, as told by a Chinese writer
J of 800 years ago, a community UnaI,
I fleeing, from the prosecutions OF the
] China dynasty, had found peace and
! TRANQUILITY and content with their lot,
! had no desire to emerge into the tur-
moil and excitement of a more active
! life.
..This mountain community may be
] said to be China, in miniature, Mr.
! Wu continued. ITO her isolation she
undoubtedly owes her long freedom
/ from foreign domination. Foreign m
| fuence indeed, has had very little TO
/ do with the national development OF
/ China. Before the nineteenth century
the only possible foreign enemies she
! had to meet were the NomadS or the
/
1 made sudden incursions upon the set
| tlen. ent along the northern portions
| and the Malayisian Islands, and some
! times spread to the sea coast. The
/ Warlike encounters fortunately, were
| not very frequent.
! Far from the conflicts and strifes
| of the west the Chinese have been able
! to give through the past centuries, al
| most their exclusive attention to in
| ternaI development They have accord
/ hoi al N
! their own way, and worked out their
destiny without foreign interference.
Blessed by Nature
Nature has blessed the country with
| every variety of soil and climate, so
| that the people have never been
1 obliged to look to other countries for
I supply of their wants. They have been
/ able to live within themselves without
! difficulty and to get along without haV-
| ing to do with outside nations. Their
/ long seclusion has been not only a mat.
! ter of necessity but also matter of
/ choice.
True it is that China's isolation has
/ tended to strengthen the nations char
! acter, and give it a marked individual
| ity. but this has not been gained with
! out great losses. The most serious is
! that the nation has not been able to
| profit by the trials, experiences and
/ achievements of the rest OF the world
/ This is especially true with scientific
I knowledge and mechanical inventions
4 1t must be admitted that today China
/ is centuries behind the age in her
/ knowledge of chemistry, electricity.
steam navigation, rapid transit and
/ other arts and sciences. All these
! things she must learn from other ma
! tons before she can nope TO put her
/ self abreast of the times.
| But does civilization consist of rail
! roads, telegraphs, telephones, electric
1 lights. battleships rapid firing guns.
a
( things which are often regarded as
/ necessary for a progressive nation?
] This would be very narrow interpre-
| tatiOn of the word. Civilization has I
/ believe, a broader meaning, with in
( telligence, order morality and refine
| ment for its essential elements. Such
/ civilization China undoubtedly has
/ Il civilization different. to be sure, from
/ that of the west. but a civilization
! nevertheless.
Civilization Elevates Nation.
In other words. civilization is the
! elevation "a nation has reached in its
! progress from lower to a higher.state
( of society. 1t is to be expected that
( the civilization attained by China
/ should be different from that attained
! from the nations of the west. by rea-
! son OF their difference in national de-
| velopment. Chinese = avs are not nee
/ essarily bad because they often seem
/ strange to western eyes. It is merely
/ a question whether one is accustomed
/ to them or not
/ The Chinaman is the principal type
| of Oriental civilization. He is phleg-
matte and sluggish. Time is no object
I with him. He takes things as they
/ come and never seems 20 be in hurry
/ How different is the American. the
/ highest type of Occidental civilization
/ He is nervous and energetic. He acts
on the principle that time is money /
/ aud accordingly is impatient of re-
] & al int r1d al on
I told Oriental civilization meets the
new Occidental civiliza ton. it is TO be
! expected that there will be a clash
Which will have to give way to the
other is by no means certain: for the
4 race is not 90 the swift, nor the battle
I to the strong.
There las lately been a great deal
! Of newspaper talk about civilizing Chi
! ma. ! give credit to those people who
advocate SuCh a course for their good
/ intention, but its desira ability, to say
nothing of its difficulty, should not be
overlooked China has already CIV
iliZation of her own. It is the growth
Of time. Long before the ancestors of
the people of the west ceassd TO be
naked Savages and emerged IrJln the
primeval forests Of central Europe the
Chinese had known the use of the COM
pass and the art Of printing.
Now Sor the people of The west to
| turn around and then ask the chinese
to put away their Old civilization is
! telNlltI novel i ne people NI ire west
may know more than the Chinese about
( the building of railroads. the floating
of foreign loans, the combination of
capital the development OF resourC es
and the like. All this is granted.
Can Judge Themselves.
But the Chinese naturally feel that
they are in better position TO Judge
what is bAst for their own interest ard
welfare than any outsider .,an be-
/ Therefore. any attempt to impose CIOn
them any reform or religion they do
not feel the need Of, is apt To create
trouble. The use of force S. especially |
to be deprecated. as this serves only to
infiame their passions ana ro;tse their |
resentment and opposition. Eft. on the
other hand. much tan be Accomplished
by exercising tact and discretion and. !
above all by giving Tue consideration |
TO their sentiments ana prejTdices.
If the people of the west would
study the civiliz3 ton of China. instead |
OF trying 10 pull it down, they We uid |
save themselves a great teal If trCu-
I bic They Will find that the Chinese are |
not addicted TO ways that are dark and |
tricks that are vain as they are rep
resented TO be by an American poet |
They viii find that China old as she is |
still exhibits all the strength and vigor
OF fun maturity. They will find that !
the civilization that has stood the test |