The National tribune., 1901-07-04


them the natives until now there are lef
only small numbers of the aborigines
who have their homes and rendezvous il
the Businesses of the southern mountains
The Chinese seem to have begun their EN-
pire with isolated bands of colonists il
the northern, central and western prov
inces of Shensi, Shansi, Honan and Hu
peh, just as the first Europeans estab
lished themselves in Massachusetts, Vir
ginia and Florida. Now they reach owe
an area larger than that which is undel
the sovereignty of the American people.
The mighty Hia dynasty was doomed tt
end through the very means that Yu pre-
dicted. 1t went out in debauchery and un
bridled voluptuousness, under the lead OF
vain kieh-kwei, and of his beautiful but
| wanton cOnSort, Meihi.
The dynasty of Shang then assumed
power, and 2S Sovereigns occupied the
throne through GA years. These Kings
were good and bad. strong and weak. and
the empire prospered and suffered, extend
ed and contracted. according TO the char
acter and power of these men.
THE GOLDEN AGE IN CHINA's ANCIENT
HISTORY.
From the haze of the Shang dynasty
was born the Incompatible Chow dynasty
which boosted of 50 rulers, and lasted
through nine eyentful centuries, from b
G. 1222 to 253. This period was golden
age in China's ancient history. 1t was
the bridge between the doubtful past and
the actual present. But its crowning
glory was the appearance of Confucus
and Mencius upon the stage of the worlds
| history; nor should Laotze, the founder OF
Taoism, be omitted. He figured in the
same dynasty, but his work was not SC
much for the bettering of his fellow-men
| as were the teachings and example OF
| COnfucius.
When we discuss at the dinner table
| in lecture-rOoms, and in social and literary
! intercourse the golden ages of Greece and
Rome we are prone to forget entirely that
in China there was n corresponding age,
when real civilization in its broad sense
reached a mark as high even as it did in
southern Europe. 1t began in strength,
blaZed into unparalleled brilliancy, and
then sank into decadenee, to be followed
by period when the dregs of misfor-
tune were drunk by the people; and such
was the record also of European and west
ern Asiatic powers.
If the founder of the Chow dynasty,
WI Wang, were alive today, he would be
the man of power, ability and leadership
to save China. He found the empire in
a more deplorable state than Kwangsu.
the present ruler, when he assembled the
throne. He made it respected through
out Asia Embassies came with tribute
Siam on the south, and Tatary and Tibet
on the north and west. But in his power
he made one cardinal error: he established
the system of feudal states and feudal
lords. Their struggles and wars were the
influences which eventually wrought the
downfall of his dynasty.
Singular enough, great national progress
was made during these times of strife
and the boundaries of the empire were
enlarged in proportion to the internal
wars. The foundation was laid for the
greater China that was to follow.
If nothing stood to the credit of the
Chow dynasty other than the life of Con-
fucius, it would have honor enough. with
out even including Mencius and Laotze.
CoyFUCIUs AND HIS PRECEpTs.
Confucius was born SOL years, or near
ly SIX centuries, before Christ. Beyond
few myths and legends connected with his
birth, there is nothing fabulous about his
life. He stands out clearly as one of the
greatest men that the world has ever
produced. He was a man, not a saint;
a man who went through the average
experiences Of a scholar and statesman in
public life, and who in an unpretentious
but sincere way endeayored TO better his
fellow-men. He gradually rose from low
estate TO be a magistrate, and finally be-
came the Prime Minister of Duke Ting.
i1f Was an tIIineDl IaWyeT, not uni1ke
Moses or. Scion, and was a practical phil
osopher ike Benjamin Franklin. He was
a man of the people and knew their i'm
pulses. hopes and wishes like Abraham
Lincoln. 1t was because he understood
mans nature that he was able to make
such lasting impression. The masses
of China study his precepts today as they
did 20 centuries ago and will 20 centuries
hence.
Confucianism has its failings and weak
points when regarded as a religion, and
must in the evolution of time give way
as a religion to Christianity; but as the
teachings of a great philosopher his works
will never be forgotten. In fact, they
viii have in some respects a wider hear
ing and following when the European and
American world studies more the inter
esting and instructive history of Cathay.
Confucianism became a religion not
through any intent or purpose of its
founder. He never endeaYored to start
a religion, to be considered as a god, or
as a prophet of god. The doctrines,
precepts and philosophy Of Confucius be-
came religion because they were purer
and higher than the conceptions of any
other religion that in those days was Of
fered to the people; they We're beyond and
abOye the teachings of Laotze or Buddha
in the mind of the average Chinese ruler
or Yassal. BY natural evolution in the
IMAGINATION or the people he became in
a mea sure god, but it is we'll TO be re.
membered that he did not believe in any
existing God, and there is no hint in his
philosophy Of a future life When asked
what was his opinion of death, he re-
piled: How can one know death when
one does not know lifet"
To those who have firm belief in a liv-
ing God and in the Immortality of the soul,
it would not seem that CoDfucianism
could stand as a religion against the ex-
panding influence of Christianity. No
matter how much we admire the charac-
ter and teachings of Confucius, there are
lacking in his philosophy the two great
essentials of faith and hope which are
so dear TO the Christian world. Charity
there is in Confucius's teachings, and that
is a principal element in making them
strong
Love. respect and worship of ancestors,
which have played so important part in
China's political, material and moral de-
velopment, are fostered by the precepts of
COnfur ms. His portrayal of the lives of
the mighty YaO and Shun of the mythical
days, and later of Wan Wang, WI Wang
and Chau King, of the Chow dynasty,
tended to develop deep sense of ances-
trail homage.
In the growth of China this influence
has, on the one hand, protected the fam
lily and the state, and, on the other hand.
retarded material progress. Worship of
ancestors, with its virtues and faults, has
been n synonym for conservatism in China
What was sufficient and satisfactory TO
their ancestors should be sufficient and
satisfactory for the present generatiOni
The fear. for instance of disturbing tha