The searchlight., 1911-12-22


study than that Of the huge
Chinese empire. which after
slumber of many centuries is
aow bursting the shackles Of her con-
servatism and aspiring to new life and
new ideals. Starting in the prov
ince OF Szechuan. the revolt against
the Manchu dynasty spread down the
Yangtse valley and southwark to the
coast. In the shaded portion OF the
map. showing the huge slice OF the
empire held by the rebels. Hankow
and Marking are the only important
cities under imperial control.
There was a time In her history
when she was the most progressive
empire In the world. Possibly. with
in her territory first began the devel-
opment and promotion Of civilized
life-the upward tendency OF man
from the cave to the palace. from
the nomadic to the sedentary, from
the loose system Of tribal patriarchism
to fixed laws and Institutions. She
was the contemporary OF Egypt. OF
Babylon, of Assyria, of Greece. and
long before Rome was anything more
than a primitive settlement China had
a system Of organized life and fixed
literature.
These ancient empires are no more,
but China still is. The continuity OF
her racial life has been maintained
for 5000, perhaps for 1000 years;
and this great Mongolian land. which
was administering laws and justice
when the slaves of the Pharaohs were
erecting the pyramids Is as virile as
any nation in the world today. Then
the progressive civilization OF the
Chinese was arrested and the whole
life Of the race seemed suddenly to
crystalline. There was no advance
from this position and apparently no
retrocession- Therein the remarkable
singularity Of the Chinese is seen.
with the west there Is either progress
or decline-improveme or utter de-
cay. There IL no middle ground. But
with the Chinese, on the contrary.
everything has been stationary.
Cause Of Chinese Conservatism.
This fixedness Of Chinese life 10
traceable to the teachings OF Confu-
,cius, who lived in the fifth century
before the Christian era and whose
doctrines are accepted by practically
all Chinese. He was not the founder
of a religion, in the accepted western
sense Of that term. but rather Of q
philosophic system. Confucius. whose
studies extended back to the begin
nings of things Chinese. discovered q
golden state OF happiness. and his
philosophy sought the restoration of
the people to this golden era and 30
circumscribed them by rules OF con.
duct that the past became an estab.
lished form and the desire for change
was extinguished.
Thus was the spirit Of progress
shackled in China. Laws. usages,
customs, manners, became crystal
lized. Industrial life became fixed
and today husbandmen are using tools
similar to those which their progeni
tors employed when Rome was con
tending with Carthage for the su
premacy Of the ancient world. China
until recently has since been living
with her face to the past. affordine
to the world a changeless phenome
non which has been the wonder ol
scientists and scholars.
Ceremonial rule regulates every
act of the Chinese. II is based or
the socalled classics. which may bs
called both the constitution and the
Bible of the Chinese and which binds
emperor and peasant alike. Polygamy
although to some extent practiced
among the Chinese. is generally inter
dicted and, of course. prevails among
the Mohammedans Of the empire. Bu
concubinage IL common and the same
double standard Of morals prevaill
in China az elsewhere. In the Chines<
family girls are a burden. boys are ,
Joy. and hence female children arr
nut to death.
The Industrial life Of the Chinese 4
one Of great intensity. Into an are,
of 100000 square miles comprise<
in China proper II crowded q popula
tion Of l26.000.000 human beings-s
fourth Of the people Of the earth. N,
such vast Homogeneous population
was ever before assembled in any sin
Gls country In the world and the tasl
OF supplying their numerous wants 4