CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
September 23, 1905.7 NAPOLEON, now Emperor of the French, Here we see, then, expressed in a few undertook to free northern Italy from the pitby sentences, the fundamental principles oppression of the petty rulers under the of constitutional government. The Emperor thumb of Austria, to which it had been is, indeed, the T'ientse, but the old pronun- consigned by the Congress: the movement ciation of the latter syllable was not tse but was more successful than he had calculated tar, and indicated not the son, but the ou or probably desired. At all events, in a doer, executor. The ruler is, indeed, com- few years it resulted in the establishment missioned by heaven, but the commission, of a constitutional monarchy over the whole like that of the english judge, is only of Italy, shortly afterwards to be followed during "good behaviour," and automatically by the concession of popular rule in ceases through misconduct, or when the Hungary. Except in Germany, where executor exceeds his trust. Such has ever popular government is kept in hand by a been tacitly assumed as the foundation of the powerful Imperial Monarchy, the whole of Chinese Empire, and though but few have Europe, excluding, of course, Russia and had the courage to state it as plainly as the Ottoman Empire, has now come effec- MENCIUS, it has always been the reason tively under constitutional rule, with the assigned for the mazy changes of dynasty best effects on rulers and people alike. In which mark Chinese history. In recommend- the two Americas, South Africa, anding, then, to the Throne the despatch to Australia popular government is also the Europe of Commissioners to enquire into rule, so that with the exception of Asin, and the practice of Representative Government, the o practically Asiatic nations of Russia its present advisers have been recommending and Turkey, the whole of the civilised no new departure. Rebellion and deposi- world has now thrown in its lot with con- tion are hard words, but inefficiency in stitutionalism as the best form of govern- government shows disrespect to the decrees m^nt.
of Heaven; so much the traditions of antiq. uity teach Is there no alternative short of disruption by which the present par lysis of government may be rectified? Such is the problem now engaging the most trusted advisers of the Throne. Doubtless the example of Japan has bad much to say to the inception of the movement. Japan has learnt much of Chin, not least of all in her theories of government; but in these as in other things she has gone ahead of her teachers. Is it possible that in introducing representative institutions she has really hit on the solution of the difficulty?
In Asia, where the first great empires of the world had their origin, the people us such have never bad any voice in their on national affairs. None of the great ancient empires ever conceived such a thing, nor did the people ever imagine that they had any claim to interfere in the councils of their rulers. Disaffection did from time to time appear, but it was the unwillingness of independent nations to be brought into subjection by their neighbours; nyt any dis satisfaction with the mere form of goreru- ment, which neither they nor their rulers con- sidered affected them in any way. Except per- haps a few mountain tribes, none of these peoples had any conception of liberty as -understood by the Greeks, their idea f liberty being simply freedom to plunder their neighbours. Still, we hear in various quarters of peoples with more advanced ideas. The Zend Avesta in its first chapter speaks of the dwellers by the Rangha (the upper Jaxartes), "governed without kings." In almost similar words the Shiki tells of the Tocbars in ancient Bactria, who had no supreme ruler, each city or town electing its own chiefs. But these peoples were closely connected with the Getae, the f rebears of the European Goths, and apparently the idea of liberty has been congenital. Now it is interesting to note that the founders of the first states in China were immigrants from these same districts, and not distan ly connected with these very people; and we do find amongst the early Chinese traces of their influence. MENCIUS was as frea in his comments on government and governors as: any modern constitutional statesman. Talking of the old traditions of YAO and SHUN SOMEONe asks him :-' Was it the caSE, then, that Yao gave the Empire to Saus? By no means, was the reply, no one but Heaven can confer the Empire. So! But did Heaven do this in so many words? By no means, Heaven does not use words. It indicated its choice in his conduct of affairs. Yao presented SHUN to Heaven, but he could not by doing so compel Heasen to confer the Empire. YAO, indeed, presented him, and Heaven accepted, and the people, knowing this, accepted also. But may I venture to ask, goes on his interlocutor, regarding this presentation to Heaven, and its acceptance, how came the people to know it? He was commissioned to make the sacrifices, and the Spiritual Hosts were favourable; thus Heaven showed its acceptance; he was commissioned to preside over affairs, and affairs were well conducted, and the people had ease; thus the people showed them acceptance.
CHINESE OLD-STYLE EXAMINA-
TION ABOLISHED.
KANG YU-war. His idea, it will be remem- bered, was not to abolish the examinations but to remodel them; and the intended modifications are sufficiently indicated by his allusion to "empty and useless know- ledge, which has no practical value in the crisis we are passing through." The unin- formed render can fairly estimate the quality of the qualifying lore thus stigmatised by picturing to himself a British parliament, and all the Government offices, filled by Standard Seven youths who bad memorised the maximum number of the ndages at the head of the old-fashioned copy-books, the whole of Proverbs, and as many of the more hackneyed quotations from SHAKESPEARE ns was possible. The Chinese official of yesterday, whatever the nature of his office, had to be a sort of animated “Confucian Birthday Book," with a suitable quotation for every day, or better still, for every incident of every day. This was always amusing to write and read about; but it was painful politically, for those who hoped to see China taking her place among the living. England herself, from her men of affairs, long ago insisted upon some. thing more than tags from HORACE or VIRGIL. The demand for similes is still felt; but our orators now make their own, or use popular ones in the vernacular. Fire is a good servant but a bid master" is better than "Nec servum meliorem ullum, nec deteriorem dominum fuisse;" it is sooner said; conveys exactly the same point; and frces the speaker (or writer) from any suspicion of pedantry. The old Chinese system was to rear a tribe of pedants, who, like all pedants, were astonishingly ignorant of practical modern affairs. The decree, which | contains an allusion almost identical with the stock argument of the pedagogues who still favour classicism in England, has been translated in part as follows:-
"
B-fore the era of what is termed the Three Dynast.es, men for office were selected from the schools, and it must be confussed that the plan produced many ta'ented men. It was, indeed, a for the disciplining of talents and the moulding most successful plan for the creation of a nursery
in such number that every member of this Empire may have the means at these to study and learn something substantial in order to pre- pare himself to be of use to his country. We have, indeed, thought deeply on this subject.
(Daily Press 20th September.) China, like MARK TWAIN'S glacier, is indeed moving, although without any very apparent stir. The Imperial Decree sum marily abolishing the ancient fashion of competitive literary examinations will per- haps in days to come be recognised as an
of character for our empire of China. Indeed important landmark in the history of the the examples before us of the wealth and power neighbouring vast empire. It was one of of Japan and the countries of the West have the proposed reforms that got the Emperor their foundation in no other than their own KwANG Hsu into trouble with his ultra-schools. Just how we are passing through a conservative aunt; anl there is some temp. crisis fraught with difficulties and the country tation to speculate as to the DoWAGER. is most urgently in want of men of talents and EMPRESS's present feelings with regard to fact that, of late, modern methods of education abilities (of) the modern sort). Owing to the the Ministers whose joint recommendations have been daily on the i-crease amongst us, we are responsible for it. These are mentioned repeatedly issu d our commands to all our 28 YUAN SHIH-KAI, CHAO ERH SEN, CHANG Viceroys and Governors of provinces to lose no CHIN-TUNG, CHOU FU, THEN CH'UN-time in establishing modern schools of learning HSUEN (the new acting Viceroy of the two Kwang) and TUAN FANG (overnor of Hunan). Not one of these names is un- known to the foreign reader of Chinese news; and in combination, they appear to have over-awed the cantankerous old lady at Peking, whom we shall never suspect of any weakening in her attitude towards changes of any kind. This particular departure from the traditio al practice inust have appeared very obnoxious, indeed, in her eyes, for it has been the glory of the nation that in these examinations any diligent scholar, of whatever social class, might find the open sesame to rank and wealth and power, It is suspected, notwithstanding the elaborate precautions, that the best students dil tot always win; and that not all the winners received, the rewards they were led to expect. It is a question now whether the change is wholly or only partially reformatory. As breaking Much as we admire the philosophy of the crust of hereditary prejudice, thing to be
* thankful for home CONFUCIUS, we have to alinit, with Dr. › do not | LEGGE, that he “makes no provision_for think the decree is what young KwanG HSU the intercourse of his country with other would have passed while under the advice of and independent nations. The literati
|
Hence if we desire to 830 the spread of modern efucation by the establish- ment of a number of schools, we must first abolish the old style of studying for the examinations.
We, therefore, hereby ommand that, beginning from the Ping-wu Cycle (1906), all competitive examinatious for (Master of Arts and Doctor) after the old style. the literary degrees of Chüjên and Chinshih shall be henceforth abolished, while the annual competitions in the cities of the various pro- vinces for the Haiuta'ai (Bachelor of Arts) or licentiate degree are also to be abolished at once. Those possessora of lit rary grades of the old style Chijen and Hsiuts'si who obtained their be given opportunities to take up official ran degrees prior to the issuance of this decree shall according to their respective grades and abilities."
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.