Tae constant meetings in Sau Francisco, the continued hostile attitude assamed by the working classes of the State, and fostered by many amongst the upper rauks, the loud but deep mur-mars of the Californian press; all point out the fears that are entertained, that the Chinese will, in Western America, usurp the place of the European sprang population. There are many ings in favour of this view; the well-known acquisitiveness of the Chinese as a nation, their natural aptitude for trade, the ability to perform hard work, and the perseverance which marks their performance of it, are so many points in their favour when brought into cou-tact with the more powerful but less careful Irish or Negro labourers. 'That the Chivese' population of the State of California has increased, there is abundant evidence to prove; but that it shows a tendency to great farther extension, there is little reason to believe. There are certain callings which the ordinary Chinese will perform with greater facility, and in which he will give greater satisfaction than the Western labourer; but it is probable that these callings are limited. For posts requiring bre: i rather than the lower quality of cuteness, the Chinaman will always be at a disadvantage. His lower mental developement, aided by the depressing influences to which the race has been subjected for hundreds of years, prevent him from occupying other than the lower ranks of manual labour. As a trader he has indeed the capacity of ranking higher, for here he is altogether at home; but as a producer he will always take a low rank when associated with men of more energetic races. We can, however, trace this fear of the Western inhabitants of California in a great measure to the mis-statements that have been so frequently put forward on the subject of China. For quite different ends, it has become a habit to exaggerate the population of China, The Chinese, in their own land, have been described as pressing on one another for the means of bare sustenance; every square foot of the soil has been brought into cultivation, and stimulated so as to feed the largest possible number of inhabit ants. In fact, itis only Chinese energy and Chinese knowledge of cultivating the soil which enables il to support so enormous a population! It is only lately that this bubble has burst. Wo remember our own education in similar ideas; and we can readily imagine that, when residents in China, however little they improved their opportunities for formingajudgment, were found not only to back up, but to exaggerate, those foolish tales, people to whom from their infancy the large population of China had been a household word, readily believed in their entirety the tales seemingly supported by excellent authority. But what does the continued investigation of the state of China show? We learn from every unprejudiced traveller, that so far from there being an over-population, there are in every province vast tracts, perfectly susceptible of cultivation, which in their present condition yield no useful product. We find a miserably poor population almost starving in the midst of plenty, a population large indeed for the area cultivated, but not a tithe of what the soil is capable of supporting.
is quite true that, in the alluvial plains at or near which the open ports are situated, there is a large population supported by the produce of the soil; nearer investigation, however, discloses the remarkable fact, that without this redundant population, the Chinese cannot cultivate the Jand. That, in fact, population is the first necessity before Ube Chinese even bring ground into cultivation; and that, even then, such is the peculiar nature of thei system of culture, that, after supporting the human beings resident on the soil, but little overplus remains to enrich the cultivator. Had the Chinese been a producing nation, they, with the large exieut and indubitable fertility of their soil, must have occupied a far different status in the economic history of the world from what. they ever have done. The history of their export trade is in itself a sufficient proof of their position; the more we become acquainted with the country, its soil, its natural productions, and' its population, the more we remark how little service it has been to mankind in general, Cut off tea and silk, and what has China supplied to the world at large? Tu these, its two peculiar productions, it as competitors in Europe and India whose influence cannot fail to be felt. Even now, Assam presses China closely in the former article; Japan, Italy and France in the latter." Its production of porcelain has long since become a thing of the past; and, reasoning from analogy, we may infer that sooner or later the other two may follow, ifa complete change in the present oppressive system of national education and misgovernment, be not effected. We therefore do not share with our Californian friends their fears for Taranian usurping the place of Aryan labour or Aryan thought. Aryan races will ever be the foremost in
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.