Ar the present time there is a peculiar reason for striving to have accurate notions of the status of the Ruler of China. The veil that so long covered him is now torn aside, and he has been seen with the bodily eyes of the Bar-parians. We will endeavour then briefly to show how this august person differs from other Oriental Potentates, og. the Sultan of Turkey, and the recently celebrated Shah of Persia. There is a fashion very prevalent in Western countries, of glorifying and extolling the Ruler of China because of his supposed connection with the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars. Now much fantastic nonsense is talked in this connection. Yet, like all exaggeration, there is a basis for the superstracture of folly and Oriental fanfaronade. The Emperor is the "son of heaven" by no physical sonship, but because He is the chosen agent and representative on earth of that supreme ruling power or providence, of which the Chinese from the most ancient times to the present day have always hada more or less lively conception under the name Teen or Heaven." Now this a very different thing from Divine Right dwelling ina family. Weare apt to regard China as an hereditary monarchy. It is an empire so conspicuons from its venerable age, that we are naturally inclined to think and speak of it as a country where the dindem is handed down from sire to son in regular and unbroken success sion. This view, however, is utterly mistaken. There is in the Middle Kingdom absolutely no such thing as hereditary right.
The Emperor does not even select his eldest son of necessity, to succeed him. He has entire authority in the matter, and marks out any one he pleases for the dignity and responsibility of the sceptre. Of course another consideration comes in here.
Respect for the paternal relation is a very potent consideration -in China. The fabric of society has been said, truly enough, to be held together by obedience to the 5th Commandment. The filial relationship is the one relationship around which all feelings of reverence, affection and loyalty centre. Since this is the case, it follows naturally that in point of fact the Father has generally nominated his son as his heir; but we should always remember that it is entirely an act of free choice, and that no constitutional requirements force the father so to act. Mr. Meadows remarked many years ago:—" The principal that no man is entitled by birth to reign over them, is better known to 360 millions of China than it is known to the twenty-seven millions of Great Britain and Ireland that they are entitled to be tried by their peers."
Yet, though we do well to throw aside all European notions of a Divine Right, there is a peculiar religious notion attached to the Imperial charac ter, which is not to be lost sight of His position is so august, his responsi. bilities are so vast, his power for good or evil stretches so far, that Heaven and Earth are alike interested in him. he does well all is tranquil, but if he transgresses, the aspect of nature is disturbed. The earthquake, the tornado, the comet, and the flood are signs that Heaven is displeased with his vicegerent, and are always regarded as distinct expressions of the anger of Deity. We read in Mencius: "In the Book of History it is said: Heaven having produced the inferior people, appointed for them rulers and teachers with the purpose that they should be assisting to God." Tt appears then, that the view of their Sovereign'splace and duties held by the Chinese is in the main simple, and not servile or degrading to the subject. It is easy to point to the backslidings and shortcomings of many of the Emperors. And it is easier to ridicule the actual working of the Chinese constitutional system; but in the midst of a general picture of corruption and inefficiency, we often notice very correct and sound elementary principles. One thing is well worthy of notice, viz., that these strange people have never for a moment realized the idea so familiar to Europe, of "a right divine to govern wrong." Tue doctrine of Filmer, for which hundreds of intelligent Englishmen fought and died in the 17th century, has never for a single instant found favour in this country, though the Chief of the State is armyed in a magnificent garment of sounding titles and seems to be regarded as semi-Divine. Our maxim: "the King can do no wrong," is nob admitted here,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.