but in wisdom, which is gray hair to a nation,
or, rather, truly seen, is eternal youth. As we
know, China had the magnet centuries before
Europe; and block-printing or stereotype, and
lithography, and gunpowder, and vaccination,
and canals; had anticipated Linnæus's nomen-
clature of plants; had codes, journals, clubs,
hackney coaches, and, thirty centuries before
New York, had the custom of New Year's calls
of comity and reconciliation. I need not men-
tion its useful arts, -its pottery indispensable
to the world, the luxury of silks, and its tea, the
cordial of nations. But I must remember that
she has respectable remains of astronomic sci-
ence, and historic records of forgotten time, that
have supplied important gaps in the ancient his-
tory of the western nations. Then she has philo-
sophers who cannot be spared. Confucius has
not yet gathered all his fame. When Socrates
heard that the oracle declared that he was the
wisest of men, he said, it must mean that other
men held that they were wise, but that he knew
that he knew nothing. Confucius had already
affirmed this of himself: and what we call the
GOLDEN RULE of Jesus, Confucius had uttered
in the same terms five hundred years before.
His morals, though addressed to a state of

E

society unlike ours, we read with profit to-day. His rare perception appears in his GOLDEN MEAN, his doctrine of Reciprocity, his unerring insight, putting always the blame of our misfortunes on ourselves; as when to the governor who complained of thieves, he said, "If you, sir, were not covetous, though you should reward them for it, they would not steal." His ideal of greatness predicts Marcus Antoninus. At the same time, he abstained from paradox, and met the ingrained prudence of his nation by saying always," Bend one cubit to straighten eight."

China interests us at this moment in a point of politics. I am sure that gentlemen around me bear in mind the bill which the Hon. Mr. Jenckes of Rhode Island has twice attempted to carry through Congress, requiring that candidates for public offices shall first pass examinations on their literary qualifications for the same. Well, China has preceded us, as well as England and France, in this essential correction of a reckless usage; and the like high esteem of education appears in China in social life, to whose distinctions it is made an indispensable passport.

It is gratifying to know that the advantages

of the new intercourse between the two countries are daily manifest on the Pacific coast. The immigrants from Asia come in crowds. Their power of continuous labor, their versatility in adapting themselves to new conditions, their stoical economy, are unlooked-for virtues. They send back to their friends, in China, money, new products of art, new tools, machinery, new foods, etc., and are thus establishing a commerce without limit. I cannot help adding, after what I have heard to-night, that I have read in the journals a statement from an English source, that Sir Frederic Bruce attributed to Mr. Burlingame the merit of the happy reform in the relations of foreign governments to China. I am quite sure that I heard from Mr. Burlingame in New York, in his last visit to America, that the whole merit of it belonged to Sir Frederic Bruce. It appears that the ambassadors were emulous in their magnanimity. It is certainly the best guaranty for the interests of China and of humanity.

AT THE MEETING FOR ORGANIZING THE FREE RELIGIOUS ASSOCIATION, BOSTON