China | Page 8

neglects his business, gives
himself over to the indulgence of pleasure, or fails to see the signs of
the times. Cowardice and corruption receive their due and inevitable
punishment. The founders of the dynasties are all brave and successful
warriors, who are superior to the cant of a hypercivilized state of
society, which covers declining vigor and marks the first phase of
effeteness, and who see that as long as there are human passions they
may be molded by genius to make the many serve the few and to build
up an autocracy. Nor are the lessons to be learned from history
applicable only to individuals. The faults of an emperor are felt in every
household of the community, and injure the State. Indifference and
obtuseness at the capital entailed weakness on the frontier and in the
provincial capitals. The barbarians grew defiant and aggressive, and
defeated the imperial forces. The provincial governors asserted their
independence, and founded ruling families. The empire became
attenuated by external attack and internal division. But, to use tho
phrase of the Chinese historians, "after long abiding disunion, union
revived." The strong and capable man always appears in one form or
another, and the Chinese people, impressed with a belief in both the
divine mission of their emperor and also in the value of union,
welcome with acclaim the advent of the prince who will restore their
favorite and ideal system of one-man government. The time is still
hidden in a far-distant and undiscoverable future when it will be
otherwise, and when the Chinese will be drawn away from their
consistent and ancient practice to pursue the ignis fatuus of European
politics that seeks to combine human equality with good practical
government and national security. The Chinese have another and more
attainable ideal, nor is there any likelihood of their changing it. The fall
of dynasties may, needs must, continue in the ordinary course of nature,
but in China it will not pave the way to a republic. The imperial
authority will rise triumphant after every struggle above the storm.
CHAPTER II

THE FIRST NATIONAL DYNASTY
As the Chinese are still proud to call themselves the sons of Han, it will
be understood that the period covered by the Han rulers must be an
important epoch in their history, and in more than one respect they
were the first national dynasty, When the successors of Tsin Chi
Hwangti proved unable to keep the throne, the victorious general who
profited by their discomfiture was named Liu Pang. He had been a
trusted official of the Emperor Hwangti, but on finding that his
descendants could not bear the burden of government, he resolved to
take his own measures, and he lost no time in collecting troops and in
making a bid for popularity by endeavoring to save all the books that
had not been burned. His career bears some resemblance to that of
Macbeth, for a soothsayer meeting him on the road predicted, "by the
expression of his features, that he was destined to become emperor."
He began his struggle for the throne by defeating another general
named Pawang, who was also disposed to make a bid for supreme
power. After this success Liu Pang was proclaimed emperor as Kao
Hwangti, meaning Lofty and August Emperor, which has been
shortened into Kaotsou. He named his dynasty the Han, after the small
state in which he was born.
Kaotsou began his reign by a public proclamation in favor of peace,
and deploring the evils which follow in the train of war. He called upon
his subjects to aid his efforts for their welfare by assisting in the
execution of many works of public utility, among which roads and
bridges occupied the foremost place. He removed his capital from
Loyang in Honan to Singanfoo in Shensi, and as Singan was difficult of
access in those days, he constructed a great highroad from the center of
China to this somewhat remote spot on the western frontier. This road
still exists, and has been described by several travelers in our time. It
was constructed by the labor of one hundred thousand men through the
most difficult country, crossing great mountain chains and broad rivers.
The Chinese engineers employed on the making of this road, which has
excited the admiration of all who have traversed it, first discovered and
carried into execution the suspension bridge, which in Europe is quite a
modern invention. One of these "flying bridges," as the Chinese called

them, is one hundred and fifty yards across a valley five hundred feet
below, and is still in use. At regular intervals along this road Kaotsou
constructed rest-houses for travelers, and postal-stations for his couriers.
No Chinese ruler has done anything more useful or remarkable than
this admirable road from Loyang to