The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-11-22

only remained the parties then present 70 settle uor
The manner OF approaching the throne. Without going
into needless details upon the interesting conversation
which ensued upon this topic at this and subsequent inter
views il win bcttor 70 recatulate the main arguments
sed by the Chinese unctonares in explaining and urging
their views these show clearly the real nature
Inc different estimation in which the Emperor regarded
friendly and equal nation like the United States, whose
chief magistrate was in every respect equal to himself
man, repeatedly referred TO by Kweiang He
times styled the Psesiden1 "ta,hcangi," Great En-
arnsd-and occasionally sskssscAs on Pyincely Ruler
topyore his respect for hs Such being the relations be-
tween the two countries the hotas or regular form Of
obesance required OF ENJOYS from these nations-i
san kiei kin hob, 'three kneelngs and nne knocks
would not be expected Shut" said the Judge 'sone
kneelng and three knocks will do for friendly Power.
This remark was not taken up by the Commissioners
nor the ceremony In This mitigated form again
referred TO- that be said that the 10 tau in
any shape was demanded Of Mr. Ward by the Chinese
as preliminary to his audience Of their sovereign.
To this Mr.. Ward replied, that while he entertained
the greatest respect for his Majesty and In that only felt
what the President himself had expressed in the letter Of
which he the bearer he wished declare in the plain.
est terms highly he would regard audience and
important deemed under the present
still he had asked it and the treaty said nothing
about IT. but he would not knee when he before the
throne he could only salute his Majesty As he did his
ruler and Ministers of the United States did the
sovereigns OF all other nations when they saw them; he
Do 50 before
Emperor and must obey his ritual but he represented
nation whose dignity he could not compromise by such
u
proceed from the heart and the outward ceremony was
not voluntary il was hypocrisy He ,oould boy very lo
ana e.m n's .mes p.a soouM aad 70 sAe otnnity IN
audience uiie The Emperor More than this he would
never willingly perform while this form of saiutation
exhibited all the respect he felt towards the President
which they must themselves acknowledge quite as
great he could feel towards the Emperor of China
The Commissioners ans wered that If they were in the
United States they would conform any requirements
made Of them at audience with the President and that
the American Minister ought 10 act that principle in their
that h.trr
reign otherwise than by kneeing, for anything short
of that absolutely nothing in their estma
ton and would be deemed so by the Emperor. He
would regard as an ndignity for Minister
from friendly naten to his capital and refuse
10 see him when he required so much less Of him than
he did Of his own courtiers, besides which, the Pre-
sdent would be offended with him for not showing proper
respect to his Envoy In European Courts even
the English persons knet before the sovereign when
presented to him, and il IS derogatoy do so
here than there They did not hesitate say that they
regarded the homage paid their monarch OF the
sort that given 10 gods and c0utd burn to
the Presdest aoe make the kotda 10 him, reguired
at Washington, IN order to manifest entire respect ''You
are plenipotentary," said Hwashana, turning to Mr.
Ward land certainly have full powers to do such
act.
Il am not invested with powers sufficient to enable me
TO change the laws ana of my country ard
doanything to degrade H. was Nv. Wards reply
The discussion had continued for two hours
and the commissioners waved any further debate
until they returned the visit. They invited the
party to sumpuous repast in adjoining
apartment. where the novelty Of knives, forks,
them To Mr. Wards request have horses 10 the
legation so that members Of the suit could take exercise
about the city had taken place. everything Of interes. in
pleasure Such know is the usage at Pekn in
to foreign embassies and was referred to in of the
letters received from the Russian Minister. The CONVEX
station turned variety of TOPICS and at the conclusion
OF the visit all parted in the best Of humor.
The same three officials returned Mr.. Wards visit
the I'd of August at the legation coming the same sort
OF carriages that are in use at the capital and had been
furnished the Embassy its journey. There no mi
ary escort was the number of attendants upon the
Prime Minister large; it plain and unpretending
VISIT characteristic of the little display usually among
high Chinese officers
The subject of the audience was resumed after all had
taken their Seats and nearly the ground again gone
over The Commissioners adhered to their former argu
ment, that as neehng was practsed at European
courts, and Mr. Ward had agreed to do at Pekin what
he would do any Of those courts bound TO
kee at the Chinese, and referred to the usage at Rome Of
hsse who had audiences in the Vatican This brought up
reference to the similarity in the religious given to
the kneeng before the Emperor of China the Pope;
mistake in their reasoning for foreign minirs-Ame-
Ti,dn, English or any otersrer keeed TO the Pope rhen
presented 10 him. The explanation evidently not alto.
gether satisfactory them they required again to
the practice of kneehug before the Queen England
which had been already shown was only prac.
order Of knighthood some other honor, and
had been demanded accorded by foreign ENJOYS
They wished Mr.. Ward TO embody account of the
ceremony he was willing 10 perform in communication
be 10 them and the draught of such paper was
male fore hey left but 1t too Straightforward
and ext ilt. They said would be useless TO take 1t.
They concluded the discussion by saying that they had
better report 10 his Majesty that the customs of the
countries unlike IT was better that audience
place, much be desired 10 honor to the Anne
Tcan nat on in its repres ,ntative.
An agree men was made with the Commissioners that
the business which had brought the Legation the CAPT.
IA should all be finished that could return the
1lth and they entirely disclaimed all restraint upon the
movements the American Minister while at the capital
The policemen had been stationed about the neghborhood
indeed merely oresrain the crowds natives who would
otherwise throng IT, "But asked Sch spray what rea-
Uah ay Tn sfOn n ew
you from going abroad There is no guard Of soldiers
toned to keep you in the house, The facts about this
perhaps easily explained by reference
the ideas entertained by the Chinese respecting the dig
nifty of any embassy that lis members should not
themselves about the rivales OF trade especially until
public business was over and its chief had seen the
Emperor However, the Chinese were afraid Of
ing the Russians and letter which came to hand that
evening from his Exceency General gnate proved that
they had detained his correspondence six days.
The Chinese Commissioners obliged go twelve
miles, the residence of Yuen ming yuen to re-
port TO his Majesty, who was passing the hot weather
there, and no reply expected from them till the
4th; but the next morning the Judge, with coune-
nance anything but joyful, Unexpectedly appeared He
had come from the summer palace, where he and the
commissioners had been all night, with plan which he
thought would succeed This was, that they should ad
dress Mr. Ward letter. stating that the Emperor intended
TO honor him with audience to receive the President
letter; he should then reply that he was willing,
if granted the honor, to make his RESPECTS to his
Majesty in the same manner that he would be-
fore the President. neither diminishing adding
thereto. There was, Of course, no objection to
this procedure aud the drafts Of both documents were
made out and the Judge took copies away with him. The
detail Of the expedent TO be observed also explained
which was, that when the Minister came towards the
throne the table which the Presidents letter
placed standing between the two he should bow low
he had represented, and then tho chaabrdias would dp-
prodch and raise him up, NTH ne exclamation, Don't
knee He would then present the letter by placing it
the table, whence would be taken by another chamber
LAIN who, his knees, would hand to the Emperor.
The Judge went away with happier visagc than be
came WITH and the next despatch from Kweliang was
looked for with impacnce Instead Of the expected do
cument, Seh himself returned next morning to tell us
that the Commissioners had sbeen outvoted and his
Mnjestys decision was that unless the American Minister
would either touch knee his fingers to the ground
he would not him. While this concession refused
as being much more than American representative
performed before his any other ruler,
again declared that in this persistence Of our usages
there was no dsrespec intended to the Emperor, who
must of course be the final Judge Of what he deemed
suitable TO his dignity. The question OF an audience
was thus settled far the American embassy in
terested after five days earnest discussion During the
whole Of the Chinese Commissioners made use of nothing
but fair argument They never even alluded TO the
helpless position Of twenty foreigners as reason for their
complying with ceremony which seemed to them, doubt
less the extreme of beraty II is impossible to decide