The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-02-01
PBRIM.
,,to sIetch of the Great city as ft
n Appears To-day.


a, the top forming nice promenade OF
ns.r,v twenty-fve miles around the city. A
oaytition wall divides the Tartar from the Chi
nese city, and four gates at the north, south,
cas-, and west afford the only means for pass
INC the walls, and these are opened aud closed
nth the sun. Inside the great wall of the
T.,,ar CITY is another wall made Of yellow
h,ioks and covered with enamelled yellow tiles.
.olled the wall of the Imperial City, which is
Inhabited mostly by Tartars and persons con-
Deo,ed with the government. Inside Of the
Ir0nerial City is still another wall of red
hr;oks surrounded by a moat inclosing
the prohibited city, in which the palace,
Ayeasury. and public buildings immediately
ooDneoted with the Emperor's household are
located In these sacred precincts OF majesty
no foreign foot has ever trod' ana tne nyste-
&c of tbe palace are only known to few OF
AZ ,nost faithful and hOnOred servants OF the
NonIobn dynasty. The colored roofs made of
a,omelled tiles of blue, green, red, and yell
IL are seen amidst the dense foliage of the
forest which ornaments the palace grounds.
Here the Emperor of China holds his court,
oonnsalling only with the Regent Mother, his
teachers, and the few high officers whe are ad-
mitted to his presence. lie is revered by the
people as the Son Of Heaven, and iu theory ls
supreme but in practice only 30 far as the
neople please TO obey, as the right of petition
10 the throne is recognized as one of the most
sacred customs of the Chinese Empire. l was
standing by gate over the moat one day in the
vioinitv of q venerable looking mandarin wear
ing button of high rank, and sought to en-
gage his attention by comparing the time of
day, but he had the advantage of me, as he
had two watches in his girdle aud had only
one | intimated desire to view the palace
grounds, and, astonished at my ignorance and
impudence, he pointed to the sacred enclosure
and then to heaven, signifying that it was in
habited by the Son of Heaven. The inmates
of the prohibited city are not supposed to
number more than thousand, including men,
women, children, eunuchs, and the little
Emperor.
THE EMPEROR.
His Majesty is not quite thirteen years OF
age, and has not yet assumed the reins of
government During his minority the actual
regents of the empire are his mothers, as he
is blessed with several The first wife of the
late Emperor having failed TO furnish an heir
to the throne, the present Emperor is the son
OF one of the auxiliary wives OF the deceased
Henfung. AS it would be an infringement of
Chinese customs for women to attend to any
public business the affairs of state, at least
with foreigners, are conducted by the Prince
of Kung, uncle of the Emperor, and reoog-
nized head Of the Government during his
minority,
ais FIRST APPEARANCE IN PUBLIC-A CELESTIAL
PAGEANT.
The first appearance of the Emperor in
public was on Sunday last. The occasion was
the performance OF a filial ceremony devolvipg
upon the heirs of departed emperors of the
Tartar dynasty Of sending to Monkden, the
ancient capital of their race in Mantohuria, the
- nn.l,. c1tT ~nsx, ofA At, n
Tsupg emperors. A grand pavilion was
erected at the east gate OF the prohibited city
with q gaudy display OF yellow satin, the inl-
perial color. Paintings of dragons and many
curious devices of the cunning Chinese artists
were employed to give an imposing effect to
the imperial pageant. The procession was
formed within the prohibited precincts, the
emperor accompanying it only to the pavilion
Immediately outside the gate, where he bowed
before the image OF his late father and the
archives Of his reign as they passed on to the
capital of his ancestors, guarded by select
body of the Mantchu Bsnnermen. The archives
Of the reign of his illustriou5 progenitor, Hen
fung, need not have been very ponderous, as
he reigned only eleven years, and died in
exile at thirty. At the approach of the Brl-
tish and French armies in 1860, he left the
defense of his capital to his troops, and fad
TO his summer place at Zehol in Tartsry,
where he died. This ceremony will not
occur again until after the death of the fjfAsant
Emperor, and that in time it is hoped great
changes will take place in China. II the little
boy whose destiny it may be to rule over
400, ,00O, 900 of human beings should grow nm
with liberal and enlightened ideas. he NAV
exercise powerful influence on the happi-
ness of a large portion of the human race.
and indirectly upon those with whom thew
may have relations in commerce. in nolitioS
in religion, and in social life. Ii would ba
premature to indulge In any sanguine hopes
OF his reign. IL must be remem bered that the
FIRST impressions ofhis childhood are the terror
of an invading army, the burning of the snm.
mer palace OF Yuen-Minyneu, the flight into
Tartary, and the subsequent death of his
tather. These events may not have i'm
pressed him with any friendly feelings
towards foreigners, and his education being
confined TO the walls OF the palace, among
women, priests, and eunuohs, and the ener
vatng influence OF court ARE not favorabl,
TO the development of liberal foreign policy
At least Peter the Great did not get his edu
cation In such school. In his name all tn
ediots OF the empire are issued and treatie
with foreign powers made. Oar next Presi
DENTAL message will no doubt contain
grandiloquent sentence respecting "Our rela
tions with the Emperor of China"
THE RBcoaN lied HEAD OF THE GOVERNMENT.
The recognized head of the Governme,
among foreigners is the Prince OF Kung, q
uncle OF the Emperor and President of IL
Board OF Foreign Affairs. The Prince can
prominently forward in 1860, when, as la
resort, he was appointed Imperial Commi
siOner to conclude treaty with the allie
who were then at the gates of Pekin. i
promptly conceding the terms dictated |
Lord Elgin, peace was made the allied aru