The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1872-06-15
MARRIAGE OF THE
EMPEROR OF CHINA.
no" II May Prove Important to More
Enlig hfened Nations.

HOW II May Prove Important to More
Emil shfened Nations.
| The ShanghB correspondent of the
London Times, writing March DIST.
sees IN the Chinese Emperor's ap-
preaching marriage an event which
may affect the world outside the walls
OF China. The Empress and dowager
publish three DEGREES The first nam
ing the empress elect, the second ap-
pointing three other ladies to be mem
bers oi the harem, and the third order
ing the astronomical board to select a
lucky day IN October for the celebration
OF the marriage.
| The name of the lady who fate and the
/ expresses have selected for this su-
preme honor is Alute. She is Mongol
by descent. Her father is Chung Chi,
a junior officer of the Hamlin college,
beng son of Saishanga, Mongol
mandarin, who had a high office at the
| beginning of the last reign, and her
mother is a daughter of the late Tuan-
! hua, prince of Cinema, who was a promi-
nent member of the anti-foreign party,
that held sway during the closing wears
of Hienfung, but was overthrow by
Prince kung and the empress, in No
vember, 1861. The event has
AN ULTERIoR POLITICAL IMPORTANCE.
The formal assumption by him, of
the reins of power, cannot be long de-
layed after his marriage, and the first
question which he will have to decide
on his own responsibility is that of al
hitting foreign ambassadors 10 au-
dlence. 1t seems to have been taitly
! -.
powers that they would for
bear pressing this claim until
TIE EMPERoR's INDEPENDENCE
from control should be fully recog
nized The epoch Of marriage in Chi
ma is generally held to be the signal for
this emancipation. SO we may anSic-
lpate that the question cannot longer
be deferred than the spring of 1872
70 Europeans unfamiliar with the ex-
| travagant assumption of Chinese En-
| peror, this matter must seem much
less important than it really is. For
| it does involve the crucial point
of our relations. Isolated for centuries
from the rest of the world, knowing
only the weak KINGDOM around her Dor
| ders, over whom her superiority is un-
ootht'ts N'il1iift iltlo ttSdttlttl 1ltIS6t1l
as the centre of civilization and power
| implied IL the term neutral king
dom, and the emperor is, of course, as
| far above & outside" sovereigns as
China Is superior to the nations over
whom they rule. This is ouly one EN-
| peror, and the
| OTHER RULERS OF THE WORLD.
are his vassals. Ambassadors, there
| fore, from those rulers, are tribute
bearers, and can only approach his
presence as they would that of a God
constantly kneeling and striking the
earth with their forehead. 1T is easy to
conceive that the advisors of the young
emperor have steadfastly declined to
deal with demand so preposterous III
| Chinese eyes as the admission of
FOREIGN AMBASSADORS
! to an audience as representatives of
| sovereigns equal with their other mas
ter. All Confuclandom would have
| been aghast at the innovation. and I'll e
head of the innovator would have been
III danger. A powerful mandarin
might have dared and steered through
! the crisis, but the members of the pres
/ ent government are not individually
powerful. The instinct Of Chinaman
is to stave of, rather than grapple with,
an emergency. The responsibility could
not have been put upon the emperor
| for he was too young. 1t would have
been too patent that boy of ii or ID
| years was acting under the influence of
his ministers but his majesty is now
| II, according to the Chinese mode Of
reckoning, which sets dowr a baby as
a year old directly 1t is born, and when,
to the weight of the Il years is added
THE DIGNITY OF MARRIAGE,
/ all China Will conccde certain amount
of individual viii to its rulers. The
Emperor then is the only man who can
cut the knot without danger to his
head, and to him has the solution Of
the problem been left. Whether he
will deal With it intelligently, OF per
sist IN dashing his head against the
wall, remains to be seen.