The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-06-14
THE DowAGER IMPERIALIsTs OF TIE EAST.
Pronnncia mento OF the Dowager EN-
presses or China Against Progress
Petticoat Conservatives Against tho
Cause OF the PEOPLES.

From the London China Telegraph, May 26]
laton OF the full text OF the Imperial decree issued
by their Imperial Majesties the Dowager En-
presses, announcing the accession to the throne OF
condition OF the Empire
It is a curious document and in one respect a
is made OF the unsettled state OF the Southern and
Eastern provinces and OF the still more dis turbed
aD Ss snas
OF the revenue, and OF the adverse sequences
Of nature" But not a reference reference ii s
the relations Of cRins win qSes'G Ioregn
Powers, nor is even the existence OF any country
This assumed Indifference to unpleasant subjects is
not an uncommon characteristic OF Chinese man.
aarns. ana II by no means s indicates Snas snch
first arrived in the Hong Kong harbor he positively
refused the invitation OF the Interpreter to view
the town from the deck, but was subsequently
| caught on his hands and knees taking q stealthy
glance at the first English city he had ever seen,
stances OF the same kind OF folly might be related.
But while 1t is thus not uncommon, 1t is still an
the foreign 1s question il frank and friendly SI
would have been such only as might have
conceit OF the Chinese. The ''F0regn Devils had
then barely touched the hem OF the Empire, and
had IN no wise modified the existing condition OF
the national life. 1t was easy therefore, to ignore
their presence But how Is 1t possible to do so
Visible rom the was Pesn When nfe oy
ten foreign flags proclaim the presence OF as many
LEGATIONS within the precincts OF the city, when the
collection OF the foreign customs revenue is in the
hands OF Europeans. and when foreign steamers
ply for hundreds OF miles upon the inland waters
OF the Empire Under these altered circumstances
the marked avoidance OF everything relating TO
foreigners in this speech from the throne, as we
may almost call II, cannot be only attributable to
national cOncelt. 1t is an Ominous symptom OF a
determination On the part OF the Dowager En-
presses, at least to have little say to foreign
ers as need be, ana 70 avoid much as possible
any public reference to their presence in China.
The rest OF the decree is quite in keeping with
this narrowminded policy No mention Is made
O. the widening stream Of political life which is
slowly but surely permeatng the length ana
breadth OF the land. No mint is given that the i'm
perial authoresses recognise the new phase OF
national life into which the Empire is drifting. Not
a word OF advice is given to the youthful occuper
OF the throne as to the Importance OF Keeping pace
WITH the times Not an attempt Is made 10 induce
him TO look EDWARDS and outwards. But, on the
contrary, he Is urged to turn his eyes resOlutely
backwards; TO walk IN the paths OF mis- ancestors,
and to "devote his attention to the study OF the
classics and dynastlc histories.n when we remem-
Der that the political shortsigh tedness and worldly
unwisdom indicated in this decree are not confined
only to the Dowager Expresses but are shared In by
ninety nine mandarins out OF every hundred
throughout the Empire, we are tempted to ask
whether the Chinese mind is capable OF viewing
any subject, however important, except through
the distorted medium Of their own prejudices ana
ccnceits.