Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-04-08
.ii.ayuaE aliinaH..s
49,

have been troubled with Tess Difficulty IN
finding, 4eliCitOtm day for the. nrakino
OF the selected child into an Emperor.
The ceremonies on the occasion are
very elaborate, and they are more of a
state official kind than religious in Their
character. The proclamation of the
event is previously prepared, and at the
ceremony il is spspsnded from the .beak
or the golden phoenix, and underneath 4
vase Of the same METALS placed for its
reception. There is q particular table
on which the imperial seal is laid in
readiness to be applied to the proclama-
ton. Musicians and incense-bearers are
in attendance. When all is prepared
the chief of the Board of Rites con.
ducts the Emperor from his private
rooms to aogolden carriage; in this he
rides with attendants carrying banners
insignia, etc. Prominent among these is
the imperial yellow DRAGON umbrella 4
there is also an escort OF body-guaris
Elephants should form part of this pro-
cession according torule, but-o the last
occasion it was said that they had all
died.. and had to be dispensed with.
On reaching the throne hall the
head Of the astronomical bod announces
that the suspicious moment for ascend
ing the throne Of the Tai Ching Kwo, or
the Empire of Great Purity" has
come The Emperor. then ascends and
takes bis seat, the proper position being
to sit facing the south. The incense
burning and music sounding, every one
present bows down to the ground and
performs the kow-tow, which is the
knocking of the forehead nine times
upon the ground as an act of obeisance.
This is followed by taking the procama
ton from the beak of the phoenix, and
when it is sealed the ceremony is COM
plete. An Emperor has been evolved
into visible existence. He is Rot only
the I" Son of Heaven" but he is also
Vicegerent OF all under heaven" The
means lof producing such being seem
very simple, yet the result is most won
derful. By this process man-in the
present case it is only a very small boy
is Transformed into a demi -god--at least
he is such to the Chinese.
The proclamation is printed and sent
to all parts of the Empire, and is re-
ceived. and passed on blythe officials with
about the same marks of homage which
are due to the Emperor's own presence.
Whenever it is read all 60 on their knees
and perform the kow-tow. In official
language this is making the event known
to alllunder heavens" Heaye accord
ing to this, does not extend beyond the
margin of the Chinese Empire, for that
is the limit to which the intimation will
be sent that new whang-u, or En-
peror,, has come to the throne at Pekin.
IF the Celestial officials seem to our
minds limited as to the extent to which
such news should be forwarded, they
amply make up for it in other ways. On
all important OCCASIONS, such as the
present, heaven is informed, of the
event. This is done by d ceremony at
the Great Temple of Heaven. 2 Sacrifice
and incense are offered, but the
mode of transmitting the information to
the upper world is not exactly known
most probably il is by burning copy of
the proclamation, for according to Chi
nese ideas anything which is burnt as
icerds in the smoke to Tien, or heaven,
and they have some peculiar religious
rites which are founded upon this no.
ton. at the Imperial Ancestral Temple
another ceremony is gone through to
inform the new Emperor's ancestors of
what has happened AT the Temple of
the Earth another ceremony Is per
formed to let the earth know of what
has taken place-it is the veritable earth
to which this message is sent; all under
heaven" means the people under heaven.
II seems that these rites are not cele-
DRAFTED by priests, but by princes. The
function is no. doubt vicarious, as
they act for and represent the Emperor.
One telegram has put the new
Emperor's age at three years, and another
at five, The explanation of this is
easy. Every Chinaman adds one year to
his real age and the Emperor adds two.
The three years may thus be, the age
counting from his birth, and. the five
years the official imperial age. His fa-
theirs name is Prince Chun, but his own
name, has not yet been declared. = "A new
name is always assumed by an Emperor
on coming to the throne Tung Chith,
" the union of law and order" was the
Qne taken by, the. late, Emperor, and by
that he, is known on public documents,
coins, etc,
q The present Manchu dynasty began in
1914, but Tai-Tsung had adopted the
title of Emperor in 1885. It was not till
the last given date. that the lastJof the
Mings killed the whole of his harem and
hanged himself, when nephew Of Tai.
Tsung's, q child of seven, was pro-
claimed Emperor with the title of Shun-
Chin, End the new dynasty was called
the Tai Ching,eo Great Pure dynasty.
He who has just begun to sit in the
dragon throne, Is the ninth Emperor,of
this dynasty counting from Shun- Chin. 4