The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-03-25
Installation Of the New Emperor Of
China.

The London DAILY Meas contains the |
following communication from a CORE |
spondent: r, gs.-...- ra-s ..e-,
On Thursday new Emperor ascended |
the throne of China. The ceremonies
attendant upon such an occasion have |
word coronation" In China there
is no crown. The outward symbol of
sovereignty in that land is the - dragon
throne;" and it is the installation. into
this which constitutes the ceremony.
The five-clawed dragon is imperial, and
may be almost considered as personih7
cation of the Emperor or OF his power
Whatever belongs to the Emperor Is
called the dragons; hence the title OF
the throne. When the vermilion pencil,
! which is also called the dragons pencil"
is used upon imperial DEGREES, they then
appear in the Pekin Gazette as |" from the
throne" One of the most important de-
| partments of State in Pekin is that
known as the Li-poo, or Board of
| Rites. 1t has a most volumnous
code of laws or rules of ancient date
to guide its proceedings. Part OF tins
Li-poo, or at least most intimately con-
| nected with it, is the Astronomical
Board. AT home here we have some
very curious amalgamations of State OF
fices, but it would puzzle Westerner to
tell why astronomy should be part OF
the Lord Chamberlain's functions. When
it is explained that the palace at Pekin
is to this day in condition something
like what we read of Pharaoh's in Egypt.
or Belshazzar's in Babylon, and has at,
tached to it wizards, soothsayers, and
magicians, the matter begins to clear up.
The Board Just mentioned is, in reallty,
an astrological body, whose duty it Is to
calculate lucky days, and fortunate
hours or minutes, to guide the emperor
and his Government in their actions. One
of the rumors lately current in China as
to whywar was so long in being declared
against Japan. exclaimed that this Board
could not make up it's mind as to the
lucky moment for doing SO. 1t seems to
have been troubled with less difficulty IN
finding felicitous day for the making
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 ther
: character. The proclamation of the
/ event is previously prepared, and at tht
: ceremony it is suspended from the beah
: of the golden phoenix, and underneath
1 vase of the same metal is placed for it'
t reception. There is particular tabl'
on which the imperial seal is lard II
a readiness to be applied to the proclama
S ton. Musicians and incense-bearers ar
q in attendance. When all is preparet
n the chief of the Board of Rites con
r ducts the Emperor from his prlvat
1t rooms to a golden carriage; in this n
e rides with attendants carrying banners
J. insignia. etc. Prominent among these
e the imperial yellow dragon umbrella
Il there is also an escort OF body guar u
le Elephants should form part of this PR
d cession according to rule, but on the ia'
t, occasion it was said that they had a
D. died, and had to be dispensed VIII
D. On reaching the throne hall u
re head of the astronomical body announce
that the suspicious moment .for ascehi
ing the throne Of the Tai Ching kwo,
the Empire of Great Purity" hi
come. The Emperor itiieh aseends al
* takes his seat, the proper position beI
,d to sit facing the south. The lncen
Ia burning and music sounding, every o.
ks present bows down to the ground al
"a perfornls the kow-tow, which is Y
an knocking of the forehead nine tim
at upon the ground as an act of obeisant
nj This is followed by taking the prociaH
'is ton from the beak of the phoenix, q
;r. when it is sealed the ceremony is col
N, p,ete. An Emperor has been evoiy'
,lv into visible existence. be is not OF
en- the " Son of Heaven" but he Is a
On "Vicegerent OF. all under heaven" a
ed means of producing such being SCI
ly. very simple, yet the result is most W.
De. derful. BY this process man-in
,n- present case it is only very small boz
her is transformed into demi-god-at lie
es. he is such to the Chinese.
for The proclamation is printed and 81
red to al parts Of the Empire, and Is
ass ceiYed and passed on by the officials "
re- about the same marks of homage, wh
ties are due to the Emperofs own pre5eK
lin Whenever it is read all go on their kn
and and perform the kow-tow. In ON
ntv language this is making the event kne
fhs ato ali under heaven" Heaven, acct
,e;r ing to this, does not extend beyond
.nd margin of the Chinese Empire, for {
,se !. Il the limit to which the intimation
EEL be sent that a new whang-ti, or
the peror, has come to the throne at Eel
lem If the Celestial ofics ais seem 70
minds limited as to the extent to WI