New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-05-07
UfRDS 1POTHEOSIS.

U1RUS APOTHEOSIS.
An American filihustcr has been hOnored
with a niche in the Chinese Pantheon. 1t is
Ward, Il sagaciOus soldier of fortune and a
most unrcgcneTatc scamp. lie was one OF
Walker companions in Sonora and Nicaragua,
and carried a free lance across the Pacific.
On the Chinese coast he organized il band of
frcebootcls. and was hunted down by the
British marines. The prestige of the Imperial
Government had been destroyed during the
war with Great Britain, and China was rent
asundcr by the great TAPPING rebellion.
The insurgents were we'll organized. and
their military operations had been remark
ably successful. The Imperial Government
adopted the desperate expcdent of hiring q
force of foreign soldiers under promises OF
high pay and rapid promotion. Ward ac-
ceDted the command of this trOOr adven-
turers and hirclings and took Tia il against
the insurgents His employers 5)t .leir
moneys worth for he served them faithfully
and well. He reCaptured several cities which
the rebels had taken and by a series Of bril-
liant movements put the enemy to rout.
While directing an attack upon the town OF
Tse-kie near Ningpo, in the Autumn Of 1862,
he was mOrtlily wounded by muskct bali.
The Imperial Government had bestowed upon
him various titles, but now chat he had sealed
with lis life his devotion TO It's service, 1t
dccreed to him the highest pOsthhmOus
h0nGTs, ordering that two temples should
DO erccted-cun on the spot were he died and
the other beside his crave. The TaO-t'ai, who
was an officer il the Imperial army during the
war, has bulls a memorial hall near the
iilibuster's grave, and early in March of this
year the shrine was dedicated
The intrepid Williams. who conducted the
heroic defense of kars in 1855, was made a
Baron and seat to Parliament; the mercurial
Hobart, who has rcorganlzed the Turkish
navy. is admiral CT The feet; but the lucliiest
Of al soldiers Of fortune from Theseus TO Col.
Valentine Baker is flibuSter Ward. His tainted
character, his mcrccnaIy motives, and his
graccess life have all been put ont of mind, and
he is gratefully remembered in the Cccs ial En-
pirc as a mighty daliyerer aud divine warrior.
The votiye pigs and pastry have been offered
in the sanctuary, and the dead ADVENTURE has
been wnrshiprd. The CAESARS were divine
while they lived the sacred fire was carried
before them, and every mark of homage was
paid to them; but their apOthcOsis after death
was a tlIin-skluIcd ;ravGsty; the Romans hon
ored the live gods, but left the dead ones to
look out for themselves. Ward has Jared
better; he was well paid during life and can
oni2ed after DEATH and his title to a snug
place in the Chinese Pantheon is clear.
The latest files of the Shanghai papers de-
scribe a remarkable religious pilgrimage to the
new shrine customs cruiser conveyed the
Tao-tai and his friends up the IIuanZ-pu to
Slng-Kang, and brilliant company shared
his hospitality. The divine tilibustcr had been
an American citizen, and accordingly United
States Consul General Myers was present
70 witness the dedication of distn-
guished fcllow-countryman. The adorable
refugee had never embraced the reig-
ion Of his adopted country, and hence
in O. spirit of theological tolerance that was in
keeping with his character one or two mis-
sionaric3 accepted invitations to this religious
SPREE The inyincbo warrior had fought for
anybody who would hire him and against
everybody who wouldn't, and 80, as WAS fittmg,
all the foreign legations were represented, and
il was a cosmopolitan picnic. The pilgrims
were taken ashore in small boats and carried
in chairs to the shrine. A large mound with
lily blooming on its crest marked the spot
where the soldier was buried, aud around the
grave the lcaness trees shiycred and creakcd
in the March wind. IN front was low temple
with memorial tablets and shrine. The Tao
tai, tie district magistrates, the officials. the
soldiers, and the visitors marched through the
courtyard and fled into the memorial build
ing, where tapcrs were burning on the walls,
ioss-sticks were sm2dering on the shrine, aud
tables were loaded with meats fruits, and sac
rfcial offerings With low wall the master
of ceremonies called upon all to worship tho
dead soldier, and instantly the Tao-t'ai and
the magistrates Frustrated themselves to the
earth in alteration. Obeislnce followed Obei-
sance, louder grew Che walls, until the ccre-
mony ended in a deaiening din OF llrecrackers
and the uproar of gougs. A photographer
stepped in to take group-picture somebody
made a speech, and champagne cOrks flew
apace SO iilibustor Ward has been deihed in