The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-08-13
General Grants Sojourn
in Pekin.
THE CHILD EMPEROR.
Visit to. and Interview with the
Prince Regent.
TALKS ABOUT CHINA AND AMERICA

val in Pekin he waited upon by the members Of
the Cabinet. who came in body. accompanied by
the military and civil governors Of Pekin. These
are the highest officials in China men Of grace and
stately demeanor. They were received in Chinese
fashion, seated around table covered with sweet
meats. and served with tea. The first Secretary
brought with him the card of Prince Kung. the
Prince Regent Of the Empire. and said that HIS In
peria Highness had charged him to present all kind
wishes to General Grant and to express the hope that
the trip in China had been pleasant The Secretary
also said that the Prince Regent heard
from the Chinese Minister in Paris that General
Grant was coming to China he sent orders to the
officials to receive him with due honor. The Gen.
era said that he had received nothing but honor
courtesy from China. and this answer pleased the
Secretary. who said he would be happy carry it
the Prince Regene.
THE AUDIENCE QUESTION
General Grant did not ask audience of the En-
peror. The Emperor is a child seven years Of age
ut his books not in good health and under the
of two old ladies called the expresses. When the
Chinese Minister in Paris spoke the General about
audience. and his regret that the sovereign OF China
was not Of age that he might personally entertain
the ex-President the General said he hoped no ques
ton of audience would be raised. He had no per-
sonal curiosity to the Emperor. aud there could
be no useful object in conversing with child. This
question of seeing the Emperor is one of the sens
tive points in Chinese diplomacy. The Chi
nese idea is that tho Emperor is the
Son of Heaven. the titular IL not the &C.
cepted king of the world. king Of kings.
sacred being. not to be seen by profane
barbarian eyes. Foreign Powers have steadily
fought this claim. and have insisted by every means
upon the Emperor standing the same level as
other soveregns and heads Of States receiving and
terest in international affairs. These arguments
went so far to induce the last Emperor to receive
the foreign ministers in the palace. This was
great triumph. 1t made q sensation at the time.
have seen picture of the audience. drawn from
memory by one Of the interpreters. There are min
listers standing in a row. the Emperor his throne
mandarins in the background Prince Kung on his
knees handing the credentials of the ministers to
the Emperor. The audience lasted some minutes
and was conf ned to the utterance OF few words in
Tartar language to the effect that the credentials
would be considered. That Is the only time in
. recent years when barbarian eyes looked on
sacred majesty. The Emperor who then regned
has, to use courtly speech. assembled the great
dragon to be guest on high. The youth of the
present sovereign has prevented any audience for
OF course. an audience would be comedy. with the
sovereign timid. unhealthy boy, who had never
crying. The Chinese. therefore. have postponed the
audience question until the Emperor comes Of age
At tho same time. the foreign ministers have always
made point Of an audience. The fact that General
Grant had been the head of q nation and had CORE
sponded directly with the Emperor gave him tho
right to request an audience. There reason.
even in Chinese logic. why such request should be
refused. Many of those well informed on Eastern
questions were anxious that this request should be
made that 1t would render things easier in dealing
with the Chinesethat in fact the only way of deal
Ing with the government was to hammer and ham.
mer. and always to hammer until all these preju-
dices were broken down. But the General, as have
remarked had curiosity to see boy seven years
old. ana the question dropped.
PRINCE KuNG.
AS soon as General Grant arrived at Pekin he was
met by the Secretary of State who brought the card
of Prince Kung. and said His Imperial Hiehness
would be glad to see General Grant at any time The
General named the succeeding day, ut three. The
General and party left the Legation at half past two
the party embracing Mr.. Aolcombe. the acting
Minister; Colonel Grant. Lieutenant Charles Bel
KNAPP. C. W. Deering and A. Ludlow Case. Jr., Of
the Ashuelot. The way to the Yamen was
over dirty roads and through . disagreeabe part of
the town. the day being unusually warm. the thor
mometer marking 10l degrees in the shade. This 10
Atrying temperature under the best circumstances.
but in Pekin there every possible condition of
discomfort in addition When to the court
yard OF the Yamen the secretaries and q group of
mandarins received the General and his party, and
escorted them into the inner court. Prince Kung,
who was standing at the door. with group Of high
officers advanced and saluted the General and said
few words of welcome. which were translated by
Mr.. Holcombe.
THE FIRST MEETING WITH PRINCE.
The Prince saluted General Grant In Tartar fashion,
looking at him for a moment with earnest. curl
Gus gaze like one who had formed an ideal OF some
kind and was anxious to see how far his ideal had
been realized. The sun was beating down, and the
party passed into large. plainly furnished room,
where was q table laden with Chinese food. The
Prince. sitting down at the CENTRE gave General Grant
the seat ut his left the post Of honor In China. He
then took up the cards by one which had boen
written in Chinese characters on rcd paper and
asked Mr.. Hocoinbe for tho name and station of
each member of the Generals suite. He spoke to
Colonel Grant and asked him the meaning
OF tho uniform he wore the rank it showed and his
age. He asked whether the Colonel married
and had children. When told that he had child
= daughter. the Prince condoled with him. saying,
"what pity" In China. you must remember. that
female children do not count in the sum of human
happiness and when the Prince Expressed his regret
st the existence of the Generals granddaughter he
was saying the most polite thing he know. The
Prince was polite to the naval officers,
inquiring the special rank of each. and
saying that they must be anxious to return home.
1t was matter of SURPRISE of courteous surprise
and congratuiation the part of the Prince. that
the writer had seen many countries the COM
panion Of tho General. and he said that doubt
had found things much different elsewhere from
what saw In China. Beyond these phrases. the
manner Of which was perfect as If it had been
learned In Versailles under Louis XIV. the CONVEX
sation was wholly with General Grant
CHINESE ENTERTAINMENT
The Prince returned to his perusa of the face of
the General us though it an unloarned lesson.
Tie expected uniformed person. man OF the dragon
or lion species who could make great noise. What
he saw was quiet mddleaaed gentleman In evening
dress who had ridden long way In the dust aud
sun. and who was looking in subducd dsmay at scr.