Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-06-25
TIE Late Chinese Empreas.

Fer more than twenty years the great en-
pire OF China has been controlled by two wo-
men, the doTager expresses. They came into
power under the laws, upon the death of the
Emperor Heen-fung in 1859. leaving his son,
Tung- che, i've years old, as the heir to the
to the young emperor, then nineteen years
OLD, cut he died two years later OF small
pox, and his cousin Kwang-Sen. four years
DIG, was CHOSEN hls successor and the
empire was again left to the 1nconyeniences aud
hazards OF long imperial minority, and Just
at time when II was most In need of a wise
head and strong arm Recently one of the
dow ager expresses. she OF the east and:sup-
posed TO be the least important, died, and, &C
corcing 10 last reports, the boy emperor and
the other empress were unwell.
The London and China Telegraph OF MAY
18th, gives the following extract from the i'm
peIlai decree announcing the death Of the en-
press:
We bewailed Our grief to Heaven. And Law
PROSTATE on the earth as We cried aloud In
lamentatlon. our anguish knew no bounds.
We nave reyerently received the testamentary
charge OF Her Majesty that the mourning garb
shall be laid aside at the end OF seven-and
twenty days, but TO do this, Our feeling, In very
truth. VIII Lot consent, and IL will be Our duty
In accordance with previous usages, to wear
white mourning for one hundred days, aud to
clothe ourselves IN mourning garo for twenty
seven months, that We may In some slight de-
gree give expression TO the depths OF oar
woe. With regard 10 Her Injunction that
We shall make an effort to regain our
grief, as 1t is Our FIRST duty to consider
the affairs OF the state as Of primary import
enee; while fGlhlnesS OF Our duties In this par
ucular viii oriDg consolation to the heart OF
The Impress 1zu- Hsi.Tuan-Yu Klang- W. hao-
1Z-Chuang -Ch'eng, who has taught aud nur-
tureo Us, dare We do Otherwise than OBEY With
reverence The commands Sue has bed lea ned
10 Us 10 make strong effort to put limit to
Our grief? Let all the rights and ceremonies
proper 10 state mourning ps reyerently and
TuE; VI HStn, Prince OF kung: the BeiIpH vi
b uang; Ching Shou, Minister Of the Presence:
Poa Yum, Grand Secretary; Ling Kuei, ASsi5
taDt Grand Secretary and President of Board;
and the Presidents Ea Ch'eny and Tung-no
The following Is an extract from the Will of
the late empIeSs:-
am forty nye years OF age, and for twenty
years have been a mother 10 the empire; fire..
Quenuy have shared In our country's Joys,
and titles have from time TO time been bestowed
upon me. My only thought Is for the Emperor,
VINO VIII nave 10 experience parents death,
which must cause him great grief. Bat the
the whole empire. so that he must all the
more avoid growing, and, looking upon the
affairs OF the empire as OF moment, CON-
IorI the motherly heart OF the surviving
Empre9e- TIE civil and military authorities
throughout the empire will each se1ulously
perform the duties or his o.Iice AMI fherebv
perfect the government OF the empire. Thus
VIII my spirit and the surviving Empress sin.
cereIy rejoice. With regard 70 nournt 40 rhe
Emperor Will In accordance with the former
RECORDS wear mourning for twenty dsys oniy
The great sacrifices must not be Omitted nor
must the minor ceremonies be discarded. AGAIN
was or all others In the Palace the mo5r ero
nomical and the least careful as to my dres,
Imperial Records and canno. therefore be
omitted, but as regards the adornment OF tn
dead, such articles may be diminished In mum
Der ard they III not be wasted THIS will b
In harmony with my former habit. For these
reasons, therefore, now issue these instruc.
uCLs, which should be ooeyed.