, 1881-03-09
THE CHINESE IN CENTRAL ASIA.
SHANGHAI, DEC. 10.

negotiations between Russia II Cnlna W
st. Petersburg. the Chinese Government
insist on Tso Tsung-tang, the Governor
General OF KanSuh and Commissioners OF
the New Dominion, going to Pekin to
advise them in their present difficulties
When he first received the orders OF
the emperor calling him to Court, he
begged to be excused on the ground that
he had nobody under him fit to take the
relns OF government during his absence
a second edict was thereupOn issued, ap-
pointing Yang Chan chin. formerly Govern
or of Chekiang. to act as Governor Gener-
al in KanSuh, and Tso was commanded 10
hand over his charge to him without delay
and proceed to Pekin, in terms which admit
ted of no trifing. Once arrived there, his
influence is certain to be given to Prince
Ch'un and the war party, for he was, OF all
the Chinese official body, the most unspar-
ing denunciator of the Treaty OF Llvadla,
and the loudest accuser of it's Trainer, Chung
how. | am told thatin one memorial which
he wrote at the same time as Chang Chin
tung and other fre-eaters, he was bold
enough to say that if the Government did
not repudiate the treaty he would
settle the question himself and march on
Kuldia. BY that bombastic sentiment he
meant that he would order his generals to
cross the frontier and seize by force what
could only be obtained by diplomacy III
return for most CALLING conditions for it
must be remembered that TSo, SO
often STYLED the Victorious Generals
simo, the C0nQueror Of the Northwest,
and so forth, has never commanded his
troops himself, and has never had bis head
quarters nearer the scenes of the masSacres
which he dignifed by the names of victo-
ries than Suchau, a frontier town of Kan
sub proper. He may fairly claim tBe
merit of having selected and retained
the best fighting generals III the Chinese
army for his service, OF having supplied
them with as many men as he could ina
money to pay for, and OF having raised, as
far asShanghai is concerned, he least posi-
BILE amount of money at the highest posi-
BILE rate of Interest. AS far as regards the
actual s%ubjugat,on of Sungaria and Kash-
garia, he was much more indebted to
Heaven than to his generals, good men
though they undoubtedly were, for The
death Of YakOob Beg was followed by
chaos in these regions, and the country
TSo's generals were called upon to recon
quer was not a country united under a
powerful and warlike prince, but a
~beargarden, where the hands of rogues.
simpletonS, and fanatics were daily turned
against each other. Tso's reputation as
a general has been in great measure built
up by himself and his literary secretaries,
aided in no small degree in Europe by
various writer's on Central Asia, who have
supposed the marches, sieges, and massa-
ores of Kinshun, Liu Chin-tang, and other
to have been the work of TsO Tsung.tang
himself. With the Stamping out of the
M ahomedan rebellion within the confines
of inner Kansuh Tso had much to do, but
with the actual oyerrunning of YakooBeg's
dominions which followed he had nothing.
except supplying the means.
His departure tor Pekin makes, there
fore no change 10 the military situation 10
Outer Kanslh and in the new Dominion.
Liu Ching-tag is in command Of all the
troops outside China proper, his head
quarters being at Kashgar, where he bas a
body of troops estimated at from 10000
to 10000 only, Under him, though only
nominally, are the famous Kinshun snd
Liu C~haug.yo, who have about 30 900
more troops, either garrisoned in Sungaria
or engaged in maintaining the long line of
communication between Kashgar and
Kansuh. These go. 900 soldiers are indif-
ferently armed, and are scattered in small
parties over the immense region comprised
between the two limits | have named.
There are also large numbers of disbanded
braves engaged in tilling the soil, allot.
ments of land having been made to them
tree of all expense, partly with a view to
secure provisions for the troops and part