The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1885-04-01
Che 9ai(g 8nllstin.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL /, 1885.
Il HUNG CHANG.
A NEW AND PECULIAR VIEW OF THE
GREAT CHINESE STATESMAN.

The Hochi Shim6,u,, a japanese
vernacular journal, says:-
Among foreigners and Japanese
all point to Ii Hung Chang as the
great parsonage in China. Some
even put him on q parallel with
Prince Bismarck, and l, also, before
coming to China, thought him to be
the first man in the country and one
whose name was held sacred by his
eountrymen, but, contrary TO my
expectation, there are many men in
the Chinese Government who are
more honored and rcverenccd by the
Chinese than Lii. Moreover, the
Chinese never even in their dreams
think of him as foreigners do. Tso-
tsung-tang is one among many who
is more honored by his countrymen
than Lii. Most of the Viceroys are
equal in influence with Ii, and some
of them arc more highly esteemed
than he. Looking at Lii from
another point than being one who is
greatly honorcd, viz, at his official
rank, he is not Prime Minister, or
Vice Minister of State, he only holds
the rank of Daigakushi (great stu
dent) of the Cabinet, and practically
he only administers the Government
of the province Of Chile as its Vice
roy, and his power as such is no
greater than that of any other Vice
roy. As a Daigakushi he has four
who are his equals, and as Viceroy
there are eighteen his equals, and
above him there is Minister whose
orders he must obey. The office of
Ii Hung Chang is not the same as q
Prime Minister of the Western ma
tions. If we investigate into the
reason why he is so renowned among
Western nations, and by Japan,
whilst he has many equals in his
official rank, and at the same time
not considered by his countrymen so
great parsonage, we shall ascer-
tain it is from no great depth of
learning. Foreigners honor him for
a secret purpose, and japanese,
hearing of this, follow in their
wake.
HATRED OF FOREIGNERS.
The obstinacy of the Ministers of
the Chinese Government is very
great, and words cannot express it.
Even to this day they regard all for
eigners as "barbarous people," and
are ashamed to have any intercourse
with them, and even the Minister of
Foreign Affairs will not meet Minis
tiers of foreign countries. Unless
upon most important business, their
intercourse almost stops at their
own officials. When Westerns call
on the Chinese Minister of Foreign
Affairs, not knowing that they will
be treated so contemptuously, he
declines to see them, and orders are
given to the doorkeeper to send them
out of the house, and on their de-
parture salt is sprinkled on the door
way. Now, if such is the conduct
of the Minister of Foreign Affairs,
it can be conjectured what the others
would be. The above is the way
foreigners are treated by the Chi
nese officials, but, as most of the
foreigners are merchants, their OBJ
ject is to obtain money from the
hands of the Chinese Government,
they do all they possibly can to be-
come intimate with the ministers,
but, as above stated, it is in vain.
Ii Hung-Chung, however, after he
obtained distinction by the aid of
foreigners during the recent rebelli-
on, has intercourse with foreigners.
There is the point. Foreigners
DESTROYS of getting money from the
Chinese Government through him,
bride him and fatter him and call
him the greatest man in China, they
magnify his Importance, giving il
great publicity.
LIS DUPLICITY.
Look at all this with calm eyes il
becomes sickening. 1t is well enough
for foreign merchants to do all this
in order to, by all manner of means,
obtain money, but it is ridiculous
for the Japanese, who hear all thi.
hattery, that they should initiate the
Western people, and pay great rev.
erence to Ii. What object cal
Japan have to praise Lii SO much
regarding him as the greatest mar
in the East, and thrust aside Other
great men, his countrymen? Ii
Hung Chang has experienced many
changes and has seen much unfold.
ing of events, and as such must not
be regarded as an ordinary indivi-
dual, but if we consider the point OF
his general ability it will be il
" fraudulency." In the time of the
rebellion, he was told by Genera
Gordon that he would cause the
submission of all the rebels if ht
(Li) would promise not to kill them
LII assured him he would not, bu
Gordon, doubling him, asked hin
two or three times, and each tim'
was DrOmispd that he would No