Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-05-14
SELECTING IMPERIAL BRIDES
The Chinese Emperor to Inspect the
Daughters of the Kingdom.
Pekin Cor. ofthe London Times.


Pekin Cor. ofthe London Times.
Much interest is awakened in the COM
ing events Of the imperial family. The
Emperor is approaching maturity, being
now 16. His guardians have been letting
him out gradually, and during the present
winter be has enjoyed much recreation on
the ice on the lakes which form the most
beautiful features OF the palace grounds.
Her Imperial Majesty, the Empress Re-
gent, has also spent much other time out
of-doors. But the time has now arrived
to prepare for the marriage Of the young
Emperor, and all Manchu families above
a certain rank having daughters between
the ages OF u and IS must bring them to
the palace for inspection by the officials
charged with the duty of choosing a con-
sort for the sovereign. These pilgrims of
love have in many cases to perform long
and arduous journeys from their homes,
aud it would not be difficult to construct
a romance out of the incidents of such
piigrImages, the hope which sings in the
maiden's bosom each fresh morning when
she resumes her journey, the disgust and
despair which serve her for pillows each
night as she bemoans her aching limbs in
a dismal, dustbegrimed roadside inn,
with not even a Turkish bath on the
premises. The girls are said not to be
detained long in suspense-the worst part
of hanging, according to the Hibernian
saying-but the rejected ones are
promptly restored to their parents and
guardians, and return to their homes
perhaps sadder, if wiser, but probably in
most cases thanking their divinites that
the ordeal is over and that the interdict
against their marriage Is at length
removed. For year at least be-
fore the Empress is chosen no Manchu
girl within the prescribed limits Of age
and of eligible rank is allowed to marry.
Another pilgrimage shortly to be under
taken attracts great attention, for it, too,
marks an epoch and may have wider
reaching practical consequences. The
Empress Regent, the Emperor and the
ssSeventh Prince" the father Of the En-
perOr. with all the court, will leave the
capital on April to visit the tomb OF the
late Empress DOwager, who was known
as the Eastern Empress, the childess
widow of Hienfung. The annual festival
or anniversary Of Using Ming falls this
year on April 3 by our calendar, on
which day the whole people ofChina visit
the graves Of their families. This is
called, in the offensive parlance of the
missionaries, the "wOrship OF ancestors"
and is held by them as horrible species
Of idolatry, which they think themselves
commissioned TO denOunce with all the
terrOrs in the biblical repertoire. Pure
nonsense! Filial piety, or ancestral wOr-
sbip--it is the same thing-is the healthi-
est moral sentiment the Chinese have
got. and the missionaries, il they knew
their business, would build on that foun-
dation instead of breaking their heads
against it. But, meritorious or not, here
are the great Emperor and the court
showing the example to all the people OF
paying respect to the memory Of the de-
parted. And on the very same day, when
the whole nation is engaged In the like
service, the greatest personages OF the
Empire will PROSTATE themselves before
the graves OF their sainted predecessors.