New-York tribune., 1890-05-04
HOU TSENG. z.ss- z.<':s,
MIC CAIN AND LOSS THROUGH HAVING AN
''' uLUSTRIOUS FATHER

Wou" .od both much and little to liiusuious '1
ho,,d;tv. There is no older nor nooi.' Its
- .ho neerage of the Celesual E"P"
tounder was Tseng Tsu one OF tne io"i Sa;Ms u-,rp
"a indeed the favorte dlsclp~' Va ~ y
I'D also author of the classic oooN
pesidinr from a remote period III VI. ~"
nrovnce Of Hoonan, the lSehes "'4"-.' '
characteristics of courage. indepehue"'. ""N ~.
.ii;,, toward strangers which have always us
,,,ouisbed and still distinguish l's ln""V
from other parts Of China which are oe''ei N,,o"n
"a, .s ooooss,ble 10 external influences. lhese
Qualities have become almost proNeioi'i' anu III
China they say. as naturally as treacheiouS "s
C-...so {. brave and brusQue as man oil
Uoonan.o In the course of centuries tne laihily
Of Tseng produced man VINO Poso''''" '''.Se
oI;.;oa ~ on rnusual degree, and who was able
IN bring them TO the front IN puoilc alalrs' Ills
-. ,,os Tsong Kwofan although it is breach
.. C,,;uos. s,;onette 10 mention the latter name
49, ,.oor ,ss2 this official happened TO he
,,,.;nr ~ rot;rement in his own home when the
Toonino rebels. marching northward out of
Kwanesi pased through that province. In face
% spcb an emergency the obligations even of
family mourning might he safely suspended, and
the braves of Hoonan were rallied and rewarded
by Tseng Kwofan for the purpose of defending
the walled cities against the followers of Tapping
Wang In this they succeeded. and the town Of
Changsua in particular. deficd under his example
their effCTts. But with the forces at his disposal
he could not hope TO arrest their march TO the
Yang Use. Ten years later he had rallied all the
faithful fighting men of Central China for the
siege of Nankin. and when that city surrendered
he was rewarded with the hereditary rank of
nobility called IIou," which has been generally
translated as Marquis. Until his death in 1872
he was unquestionably the foremost and most in
fuential official in China. Ii was said of the
viceroys and governors of the eighteen provinces
Of the Empire that not fewer than twelve owed
their appointment TO him, and among them were
both Ii Hung Chang and Tso Tsung Tang.
OF such parentage came the statesman who has
just died at Canton of typhoid fever. He was his
fathers eldest son. and when less than year old
he was removed from the provinces
10 Pekin, where he resided for thirteen
years. After the death of the En-
peror Taou Kwang and the accession of his son
Iiien Fung, the young Tseng, in accordance with
usage prevalent in China which accords TO the
of all officials of the third rank and upward
this privilege, admitted to study in the
Kwo-tzu-chien. or Imperial College-admission to
which confers after stated interval. but without
not until they have reached the age of eighteen.
when Chinese males attain their majority, that
even these favored students can be presented TO
the Emperor. Before that time arrived the young
Tseng had to accompany his father back to
1loonan, there to perform q period OF mourning
for near relative, and they were both residing
there without any official capacity when the
Tapping hordes poured across the plains of Hoonan
10 the Great River He accompanied his father
during the whole of the military operations which
followed, and which continued for a period Of
twelve years. Although he rendered VERY useful
service during this almost unceasing struggle,
and chiefly secretary TO his father he received
neither the least reward nor any public recogni-
ton whatever in consequence OF the law that
prevents son from being promoted in the Chinese
service for anything performed under the control
Of his father, or indeed in any way on his recon-
mendatiOn. 1t followed, consequently, that while
Tseng Kwofang was able 10 reward, and did
reward, all his lieutcnants. he was unable 10 say
SO much word in favor of the son who never
quilted his side from the time of the first appear
ance of the rebels in IIoonan until the whole
Tapping power was cXtnguished with the capture
Of Nankn. When the civil war closed. Tseng
Kwofang became Marquis. and in turn Viceroy Of
Pcchihl and of the Two Kiang. But the son
possessed no higher official rank than that 10
which he entitled u student of the Kwo-tzu-
chicn.
He had also never been presented to the En-
pcror but in 1870 when in his thirty-flrst year,
he was allowed 10 present his personal respects
10 the young Emperor Tung Che on the intro
duction Of his father. at the time Nceroy Of
Pechihli. He was only entitled 10 be created
an official Of the sixth rank, but as a mark Of
special favor the Emperor appointed him 10 the
fifth Even then he did not take Office, but CON
tinued to assist his father and perform his old
secrctarial duties. So that the exceptional posi-
,on of the first Marquis did not contribute In the
least toward the worldly advancement Of the
son. but rather tended to exclude him from the
official life for which he served so long and
varied an apprenticeship. The sudden death in
1872 of his father who was admitted even by
prciudiced foreigners 10 be "a great man., re-
moved the obstacle in his path with regard to
office at the same time that ii compelled hlm 10
retire from public life for the stipulated term Oi
mourning Before he left the capital for his nome
the Emperor had given him, as a spccldi
mark Of ms esteem and sympathy, the night 10 as
sumo at once the title OF Marquis, without walt
ing as usual for the conclusion Of the period oil
This favor was expressed IN spec"l
imperial decree. During more than TWO years
the Marquis Tseng remained III retirement Ill MS
natal province and when actually on his way
back TO Pekin TO be presented TO the Emperor
for tie first time after his accession TO the ufIe
lie hurriedly recalled by the news OF his
mothers death. He had consequently 10 rctracc
his steps and TO undergo a precisely similar
period Of secluson 10 that which he had just
concluded. The eXacttude with which he car
ried out these obligations did not fail to obtain
for him the favorable opinion of his country
men.
rive years consequently passed away before the
Marquis Ieng was able 10 make his reappear-
ancc IN Official life with the high title he had in
herited. but without any rank in the admins
uauon at all prOportiOnatc 70 his position and
experience On arrival al Pckin he was elevated
10 The dignity of Tang Kwang, which may be
rendered as brevet Or cXpectant Secretary OF
State. II was while waiting for some substantial
appointment of sufficiently high position that he