The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-05-16
SHAKEN BY FEAR.
The Young Emperor of China in Fear
Of Assassination.

peror kvang Hsu, and the doWager En-
press, Vxe An, are much annoyed at the
notice which foreigners in China are taking
of their domestic chickering's Chinese
newspaper would not dare 20 hint at such
matters. but many Cinnamon can read
English and find much entertainment
in the foreign newspapers at present
The foreign press was oInclaHy assured
that the emperor and his mother were the
best of friends, but this assurance carried
little weight. For the present the empress
has little authority, and the railway boards,
her old enemies, have come to the front. In
the emneror. however, is vested the only valid
power in the state. He is supposed to WELD
despotic power, but is really ''strong man
in chains.n The reactionary party guides
him at present, but many people think that
he will soon shake off all control.
One of the emperor'S leading advisers is
Wing. head eunuch and creature of ING
Vung Ho. Wing hates the empress dow
ager and has done his best to make the
emperor hate her. To him and ING, dog
matte old tutor, rather than to the emperor.
are to be ascrihed the recent vigorous
DEGREES from the throne and the edicts In
the Pekin Gazette against the empress
dowager.
Viceroy Chang Chih-tung has fallen into
disfavor owing to his proposal to revolu-
tionize the empire by means of railways.
He has been censured for financial irregu-
larities extending over eight or nine years,
and has been ordered to explain matters at
Pekin. The empress dowager is also blamed
for permitting him to control a satraDy for
so many years. Chang maintains that the
only reason why he did not prepare an
itemized account of his expenditures was
because he did not wish to put temptation
in the way of the minor revenue clerks
Ii HUNG CHANGES POLICY.
"Divide ct Impera" is the policy of the
Chinese cabinet. In this way viceroys and
foreign ENJOYS are played off against each
other. 1t is High Hung Chang to-day
against Chang Chih-tung,, and tomorrow
it is the viceroy of Wanking against the
viceroy Of Chill. 70 this policy is due the
very existence of the present dynasty
A dozen recent DEGREES announce the
necessity of increasing the naval and mill
tary forces of the empire. Ii Hung Chang's
army and navy are very efficient and make
him an object of envy to the other satraps.
His forces will have to resist any invasion
from the north by the Russians, who are as
much dreaded in China as in certain parts
of Europe. The boards of war and the ad-
miralty are doing their best to get their
forces ready, and have just sent an order to
Germany for 100000 rifles, which are to be
distributed among the Manchu troops.
Military instructors are also to be engaged
W IedCH Ou6 COOA0 These lnSbrucUOrS
will DO Germans, and within the last year
or so the English words of command have
been superseded by those of the fatherland.
China favors Germany simply because she
fears France and Russia.
THE YOUNG EMPERoR'S FEARS.
The emperor is in constant dread of assas-
sination. Poison, he fears, turks in every
cup, and every hand, he imagines, is armed
with dagger. Every article of food is
tasted by "a courtier before he touches it. 1t
was rumored few weeks ago that the en-
peror was dead, and much excitement pre-
vailed. The foreign consuls made inquiries,
but got no information. After a week,
however, the DEGREES from the throne began
to reappear, and the vermilion mark on
them showed that the emperor was alive
There was, nevertheless, some ground for
the rumor. A cup of white rose tea, pro-
vided for the emperor, was tasted by a
favorlte courtier, the son of Manchu mill
tary officer, and a few hours afterward the
boy died in dreadful agony and with all the
symptoms of poisoning. The emperor's
terror was increased hundredfold by this
incident, and he fell sick probably from
sheer fright.
For decency's sake formal truce has been
patched up between the emperor and the
dowager, and it is announced that he will
visit her in her palace as often as possible.
This palace stands on the site of the old
French cathedral. which was pulled down
about three years ago.
The recent death in England of ]. G..
Dunno was much regretted here. 1t was he
who negotiated the treaty between the
Popes of Pekin and Rome with such con-
summate diplomacy. An Irishman by
birth, he was educated for the priesthood.
Missing his vocation he became a distin-
gulshed orientalist and diplomatist.
Money is sorely needed here, and the i'm
perial treasury is trying to raise loan for
household expenses. It raised a similar
loan last year. and has not yet repaid it,
The household officers decline to give proper
security, and for that reason the mandarin
millionaires have no faith in the paternal
government. The remittances from the
provincial treasures to Pekin have recently
been small, and, though China has at pres
ent no national debt, it is likely that she
will soon come forward as large borrower.
A large sum of money is spent annually on
defenses and in the payment of salaries to
the high officials of Corea, Tibet and Mon
golia.
Corea causes at present much uneasiness
In Pekin. Knowing that China's suzerainty
over this so-called tributary kingdom has
hitherto been merely nominal, the Pekin
government is now trying hard to make it
real. Russia is the bugbear, and il was re-
Gently proposed to build a wall across tho
horOnern part Oh the penlnSular, which
cut off the country from Russian territory,
and destroy the hopes of the pro-Russian
and anti Chinese party. This proposition,
however, found little favor as it was soon
seen that the Muscovite soldiers with their
parks of artillery would not find the bar
rier so insurmountable as the Mongols
found the Great wall twenty odd centuries
ago.
Some of the emperor's advisers are in
favor of coming to an understanding with
Corea, as they know that they cannot hold
that country as soon as the Trans-Siberian
railway is completed. They would willingly
hand over to Russia a portion of Corea
north of Port Laseroff as an outlet for the
railway, it satisfactory assurance were
given that there would be no further en-
croachment. Such plan would, of course,
De strongly opposed by the more patriotic
Chinese officials
ROYALTY WELL HEDGED IN.
The recent celebration of the emperor's
accession to the throne caused some trouble
IN the capital. owing,to the foreign repre-
sentatlves' persistent requests for private
audiences. The foreign ministers have adj
dressed Joint note to the Tsung-li Yamen,
Whlch acts as buffer between the respon-
slble government and any outside pressure,
urging that they be allowed to present
Their congratulations in person to the
emperor. This is the most perplexing pro-
fHrA Il l. i