Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1892-02-03
Ii HUNG CHANG, VICEROY. OF
CHINA.

No living statesman to-day attracts
so much attention in Europe as the
aged Viceroy of Petchili. There is @
consensus of opinion to the effect that
we are about to see some great changes
in the relations of China to the civilized
world. But any change, however
small, In the social political organiza.
ton that has for ages held one-fourth
of the human race in law-abiding con-
tentment, must have a momentous in
fuence on the evolution of humanity.
1t is not surprising, therefore, that the
man who is the most powerful person.
age in the Chinese Empire should be
an object of intense interest to the
Western Powers. The success with
which the germs of rebellion have been
stamped out in Northern China fur ther
enhances his prestige, for it gives us
an outward and manifest sign that his
slowly -matured policy OF quickening
and developing the dormant military
power of China will yet be fruitful in
far-reaching results. From the day
when, as one of Gordon's Heutenants,
he shared the glory won by "the ever
victorious Army" Lii Hung Chang has
been working steadily to this end. 1t
is for this that he went halfway to
meet the foreigner in China. As Mr..
J. Rnssel Young, formerly Minister of
the United States at Pekin, has said,
LII Hung Chang has opened up a new
world for the Empire, and after the
close of the last contest with France,
in which the bearing of the Chinese
soldiery was deemed by him most
promising, His excellency told Mr..
Young quite frankly why he had done
it, He was determined, he said, ere he
died, to see China, like other nations,
able TO speak to the enemy at her gates
with her hand on the hilt of her
sword" Though he is now in his
SEVENTEEN year, the venerable Vice
roy's patriotism is as ardent as 1t was
in his youth. His stately figure was
bent but little under the burden of
official "harassments." His intellect
is as Been and subtle as ever, and his
tact, dexterity, adroitness, pertinacity,
high spirit and kindly courtesy still
eXtort admiration even from his enc
mics. No Chinaman-for there is not
a drop of Manchu Tartar blood in his
won so much respect and
confidence from Englishmen. No
Oh inaman, it must be allowed, under
stood us better or took more accurate
measure of the strength and weakness
of our national character.
LII Hung Chang, since the death OF
the late Prince Kune, the young
father, has been the strong
est buttress of the throne. For years
his power and prestige, however, were
provincial rather than metropolitan,
and perhaps jealousy of his command
ing ability and his success in dealing
nored during the Regency, save when
ne was harassed by frivolous CON-
plants and official 'nagging' from Pc
kin. let during this time he was
making Tienstin one of the most
powerful centres of political influence
IN the Empire, and organizing a native
Chinese army and navy under his own
which must in any crisis have
gwen him a decisive voice in determin-
ing its issue. There are those who now
mint that Ii Hung Chang is growing
too powerful for the dynasty, and that
MS ambition will not be satisfied till he
mas seated himself on the Dragon
Throne. Foolish foreign diplomatists
have even strIven to tempt him into
reason. But the late General Gordon,
who knew him better than most men,
always declared that Lii Hung Chang
was loyal to the core, that by making
himself indispensable in the Inner
Council of State he could satisfy all his
that in these days it would
be scarcely possible for him or any
other unsurper to establish his author.
ty over fourteen provinces, and pass
il on to his son within the space of
lifetime. Some writers on this subject
,eem to forget that two hundred and
fifty years ago, when China was free
rom risk of foreign intervention, it
.ook the Manchu dynasty, supported
Jy the full strength of Tartar chivalry,
fifty years of hard fighting ere it estab-
ished its power over the Middle King
lom. 1t is certain that Lii Hung
Chang made no move as an usurper
IN the only occasion when he might
have BEEN successful, viz:-when the
late Emperor Tungche died myster-
ously, and the Imperial Family were
luarrelling over the succession. LII
Hung Chang's position as Viceroy of
he Metropolitan Province, with his
'eat of Government at TIentsin, was
always an important one. But 1t was
lot till he became one of the Grand
Secretaries of State, and a Member Of
he Inner Council, the mysterious body
which is superior even to the Tsung-lI-
famen, or Council of Census, who
epresent the Chinese Government to
I,n xx-hnln rrAr1h That Tho ohfnf aa-&-o1
If affairs passed into his hands. Even
low it is erroneous to describe him as
Master of China. In nine cases out of
en- his will and ideas probably prevail,
,ut he has great deal of obstruction
o overcome before that comes to pass
which, as in the case of
he delay in issuing the Imperial edict
the Yangtze rioters, is apt
o embroil him with the foreign lega-
ions. Lii Hung Chang's life msy be
aid to have been spent in minimizing
riction between the Pekin Government
md the Treaty Powers. Again aud
gain has he, by his personal prestige
md dexterity in negotiation, averted
he calamity of war from his country.
Yet it is to him that China owes all that
s most efficient in her modern army
md navy, her troops, her ironclads,
Ter ship yards, her arsenals, and her
ortresses. He has been the mainstay
If the Maritime Customs Department,
IN which the Imperial Government
depends for Its chief resources. He
the scheme for collecting
long with Imperial customs the LIE
lin, or the octroi, an internal import
luty which the provincial governments
evied on goods coming within their
thereby vastly increasing
he Imperial revenue. and afrording
china solid basis for loan-raising In
europe The Imperial Governmt mt had
o ask him-even when he was supposed
o be out of favor at Pekin-to un ler-
axe the negotiations with France as to
he Tientsin massacre and with England
,ver the Macquary murder. H.z ai-
won back Kuldja from Russia
md steriIized the French conquest of