The morning call., 1892-09-18

his post.
Having organized perfect service about
him 10 carry out his vast designs. Robert
Hart then proceeded TO still fuTther
strengthen himself for his post.
To enable him to deal with greater effect
with foreign powers, he set about the study
of the languages Of the chief representatives
Of nations at Peking, and there are few lam
guages in which he cannot now write ana
converse fuentlY. This spared him the
weakness OF Interpretation and brought him
face to face with all the diplomats OF great
| nations.
His attachments as a Chinese scholar
opened to him the bosom of that most super
eilious and exclusive class the "literatl' OF
China.
He was taken into the fold as beloved
fell0w-scholar, with few equals. II any, in
the empire.
This extraordinary man was cordially
loaihed by the superciliouS dignitarieS of
| foreign powers who affected TO ignore him
as a common "cuStom-house man, and out
side the circles Of diplomatic rank The
more aStute, however, discovered that 1t
was only By gaining the good will OF Robert
Hart in any proposition that the Tsung Ii
1amen gave them aught but polite mac
tion.
England was the last to yield, but Sir
Thomas Wade, the British Minister, having
scornfully refused to deal In an lnteina-
tional matter with the revenue otflclaf TO
whom the Yamen had referred MIN nade
the best of a bad bargain. eat humble pie,
solicited Hart's assistance aud got what he
wanted from the Iamen.
His most Jealous enemy is the great CHI
nese Vieeroy. Ii Hung Chang. who views
| with horror the subtle, sure and powerful
hold that Robert Hart is gaining year Dy
year over the empire.
Wiser than his predecessors the Inspector
General arTogates nothing to himself in
title or ostentatous display. When the
proposition to establish Chinese customs
in Corea was first made it was natural that
the existing Chinese customs should be
merely extended.
Ii Hung Chang imperously interfered.
Instantly Hart withdrew from the field, and
let his antagonist have sufficient rope to
hang himself. The COrean customs were
then promoted, started by Ii Hung Chang
and officered by foreigners selected by HIM
self outside the Chinese customs pale.
very short time sufficed to settle the qnes-
ttOn. The service went to pieces and proved
a complete and dismal failure.
To-day the Corean customs are fionrlShing
under the regime Of Sir Robert Hart, Of
ficered by his picked and most trustworthy
men from the Chinese customs.
10 the army and navy he suggests altera-
tons and Improvements. 1t is seldom that
a departure from his advice has not ended
in petition to him to straighten out con-
fusion.
When France wasted money and men in
Tonquin il was Robert Hart who urged the
policy of passive resistance upon 9 tue
Chinese Government and manipulated
matters with such master hand that the
French, frightened at the unexpected loss
Of life and money in what they had believed
to be an easy task, were glad to arrange Tor
peace.
1t was with no slight astonishment that
they beheld 'sOme Custom-house official"
appear in Paris as representative OF the
ID NIT q
tias and papers for signing the peace.
The Marquis Tseng, the Chinese Minister
in EurOne, on being appealed to shrugged
his shoulders and admitted that he had bsen
passed over, and Robert Hart's secretary IN
London appointed by the Chinese court as
special AMBASSADOR on this occasion. The
British Government always dull. Ignorant
and taTdy, now awOke 10 the fact that Rob-
ert Hart was a factor in Chinese matters.
de was then offered the title OF knight
commander OF st. Michael and 81. George,
He accepted it and is now Sir Robert Hart.
KONG.
The post of British Minister at Peking
becoming vacant Sir Robert was anXiOuSly
| offered the dignity.
Now came Sir Roberts great opportunity
| for revenge.
OF the service in which he was snubbed.
despised and sat upon" in his early days
| he was offered the supreme command
The British Consul under whom he had
| been worst t0rmented remarked To irlend
| Of the writer: Il bullied him when sub
| ordinate. Now l can lock for trouble.
! deserve it"
! Sir Robert accepted the high position Of
| fereG, ana the consular service tIembled.
! He then took his revenge in manner
! Characteristic Of his great nature.
Studying the men who had most neg
! lected him. he found they had become
! older and wiser men. He left them as they
were. His special oppressOr he promoted
! TO a higher post, on his merits
There are Goals of fire burning upon
/ heads in China to-day with untold mental
/ shame and remOTse To their owners.
! After playing with his seepter little
| while Sir Robert tossed il scOrnfully aside
| and resumed MS pest as Emperor OF China
in fact-Insp pectOr-General OF Customs in
theory.
His point was that as British Minister he
would in honor become merely a servant OF
the British Government As Inspector
General OF Customs he remained emperor
Of himself and therefore Of China aud all
things touching China.
The man himself?
Picture TO yourself o small, slim, gray
haired, ragged bearded man quietly and
| unOstentatiously picking his way unOb-
| served and all-obseTving through the streets
OF any town.
Sir Roberts policy has been to ''get out
! of the way"
~
| world shove once too often.
Sir Robert slipped through, humping DO
! one, arriving always uninjared and success
| full al the destination aimed at.
Another great point in Sir Roberts code
/ is sDunctualtY-faultleSS punctuality. III by
any chance matter fails 10 come to time he
! lets ii 60, so as to be in time for the next
/ affair, and so bis business matters have run
! smoothly and unrufiied from commence
/ ment to the present.
A spare, quiet man, with hand of iron
| in a glove of velvet, Sir Robert has one
1 weak point-musie. A lover of the violin,
| which he plays assduousy in his hours Of
/ relaxation, of which he has not many, it
| has been said that any youth Ia dire dis
| grace on service records can always ''get
/ another chance" If he can scrape a note or
/ two upon the fiddle in Sir Roberts hearing.
IrreveTent youngsters have stated over
| the messtahle at early hours in the morning
| that Sir Roberts passion for the violin is
simply owing to the intense desire he has of
| never letting 90 any accomplishment till he
has acquired 1t, and that he is still. there
fore, trying to learn to fiddle before he dies.
| Republicans will appreciate the little his
tory of Sir Roberts state ball at Peking. An
! ex-governess to his children, who had mar
| ried humble storekeeper in Pekng was in
| yited thereto. High female dlgn taries
awaited 10 be asked, as partner, to open the
| ball with Sir Robert. ambassadors wives
| glared at one another, jealous Of their prece-
dence, and awaiting Sir Roberts selection.
| He mildly sought out his eX-goyerneas, ana
with a stately grace and courtesy not exclu-
| siVely the property Of aristocrats by birth,
| opened the ball with his ex-emplOye.
A thousand tales are told OF the ''eccen-
tricities" Of this Napoleon of diplomacy
which would warm the hearts of repubi-
cans.
Stern and answering, adamant In the
| rules of the service: many a man has been
! dismissed for breach of his service regula-
| tions, his personal petition for pardon or
assistance refused officially. and then-his
! anger turned to sbame-assisted royalty
| from Sir Roberts private pocket
Fabulous tales are told Of the wealth of
| Sir Robert Hart, but they are fables.
Beyond handsome house and grounds in
| Ireland to please his eOnsort and provide