The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-07-16
THE REAL RULER OF CHINA.
Ii Hung Chang, yiCeTOy and Master
Of the Yellow Empire,
An Imperial statosmaa-''I Am Going

China"
Condensed from Frank Leslie's Weekly.
After returning from his trip around
the world Gen. Grant said that he had
met but one real statesman, and chat was
in China, in the person of Ii Hung
Chang. Nothing is more true-tho vice
roy Of China is, and will be considered by
historians as the greatest statesman
China has ever produced. and as one of
the greatest statesmen of this century.
He is over 20 years Of age, and much more
an emperor than the young man who
lives in Picking and is called the Son of
Heaven, but is nothing more than a mere
figure. Ii Hung Chang is not only the
viceroy, but also the president of the
grand council of the empire, the chief of
the armies and the grand admiral of the
fleets, without mentioning his twenty
other titles. lie does not live
in Picking, but has his pal
ace in Tien-Tsin NINETY miles from the
capitaD where he is surrounded by his
armies, and has his feet near at hand. II
is well known that the member of the
Sunni Yamen grand council Of the en-
pre- who sit i'll Picking, have the most
profound hatred for the vicerot and have
tried several times TO get rid of him by
means which would recall those used IN
the Middle Ages But Ii Hung Chang is
too well guarded in Tien Tsin. Every at
tempt has been a failure and after several
OF them the heathens in Office came to the
conclusion that the only thing to be done
was to get the viceroy to come to Picking,
They demonstrated to the emperor and his
mother that Ii Hung Changes ambition
might lead him to overthrow the actual
dynasty and make bimselfa monarch, and
that it was quite necessary to have him
live III Picking, where the Sunni Yamen
would watch him. The Emperor saw the
imaginary danger and ordered the vicerOy
to make his headquarters in Picking. He
did not even answer. Two other orders
were sent, the last being so imperative
that he answered at once: Il am coming
Arrange quarters for the fifteen thousand
soldiers l take with me" One can easily
imagine the alarm of the Emperor and
members of the Sunni Yamen when
they heard of those fifteen thousand sol
6iers, and they answered promptly: Stay
where you are, by all means, and keep
your soldiers away" Ii Hung Chang
may be considered the most liberal and
most progressive man of the Chinese En-
pire
After these few remarks about this
wonderful man | shall not surprise any
one in saying that upon him alone de-
| pended the participation Of China in the
Il.
| the history of the fair the directors sent
| to China a commissioner who found him
| self confronted with most delicate cues
| tions concerning the Exclusion bill, etc,
ana who did not succeed in getting any
| thing from the Chinese government.
! While travelling in Japan as honorary
| commissioner for the exposition / made
| quite a friend OF Lord Ii, the
son of Ii Hung Chang, who at
| the time was Chinese Minister to Toxic.
| He is a charming and most refined gentle
| man, well read, who has Travelled in Eu-
| rope and speaks French and English very
| tluently. l had occasion several times to
| discuss with him the question Of the par
| tiCipatiOn of China in the fair, and sue
| ceeded in showing him that, putting all
| political and international questions aside,
! it was of vital interest to China to be
well represented. One day, at last, he
| said to me: Eyes, you are right but
| why don't you 90 and tell this to my
! father? l am sure he would do some
| thing"
"Very well, Lord Ii but to go to Ten
| Tsin is long, tiresome, and expensive
| trip. Some go so far as to say that it is
| even dangerous for Americans, as con-
! gress is just now discussing the exclusion
bill, and the Chinese are much excited
over the matter. l am willing to go on
NY own CopOllSlpllltS --uO SJiEJ within d
| few hours; but can you assure me that
your father will receive me and give me
hearing2"
The Chinese minister looked thoughtful
for minute and then said:
II shall call on you day after tO-mor-
row and tell you then what l think" On
the appointed day Lord Ii called on me
and said: Il am sure my father viii be
glad to see you and TO receive YOU, and
L f4ar, h 10 i
thing for the exposition
Very well, Lord Ii; shall leave by
the first steamer"
And a few days after I embarked on the
| Yenkai Maru, one of the beautiful steam
ers of the japanese Steamship Company,
en- route for Tien-Tsin and Picking, being
the bearer of a note from Lord Ii TO his
father. A note! The envelope was nearly
two feet long, and the width and thick
ness in proportion. seriously considered
the necessity Of getting an extra trunk.
On the day after my arrival at Ten
Tsin the viceroy sent word that he would
be please to see me at o'clock To 20
to his place, situated in the Chinese town,
was another experience. The United
States Consul, Colonel Bowman, and the
secretary, MIR. pCnney, ACCOMPANIED me-
We went first through a number of par
lors, all furnished in European fashion,
ana had to wait a few minutes in q par
Tor next TO the reception room; it was
filed with gifts of every kind from
Europe and America Many large chan
delers, vases, dozens of clocks Edison's
monograph, and miniature men-of-war
sent by all the shipbuilders of the world
on the walls several paintings, large
portrait of General Grant, one of Bis
marok, and one of William J.
At that moment the doors opened, sew
eral officers entered, and Immediately be-
hind them was Ii Hung Chaug-verY
tall, broad and straight, a large bold
head, small, brilliant and tricky eyes, q
long white mustache and goatee, a firm
and rather sarcastic mouth. graceful and
elegant III his manners. Such the vice
roy was in 1892. He shook hands with
us and asked US to follow him to the next
room. He seated himself at the head Of
a long table and asked me to sit at his
right; cigars and cigarettes were pre-
sentod to US by the officers, while d long
Chinese pipe was brought to him. For
fully five minutes he did not say one
word, smoking and looking at me.
/ explained to him in "a very few words,
and said it would be an exceedingly good
thing for China to exhibit
You mean a good thing for the Ex-
position should China exhibit" he in
terrupted
Not at all, your excellency. Of course
we would all be glad TO see a Chinese
exhibit, but there will be so many OK
hibitS from every part of the world that