The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-02-04
PROGRESS AT PEKIN.
The Emperor a. Last Shows Strangers
some Consideration.
Shanghai Letter IN Nelg Yors sun.

Shanghai Letter IN Net5 YORK sun.
The Chinese emperor is slowly giving
way before the demands Of wtssn
civilization. Time was when no
European was even admitted with
in the sacred precincts of the imperial
palace, and when every repre- entative Of
foreign power who gained an audience with
the emperor was forced to kOwtow like
native. The opium war broke up the kow-
towing, but the absurd features Of yelling
the face OF the emperor and conducting all
conversation through a third person in adj
dltlon 20 the official interpreter have been
recently abolished. Now still another stone
from the wall of conservation has gone
down, as the emperor last month admitted
the new British minister, Mr.. O'Conor, into
his own private apartments, and permitted
him to enter and depart by the big official
gate.
To Americans this question of entrance
by certain gate may seem absurd, but in
China, where rule and precedent are SO
strictly observed, it is of the highest i'm
portance. Before this audience given to the
British minister every one who was received
by the emperor or Tsung-li- Y amen was
compelled to enter the palace grounds
through the smaller door provided for petty
Chinese officials and palace attendants, and
be was received in the TIE Kuang Ko, or
common chamber, in which the mandarins
and governors of provinces are received
when they come up to the capital to present
gifts or make complaints or hush up some
prominent scandal.
This small chamber Is a finely furnished
room, but the Chinese, who are sticklers for
etiquette beyond any other nation, always
look with disdain upon any official who
cannot enter the imperial palace In state bYt
the main gate and cannot obtain the honor
of private audience with the emperor. He
is said to lose "face' when he is relegated
to the small door and the common recep-
ton chamber.
It is for this reason that the various
foreign ministers to China have had 80 lit
tie influence in oriental diplomacy. # they
had insisted az the outset upon a genuine
reception, such as the emperor gives to q
high Chinese official, they would have COM
manded far more respect aud they would
have been able to exercise more influence
over Chinese diplomacy. But the majority
of these men accepted the position of min
lister to Pekin for what there was in it-good
salary, fine quarters, substantial perquis
sites, and many handsome presents from the
Chinese government. SO the matter has run
on from year to year.
Two years ago, when the emperor held a
great festival to celebrate his majority, the
foreign ministers were remembered with
presents that cost many thousands Of dol
lars, but they did not secure the reception
honOrs which they coveted and which the
astute vicsroy, Ii Hung Chang had led
them to expect. They were all dressed in
uniform except Capt. DENLY, our minister,
and they made bravo show of glittering
decorations and brilliant uniforms as they
were formed in line just outside the palace
wall. Then the imperial chamberlain came
forth, but instead Of leading them through
the great main gate he suddenly turned and
conducted the amazed diplom fists through
the little common gate into the old general
reception hail. which had been repainted
and made attractive for the occasion.
There their presents were ranged beside
their chairs and q sumptuouS dinner was
served. The emperor, when they filed
in, was seated at q small table on
a raised dais, fully fifty feet away from
this herd of foreigners. He maintained
position Of extreme dignity, listened plac-
idly TO the high rhetorical address of con-
graduation which was read by the dean of
the diplomatic corps, and then by simple
nod OF the head gave the sign to his cham~
berlaln to read his response. One VINO wit
messed this ceremony said that the emperor
bore a strong resemblance to a wax figure,
and that he showed no more animation in
countenance or gesture than an automatic
figure. AS soon as the address was delivered
a curtain was dropped before the emperor
and he retired to his palace apartments.
Aho uWCtb on lD9 RTBaU
COndesCension which the emperor had
shown in receiving the ministers in person
and in permitting them to gazs upon his
face, but it is understood THAI the Viceroy
Lii ridiculed the foreigners and declared that
they should have refused to be entertained
in q room made common by the presence of
petty Chinese officials. He said they had
lost face and that it would require some
time to repair the damage.
The old VICaFOV cOrFpNf for
vernacular Chinese, as well as the japanese
papers, took up the matter and made game
of the diplomats. Last year the Austro-
hungarian minister obtained, after much
effort, an audience with the emperor, but
he was forced TO enter by the little gate,
the Chinese emblem of humiliation, and he
never even saw the face of the young poten-
tate to whom he presented a long eulogy
Still, there are compensations for such re-
bluffs as this, for the salaries of all the min
istors are good, and their offices are mainly
slnecures.
CLARA-Why has Fanny Finnimaker's we'd
ding been postponed?
Manhattan sent the crOOn dOwntovp RI