New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-30
CHINESE CONSERVATISM.
COME EXAMPLES SHOWING HOW 1T HAS
OCCASIONALLY BROKEN DOWN.

mart in the politics of China than an outsider
would be ant to suppose In the history of the
first dynasty, which achieved really national
authority, occurred the name OF the Empress
Liuchi. mother Of the Emperor Hoeiti, who
has been compared to Lucretia Borgia because Of
the relentlessness with which she put out Of the
way those who troubled her At the outset of
her career as regent she kept Hoeiti the Dragon
Throne by poisoning his most dangerous rival and
that rivals mother. She felt the common preju-
dice against her taking part in public ceremonies
bitterly and those who gave uttcrance to this
feeling were marked by her for destruction. An
attempt to take vengeance on one OF the most
powerful princes of the Empire by poisoning him
at a banquet was prevented by her son, and Mr..
Boulger, doubtless following the annalists, re-
marks sardonically that il was not surprising
that HOeiti's death followed soon after he had
thwarted his mothers purpose. The strange thing
was that the old woman still retained her power.
Determined to assert her rights, she at first ruled
In her own name. But even at the present day
that sort of thing would hardly he tolerated in
China so she put on exhibition supposittious
grandson and in his name continued to WELD the
authority of the Empire. But she had to poison
him and his mother to prevent exposure, and
again she took the power into her own hands
with no shadow of male royalty TO give her acts
the sanction Of custom. by placing her relatives
in Office she managed to carry a government
in spite Of ClamOrous dissatisfaction and was
powerful enough to hold the sceptrc till she died.
Her whole career seems in many aspects similar
to that Of Alfalfa. who at an earlier time Fad
reigncd over a nation as preludced against lc-
male dominance the Chinese-namely, the
Hebrews. She, also, accused of prolongng
her regency by the assassination of the legitimate
heirs to the throne of Judah, one after another
az they approached their majority. But Alfalfa
died by the sword instead Of living out her days
as Liuchi did. In both of these cases the over
enthusiastic students Of prmitivism will per
haps discover a relic of the matrlarchate. But
what will they say upon finding that few genera
tions after Liuchi the same course of ambition
and crime was followed, not by an emprcss-mother
with o traditional regency in her grasp, but by
IN emperor's wife, who legally had no political
power. 1t is much simpler. even if it does not
sound so deeply philosophical, to say that in both
cases the Chimes, had to deal, not with product
Of social evolution. but with INSCRIPTIONS and
strong -minded women, such may arise in any
age. late as we'll as early 1t is to be suspected
that Kiachi was welded to weak prince and
that her crimes and her ambition were partly due
TO her position which forced her to be brave and
cruel simply because her husband was helpless
and cowardly. She unquestionably understood
human nature, for 1T was she who discovered
Mongkwan, one of the few men of military genius
known to China. She found him under extremely
unfavorabe conditions for his case was similar
in every respect to that of Narses the Byzantine
phenomenon
But the great women of China were not all mere
assassins for the sake of personal power. In the
days of provincial instruction that followed the
earlier dynasties, when Imperialism became mrs
name, there was one Emperor, Vouti, who seems
to have done little more than to provoke group
Of heroines to acts of valOr in behalf Of their
States On one occasion Vouti attempted to cap
ture the town of Ginchng in Wei. The Cover
nor Of the city absent, but his wife was a.
good a general as he. Anticipating by many
centuries the conduct Of the Countess of Montfort
and of the Countess of Derby she harangue1 the
small garrison and inspired it with her own in
domitabe spirit The Emperor rcpuscd. lie
was equally unsuccessful under the walls of an,
other fortress defended ny woman named Liuchi
Mr. Boulcer adds This may be considered one
of the most remarkable periods for the display Of
female capacity in China, as the great state OF
Wei was governed by Queen named IIouchi.
Bnt these only indicated the possibility of
woman's greatness realized by the Empress Won.
the wife of Kaotsong Her career was not al
together without crime, for she drowned certain
other women, come Of whom might have become
her rivals, in vessel OF wine. While her hus
band weakling, il was her genius that
ruled the Empire. and even after his death she
controlled the Government apparently without in
curing the hatred that pursued Liuchi Sic
retained the power until she was eighty years Of
age. 1t has been not unusual practice in all
ages for Chinese Emperor to do what historians
have generally marvelled at in the of Charles
V. that is. to abdicate. But the Empress Won
was not Of a retiring disposition. She clung 10
the throne until she was compelled to abdicatc.
She seems to have been masculine in her turn of
mind As the great Queen IIatasu of Egypt spoke
of herself as man, so the Empress Won insisted
on wearing the robes assigned for an Emperor,
and she kept her son practically Il prisoner lest
he should interfere with her ruership just as
Hatasu is said TO have suppressed her young
brother, Thothmes. She even vcntured TO do what
no woman had ever DONE 10 shock Chinese
timent by offering the annual imperial sacrifice
TO heaven and by erecting temples to her ances-
tors things which were supposed to be implous
in a woman. Her wars, as well as her politics
and social measures, were successful and it was
only when age had broken her down that friends
or enemies dared 10 mention that unwclcomc word
"abdicaton." II one sought her peer in the
West and in modern times, he would certainly
name Elizabeth of England. In contrast with
her there rose Few generations later woman
who was as victorious in peace as the Empress
Won had been in war. She was the mother of
the Emperor Jintsong and regent during his mi
nority. Her act in abolisliing the taxes on tea
and salt won the gratitude Of the people. And
she restricted the power of 1.-THE spiritualists and
maoicians who had fiourished under her husband
and acquired many administrative Offices under his
patronage, In China at all times, aS in the
Eoypt of the Ramcsdcs and the Rome of the En-
ruerors. magic and fortunc-tellng were found 10
be ono of the perils of the State. Long b.
fore the time of Jintsongs mother. an imperial
dict against those who saw in everything portHnt
-an thus: Peace and the general contcntmcnt
IF the people, the abundance of the harvest, skill