The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-08-09
Ii HUNG CHANG.
His Degradation May Mean Much OF
May Mean Nothing.

Cottage City, Aug. SIS. I. Grace, who
was recently a consul at Foo Chow,
China, and who is at present here, said
regarding the degradation of the Chi
nese viceroy:
Lii Hung Chang's degradation may
mean much or it may mean nothing,
and it is more than probable that 1t is
the latter. It is not necessarily a mark
of disfavor or any real disapproval. If
he has been deprived of the yellow
robe or button it was probably suggest
ed and recommended by his excellency
Ii himself, because he allowed the war
with japan to come on, or because he
did not have a greater number of troops
massed on the borders of Corea, suffi-
Client to prevent any invading force
! from entering the peninsula occupied by
the hermit nation. He should have been
wise enough to have foreseen what was
looming and have prepared for it, This
would seem very strange to the people
| OF the West, but not to the Chinese
The emperor is regarded as the son of
heaven and worshipped as such and be-
| ing such great being, he and all who
associate with him should have preset
ence sufficient to foreknow and prepare
Tor any calamity, and consequently they
assume reproach and disgrace if the
IunknoWable is not known by them and
! the unpreventable is not prevented.
l have known his excellency Lii to
take blame to himself in public procla-
nations because there had occurred a
great flood in the Yellow river district
and request the emperor to punish him
accordingly. This is common method
iof showing an assumed humility when
famine, or pestilence, or flood visits the
land.
On several occasions while / was in
China l received most elaborate invi-
tauons to attend the funeral of a faith
er, issued by his son in dismal Ian
guage and reiterating unfilial and un-
dutiful conduct as the cause of his
fathers death, and stoutly protesting
his need of punishment therefor, and
calling down upon his head and that of
his brothers the severest penalties. I
have known many high officials to rec
onlmend themselves for punishment be-
cause OF calamities falling upon their
people.
There is reason in all this, sense
less as it may seem to us. The people
! have great respect for those who have
rule over them. who are supposed to
know all things that might, could,
would, or should occur, and plan for it
r. = iiu' pay ,iii SoNeIhAnent SHould.
Ii is part of that great paternal sys-
tenn in which the rulers are supposed
| to exercise ceaseless, fatherly vigilance
| in the welfare of their people, who are
to be guarded by the rulers with pater-
nal watchfulness and care.
IF the degradation of his excellency
Ii means anything showing real disap-
proval on the part of the board of the
war, who would advise the emperor, in
such a case 1t may be the worst piece
of business they have enga ged IN for
many a day. Viceroy Ii is a Chinaman
and has long been regarded. as the one
man in the empire, who if he had the
mind to Go so, could consolidate Chinese
Opposition to the present Tartar govern
ment and overthrow the dynasty. He
has been cajoled and flattered by the
government Tor many years and feared
by it as well and, if made angry by