The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-08-06
THE DOWNFALL OF Ii.
Am Expert Who Thinks the Vicerol
Suggested His Own Punishment.

Suggested His Own Punishment.
COTTAGE CRY, Mass, Aug. g. 1s94.-Mr.
S. L. Gracey, who was recently United
States Consul at Foochow, China, says of
the Ii Hung Chang yellow jacket incident;
Iii Hung Chang's degradation may mean
much, or 1t may mean nothing, and it is
more than probable that it is the latter. 1t
is not necessarily a mark of disfavor or any
real disapproval If he has been deprived
of his yellow robe or button it was prob
ably suggested and recommended by his
Excellency Ii himself, because he allowed
the war with Japan to come on. OF because
ne did not have great number OF troops
naassed on the borders of Corea sufficient to
prevent any invading foe from entering the
peninsula occupied by the Hermit Nation
He should have been wise enough to have
foreknown what was coming and have pre-
pared forsit. 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 is worshlpped accord
ingly, and, being such great being, ne and
all who are associates with him should have
prescience sufficient to foreknown and pre-
pare for any calamity, and consequently
their self-assumed reproach and disgrace II
the unknowable is not known by them and
the unpreyentable even is not prevented.
81 have known His Excellency Ii to take
great blame to himself in public proclama
tions, because there had occurred great
food in the Yellow River district and re-
quest the Emperor to punish him according
ly, This is a common method of showing an
assumed humility when famine or pestilence
or food visits the land On several occasions
while was in China received most elaborate
invitations to attend the funeral of father,
issued by his eldest son. which Ill the
usual language of the Celestials, reiterated
his unfiliai and undutiful conduct as the
cause of his fathers death and stoutly pro-
Tossing his need of punishment therefor, and
calling down upon his head andthat of his
brothers the severest penalties. | have
known many high officials to recommend
themselves for punishment because of
calamities falling upon their people.
ssThere is a reason in all this, senseless as
it may seem to us. 1t impresses the people
with respect for those who rule over them
who are supposed to know all things
| that might, could, would or should occur,
and plan for it as kind, paJernal
government should. 1t is part of that
great pa ternal system in which the rulers
| are supposed to exercise ceaselesS fatherly
vigilance in the welfare of their people, who
| are to be guarded by the said rulers with
| paternali watchfulness and care
IF the depreciation of His Excellency Lii
means anything as shown BY real disap-
| proval on the part of the Board of War, he
| would advise the Emperor in such case it
maybe the worst piece of-business they have
| engaged i'm for many day. Vicerey Ii
| is q Chinamau and has long been regarded
as the one man in the En,plre, who. if he had
| mind to do so.could consolidate Chinese OPP
position to the PRESENT. Fartar government and
overthrow the dynasty. He has been cajoled
and fiattered by the government for many
| years, and feared by them as we'll, and if
made angry by personal insult, would at this
! .inncture lead a successful revolt. But that
| it is merely look sec pidgin' appears from
the ACCOMMODATING statement that larger
powers and an immensely increased army
are placed at his disposal and direction. This
is probably only one of the strange phases
of Chinese customs"