The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-10-03
COMING IN CHINA ?


=. The crop of Startling dispatches from
China shows no sign. of diminution, and
this time There seems to be possibility
that they are founded on. fact. They
alege that a domestic revolution has
broken. out at Picking, and that the En-
perar has: been deposed. Such an event,
though Improbable. is within the verge of
possibility.
There is in China no law of hereditary
succession, as was the custom in Europe
.thousand years ago. Each sovereign ap-
points his own successor; but he is bound
to choose him from the members of his
OWN family of Il younger generation than
his Own. Emperor Tuuch who was the
eighth ruler of the Manchu dynasty of
Using: died in 1876, without appointing
successor: a. family council was held. at
which: the widow and the seven brothers
of Hen -Fung, Tunchi's father and prede-
'cessor. were present, and they agreed to
raise Prince Chun's infant son 20 the
throne on the condition that the Empress
Dowager should be regent until the boy
attained his majority. The arrangement
worked we'll. It CHANGED that the En-
press Dowager was woman of nobility
and moderation She was Loyalty sup
ported by the boy Emperor's uncle. Prince
Kung. who presided over the Tsuug-l
Yamep. and by LII Hung Chang, who
conducted foreign affairs. SO matters
moved smoothly until 1859, when the EN-
peror came of age and his grandmother
retired from the regency.
The internal politics of China are en-
yeloped in such mystery that the world
| 4. fnta MT
intTigues and party friction may have
assumed in the last five years So Tar as
Is known there has been mo collision.
Three brothers of the eX-Emperor Hen
Fung have been prominent In pubic
affairs Prince Chup. father OF the Elm
| peror, Prince Ching. who has lately pre-
sided over the Tsung-li Yamen. and
| Prince Kung, who is better known as the
| Seventh Prince, and who has been the
! faithful ally of Ii Hung Chang IN his
schemes for the promotion of material ln-
| terests. He is known as the most pro-
gressiye man in China; he followed the
advice of the Bron Won Richthofen,
opened the coal mines which supply Tien-
! tsln with cnal, and, in spite of public preJu-
dice. built railroad to carry his coal TO
market. he was the hacker OF Mr.. Paul
sen, the Dane who built the Chinese sys-
ten of telegraphs. He is a thoroughly
| well equipped and wideawake statesman.
This is the man who, according to rumor,
has besu selected to supersede his nephew
as Emperor.
The event would be good thing fol-
China, but il is not likely to happen. The
Chinese are not prone 10 dynastic revolu:
lions they are very loyal to the person OF
their Emperors. just $50 years have
elapsed since the Mapchu dynasty over
threw the native dynasty Of Ming, and In
that period China has had some pretty bad
sIvereigns, but they have all reigned TO the
term of their lives. If the present En-.
| per0r. HwaDgti, who is just % years old
| should have the good sense to abdicate 81
as to place the reins of power in stronger
hands at the present momentous crisis
Kung might succeed him to advantage, bu'
it IS hardly likely that the uncle will ust
| force to di,possess his nephew.
It must always be remembered that on
news from China reaches us after havin!
filtered through the foreign settlements
which are intensely hostile to the Chimes
people, At Tientsin and Shanghai tn,
foreigners live in quarters of their own
government of their own-independent o
Chinese authority. These little cOmmuu
tiles, from the nature of their position
hate the natives which swarm arount
them, and the "a tired is reciprOcated. The.
would gain nothing by the defeat AM
humiliation of China, on the contrary the
would be likely to suffer in the scrimmage
but the friction between them and the IA
I 49, 4 H.
engendered malignant spirit against th
Chinese which leads them to rejoice owe
Chinese defeats and invent stories /
injure Chinese credit. Their feeling is n
fiected in the newspapers published b
Englishmen at Shanghai and Hon Kong
The continued existence of those sheets
} pretty fair evidence OF the extent TO while
| liberty of the press prevails in that part {
!.