The Hawaiian gazette., 1894-09-07

of Chang Chih Tung, the famous Gov
ernor General of Human and Hupeh,
no other public man in the empire has
the knowledge, ability and energy re
quired by the appointment. That this
new office should be created is a sur
prise to both natives and foreigners. 1t
is unknown to Chinese psIitics and ju-
risprudence. There have been dicta-
tors before, but they became so by
force Of circumstances in times of civil
war or invasion by foreign armies,
when the monarch was a fugitive, a
prisoner. or an infant incapable of
holding the reins of government.
The dictatorship means much more
than appears on the surface. 1t i'm
plies that the ruling family acknowl-
edges itself incapable of meeting the
present crisis. The T-sung lie Yamen,
or imperial cabinet, of which at least
One-half are inimical to the great
Premier, have no confidence in their
army and navy, so that the wonderful
structure of MOngolian civilization de
ponds today upon the genius OF a sin
gle man.
In his new post Ii Hung Chang has
reached the highest position possible
in his country. He becomes the SUI
perior of his Emperor, the Son of
Heaven. The latter, despite his SEEM
ing autocracy, is tied and bound by
law and custom Half the expert
ences of ordinary mortals are inter
dicted to him. If he should trans
gress the rules which bind him he can
be depOsed and another man placed
on the golden throne, but the dictator
has no restrictions nor limitations. In
the hands of an average mandarin,
such a promotion, by prompting his
ambition, might endanger thu Imper
ial scepter, but in those of Ii Hung
Chang no such danger exists. He has
been tried and tempted before, and on
each of the two occasions he passed
through the fire unscathed. Even
his enemies trust him in this regard.
Ii Hung Chang is good illustra-
ton of how q man can rise step by
step in China as in the New World.
He comes of good family, but not
distinguished one. Two biographers,
who PLAYED the part of Boswell to his
Johnson, failed to find any great
names in his pedigree, from which we
may safely infer that there never
were any. He was born February II,
1922, and is, therefore, ~ years old.
He bears his age well, and in appear
ance, working power and general ac-
tivity, might pass for man of 80 or
So. He is of medium height and build
and has a face and features that APP
proach the Caucasian type much
more than do those of the average
Monaghan. In manner he Is unfail-
ingly polite and suave.
What his real feelings are he seldom
discloses. He covers everything with
an urbanity and gentleness that are
famous throughout his country.
When he took his literary degree,
sort of Chinese master of arts, he was
nearly %, but at the same time he
had already established a reputation
for erudition and power. He received
a small office and there applied the
same principles that he had to his
studies. He progressed slow y, but
irresistibly. 1t was not until he was
80, in 1861, during the TAPPING rebel
lion, that his merits were perceived
by his superiOTs. He was appointed
a Taotai or Project of a district IN
Kiangsu. This province was then a
hotbed of revolt. The new official
saw the Importance OF the situation
and worked Increasingly until his dis
trict seemed pacified. His success
was so remarkable that in 1862 he was
Acting General of the forces
in and about Shanghai and Sung
kiang.
There he first applied his knowledge
of European affairs by retaining for
eigners in his military services. He |
began with the American, Captain
Ward, and others, and, before the re-