The morning times., 1896-08-30
T RUSS0.- CHINESE UNDERSTANDING
MEANING AND. SIGNIFICANCE IN THE EVENT
copyrighted, 1860

| NNopsh6Htcu, ioJO)
/ New York, Aug. 29-u Hung Ciang,
the principal viceroy Of the enpes,- u
China, who has just arriv ed In this country
from Southampton, England, will mike
but a flying visit, as ne rs .fhc L, dt . ri
| from Vancouver on the. Empress y; India
| on the 18th OF September. He. was .orced
, to disappoint the Chinese merchants i'll
New York, who would have 5s,.a proud TO
burn firecrackers in his honor .tuI feast
| and has time but for the briefest possibse7
visits in Washington, Philadelphia and a
few other cities His visit to this country
has little political significance, as the
United States holds aloof from the vexa-
t!ous Europcan n tangle OF alliances and po-
litlcal combinations, involving tue Easteru
question, but it is matter OF the utmost
importance in trade, and OF Lis position
as her greatest man. D.o"n> 90 t""r' ''''
There can be no doubt OF Lis pre-emk
hence in China. He has THRICE lost his
yellow jacket and peacock's feather, but
ha on each occasion lost them for no fault
and regained them with ease much in the
manner OF the aged Richeiieu when he
confounds his inferior rivals in RiIwer-
Lytton's play. His place there is no onr
who could fiji; or no native Chinaman. at
least; and the celestial pride and com
placence would never permit the employ
mcnt in higher rank OF a capable foreigner
such as Hart the head OF the customs
service.
The Impression OF Chang's wisdom which
General Grant received is amiliar to Ameri-
can readers. The great Chinama has
ruled by patience like that of Bismarck.
with whom he is most often compared.
The physical resemblance OF the two men
is remarkable Take any good proril.
portrait OF Ii Hung Chang, and place
upon it two cards SO as to cover the
eoateed chin, the pigtail and the shaven
crown. and there remains perfect like
ness OF B!snIarck's features ~" - '''''
Chang has never tried the impossible
He does not swim against the current
He has trimmed compromised and dela yed
but never IN appearance opposed the will
OF the Chinese aristoCracy. He has for
many years seen the necessity of a modern
armament for China and has done much To
secure it: yet lie did all that Ia V in his 90 wer
short OF compromising his position. to pre-
vent the war with japan for which he knew
better than any one in Europe his nation
was not ready. After the result. to which
Chinese admrals skulking in the holds of
their vessels and Chinese cannon ruined by
being used for swill TO wis by Chinese sailors
contributed not a little. it was enc of LIES
little ironies that Lii vino had almost
alone opposed the war and who was the one
man in China strong enough TO negotiate
for the best peace possible Gndcr the cir
cumstances, should have been put iEio
temporary disgrace. But such is the ius--
tice of Oriental monarchs.
1t Is question whether China has learned
the lesson Of the japanese victories Is
mayevenbe doubted whether allth Chinese
yet know that Japan won any victories at
all. When the British and French sterrRed
the Pei-ho forts in 1853, in retaliation for
the seizure of the Arrow there remained
no obstacle TO their taking Pekin itself and
laying hands on the august person of the
emperor had they chosen. But the powers
feared TO expose so vast a people to the
horrors of anarchy and coutented themselves
with n very mild lesson meant for Chine.e
statesmen rather than the people. The re-
suit was not only that the work had all to
be repeated two years later but that most of
the Chinese still think the emperor, after
soine trifling reverses due to inattention at
first, annihiated the intrusive foreigner as
soon as their invasion seemed worthy of
notice.
The beating administered by Japan more
recently was much more severe, but there
isdanger that this lesson also will be wasted,
and affairs go on in the same horrible old
way in the celestial kingdom. 1t is certain
that Russia, by interfering to save China
from undue punishment. was serving her
own ends much more than those of her