The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-09-02
A Distinguished Visitor,


What Richelieu, the statesman car
dinal, was to France, or what Bis
marck, the Iron Chancellor, has been
to Germany, Ii Hung Chang is to
China. The great orienta's eminence is
not matter of chance. He has risen
from poverty to imperial sway by vir.
tue of his natural abilities. AS youth
he was famous for his scholarship.
In middle life the Tai-Png rebellion
gave him his opportunity, as the re-
bellion of the South brought to General
Grant the opportunity for service to
his country and resulting distinction.
Lii was the only Chinese general that
waged successful war against the reb-
els. He became the chief commander
of the Chinese forces. Fortunately for
him, that great Englishman, General
Gordon, appeared on the scene in
China, and recognizing LIPS great abil-
tiles, gave them efficiency by introduce
ing European methods and discipline
into the imperial army. An end was
then speedily made of the rebellion,
and LII as political and military admin
istrator and diplomat became the most
eminent man in China. He was made
viceroy of the province of Pi-Chi-Li,
from which his title of viceroy is de-
rived. The Office itself is of no higher
rank than the viceroyship of any other
province, but Peking, the Chinese cap
ital, is in Pi.Chi.Li, and the viceroy of
the imperial province, from his prox-
unity to the imperial capital, has
greater power and closer relations with
the emperor than if he had been the
ruler OF more remote region. Since
his appointment in 1871 he has prac-
tically controlled the foreign affairs of
China, but he has always held his Of
fee at the will of the emperor and has
been liable to dismissal at any time,
like any other official.
In 1880 affairs in China were in a
chaotic condition. Gordon was again
in China and the guest of Ii. The
viceroy turned to the Englishman for
counsel. Ii had an army of $4,000 men,
European drilled and armed. The i'm
perial force would be at his mercy. A
hundred million Chinese would have
risen to sustain revolution. Gordon
advised the viceroy to take his army,
march to Picking, expel the wretched
Tartar dynasty, and put himself at the
head of new China. Gordon would
help him. But Ii was growing old.
He was rich and all his relatives were
in good offices. So he declined the
offer and put aside the temptation.
He was the subject of many court in.
trigues. The emperor was weak and
capricious and easily inspired with jeal.
ousy by his courtiers. On one occa-
sion when powerful combination was
formed against the viceroy the emperor
ordered him to come to Peking. The
Intention was to discipline Ii severely.
The wary official obeyed the summons,
but took with him his well-drilled and
equipped army of $4,000 men. His as
pect was humble and submissive, but
there was grim significance in that mill
tary escort. The court suddenly dis
covered that all that was wanted of the
viceroy was to commend him most
heartily for his zeal and devotion.
Readers of the course of the japanese
war will remember that Ii was I'M
justly held responsible for all the dis.
asters that befel the Chinese army and
navy, and was deprived of the insignia
OF his rank, the famous yellow jacket
and the peacock feather. But disas-
ter followed disaster so rapidly, Ii
Hung Chang was speedily restored to
all his orders and dignites, and sent
to Japan with supreme power to nego-
tiate treaty of peace. About a year
ago he was relieved of his duties as
vlceroy of Pi-Chi-Li, and made a sort
of imperial chancellor or prime minis
ter He has no special mission to this
but finds the United States in
the track of his most convenient route
home from the ceremonies attending
the coronation of the car of Russia,
which he attended as China's ambassa-
dor.
In his tour round the world General
Grant was the guest of Lii Hung Chang,
and the two great men conceived a
strong admiration for each other. To
The general, the viceroy was one of the !