Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-09-04

restless, yet under perfect control. A heavy,
crescent-shaped white mustache shades
and partly covers a pair of thin lips. cruel
as though formed by the slash of q knife.
A pointed white imperial hangs down from
weii-formed chin. that comes forward
and denotes what physiognomists would
call inquiry. The nostrils are heavy: the
upper portion of the nose well formed. He
gives the Impression of an immense reserve
iorce, under admirable management; of a
tendency 70 go to the purpose in an indi-
vidual and the absolute essence OF the
proposition In question OF state or the do
mesuc economies. He suggests fertility of
resources. OF strategy degrees above the
| levei OF cunning and vast self-confidence
HE voice is not musical and his words are
spoken with monotonous infie c,ion until he
becomes interested, when they flow with
something like vivacity. Stories have been
toiu OF his tenacious loyalty to the super
| sutions of his nation: of his stopping a
great army review at Tien Tsn to dis
| mount from his sedan chair and worship a
| small green water snake which the Chi
| hese are said to regard as a sacred thing
| OF MS scorning the aid of foreign physi-
| can when wounded by the Japanese who
attempted 10 assassinate him. and seeking
tne nominations of Chinese sorcerer and
| numerous similar inciden ts All these re-
| TItais may be true, but in looking at Ii
- t Snang and studying his character as
4. Is SHOWN In superficial aspect gazing in
ms eyes and marking the CONFEDERATION of
ms brow and head, no intelligent man
| Mouia ever be able to believe that he either
| q sorcerer. eu III
ne might have performed the outward
| h IN po'h cases Tor the effect IL would
nae on inc millions of his countrymen
Mho oe'oully believed in such things and
whose good will and support he would run
no risk OF losing. but The brain that throbs
IN MS mighty head never subscribed to
such superstitions, and that is q certainty
fLrher study of Ii Hung Chang after the
hrst sight heightens the impression of his
Strategic ability; of his calm and far
reaching power of analysis that makes Il
mind mathematical in its workings upon
subjects whether they be simple or alb
struse.
The observant visitor to the great China
man Will quickly realize that he himself
| is being made study of. He will feel
that the piercing eyes are taking in
Ventory of everything pertaining 10 him
and mentally considering his qualities. He
VIII also be convinced before the inter
prefer hGS translated half a dozen of his
words to his august superior that the lat
ter understands English, even to its idiomS.
as thoroughly as himself, and that he only
| uses the medium of translation to save
himself time and prevent himself being
| red by the over-ioquacious. 1t is easy TO
see, too, that his hab; of asking so many
questions is carefully laid plan by which
he can get a visitor SO interested in him
self that he forgets TO make the inquiries
he had formulated when anticipating the
meeting. Nothing escapes Lii Hung Chang
There is an unmista kable air Of superior
ity in his manner, too Nothing scornful,
or oyerbearing, but a loftineSS that cannot
be regarded as meretricious when il is as
stunned by aristocrat, whose blood has
been unGefiled 10y mixture for 5000 years.
He regards you as production of a novel
experiment in civilization, and he wonders
how long you are going to last He is
aware that his country had a republican
form of government fifty centuries ago. and
he is fatalist enough to believe that its
gradual extinction was a necessity in the
natural course of events. So he looks at
you and then looks into the future and secs
monarchy, maybe despotiSm, govern
ing your descendants. He does not believe
that advancement and progress depend up
on the greatest freedom of those who en-
joy their blessings. He believes that ma
ticnal safety rests upon the restraint of the
many and the exaltation of the few, and he
| is confident that the whole world will re-
turn 20 such system. Why? Because Ii
Hung Chang is firmly convinced of the ul-
innate conquest of both hemisrheres by the
yellow-skinned races of the east. He feels
that they have all of the virtues and but
few Of the vices of their whfte-skinned
neiGhbors and that the centuries they have
passed under one system of governn,. mt
and one form OF religion, based, like Chris
tianity, on the golden rule. have worn out
| long since any latent ideas that might have
existed of self-government.
These are some of the impressions made
| by Ii Hung Chang, and then there is an
other. You wonder If any man. or woman
| ever got his complete and willing conf
oence You wonder if those thin. COM
pressed, mercileSS liDS ever poured into an
attentive ear the full purI,ort of the work
| 1ngs of that mighty and RESTLESS brain. and
you decide negatively: that individuals in
his hands are mere instruments. like chess
men on the board, who move obedient to
his will, ignorant of his motives as they
are of what he intends to DO with the
others.
Cinnamon at the Depot.
1t was the Chinaman's hour last night at
the Pennsylvania depot. F.sura lively
speaking, bouquets were thrown his way.
The meek, peaceable, toling celestials were
shown every consideration by the crowd
which recognized their interest in their
distinguished fellcw-countryman's arrival
| and allowed them every privilege in order
that they might catch glimpse of him
as he passed to his carriage from the
train. A large number of laun1rymen We're
in the throrg at the depot, and We're per-
maps the most eager OF all TO look into the
| face of the venerable ambassador
Wherever possible they were pushed
through to the front ranks of the watch
| ers and liz several instances the police
mca allowed them to get outside Of the
ropes and stand against the wall close to
the passageNay reserved for the yiceroy
One short, bronZed Immigrant from the
aowery kingdom had been standing in the
lobby of the train she'd where the crowd
was very dense and the pressure exceed
insly uncomfe rtable, and, evidently be-
coming jealous OF the position occupied by
another of his race within the reserved
Enclosure, suddenly darted under the rope
and was beside his friend almost before
the police on guard knew what was be-
| Ing done. The crowd laughed, but the
officer OF the law ordered him back to his
old position again.
Get back behind there" he sternly COM
,nanded.
But the sympathies of the people We're
With the washer of linen, for there spon-
taneously came from the crowd in answer
to the policeman: "Aw. let him alone. Let
him stay where he is"
And the voice of the people prevailed
and when Ii Hung Chang was carried
through the depot a few minutes later
there was not happier spectator in ali
the vast assemblage than the short.
bronzed Chinaman who had been accorded
a reserved place through the sympathies of
the kindly disposed crowd
A WoMAN'S INTERVIEW WITH Ii.