The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-30
WOMAN RULE IN CHINA.
A Chronicle of the Deeds of Che EN-
press DOwager Isl An.

From Golfers Weekly.
The achievement of Lluchi and of Wou
two great Empresses-were familiar as
household words to the present Empress
Dowager Isl An, when, By the death Of
her husband, in 1861, she was left widow
at The age of q. She had not been the
principal wife of the late sovereign; that
place under the present dynasty, is always
reserved for lady Of pure Manchu lineage
and in this instance had been held by the
Empress Isl Tshi. The Empress Isl An
had been only one of the secondary wives,
or coneubines she was a Chinese lady,
highly educated and possessed of uncom-
mon beauty as well as remarkable ability,
Hienfung when dying, had left the gov
orning authority during the minority of his
son. a child less than 6 years old, to
board of regency, which, however, was
soon overthrown by a conspiracy organiz-
ed in the name of the Empress Isl Tshi,
but carried out mainly through the vigor
of far cleverer coadjutor. the Empress ISL
An. A rescript signed by the child En-
peror who was made 20 assume the name
of Tuugche, announced that, although
there was no precedent In the time of the
Manchu dynasty for the regency of an
Empress Dowager he created one in the
whom, however, Tsi An was soon formal
ly associated.
1t was under the domination of these
ladies' during Tungche's minority that the
Tacpiug rebellion in the Yangtsze valley
and the Mohammedan instruction in Yum
nan were suppressed. In October, 1872
the young Emperor, having reached his
10th birthday, was married to Ah.uta, a
Manchu lady of good family, Four months
LOTT asphp trr1
| of his domnions by a decree in which he
stated that he had received the commands
of their majesties, the two Expresses, 10
undertake the superintendent of business
Only for a short time was he suffered to
exhibit the semblance of power. In Sep
| tember, 1874, he ventured to announce by
Nermiion edict that, for using Ian
guage in many respects unbecoming," he
| degraded Prince Kung, who, at that time
was faVorite of the two Expresses,
| Tungche was instantly compelled TO re-
tract what he had done; on the very next
day, a decree appeared reinstating Prince
Kung in his hereditary rank. The two
great ladies' thus asserted an absolute right
of control over the young Emperor.s
actions. Not long after this disturbance
in The interior of the palace, there were
ominous rumors that the health of the
| Emperor Tungche was in a precarious
state. and, in December, it was announced
that he was seriously IL. The disease
seems to have been of a malignant nature.
for, on Jan. Y. 1875. it was made known
that Tungche had "ascended the dragon
70 be guest on high" without leaving
any offspring to succeed him. There wers.
reports that he was the victim of foul
play what is certain is that his deceasc
was eminently favorable to the interests Of
the two Expresses and OF their temporary
vizier Prince kung. They at once re-
sumed the open exercise of supreme au-
thority, which they had resigned only n
| little more than twelve months before. The
most suspicious circumstance connected
with the event was the treatment of the
ycung Empress Anluta, who was known
10 be pregnant at the time Of her hus-
| bands death. Instead Of waiting to So.
whether Tungche's posthumous cbiid
l'Would prove to be a son or a daughter
the Dowager Empress fastened to make
another selection. and to pace the youne
widow Of the deceased sovereign in prisan
where she presently sickened and died 10.
fore her child was born.
The choice Of the expresses fell upon a
! boy 4 years Old, the son Of Prince Chino
The so-cancd seventh prince, who, on Ian
49, $50, was proclaimed Emperor under
the name OF kwangsu. The child's noni-
nal accession was followed by a conflict
of authority between the two Empresses
and the palace eunuchs, but the vigorous