The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1898-11-12
BRIEF CAREER
OF KVlANG-SU
THE UNHAPPY YOUNG CHINESE
EMPEROR JUST DEPOsED.

Of Red Tnpe-A Question of
Horoscopes Enters the Cams.
Had to Rise Much Earlier Than
Kwang-su, the unhappy Emperor Of
China, who, with all the high state Off
Gals has just ''kotowed' to the Dowager
Empress in token of complete submits
sion, has lived so secluded life during
his tWenty-seven years that compare tive
ly little is known of his habits and per-
sonality. Being put upon the throne like
a puppet when three years old by two
power-loving Expresses, he has been COM
pletely under the control, first of both.
and then of one of them ever since. ISL
An the widow of Hien-Fung, the EAST
ern Empress" as she was known, died
In 1881, and her colleague, the Empress
Tsi-Hi, then became sole regent. She at
once assumed charge of the young En-
peror's education and the management
of the imperial household, it is recalled
by the New York Tribune. A woman of
ambition, courage and ability, she well
coined the opportunity for power. and
though she nominally relinquished con-
troll when the Emperor came of age in
1889, the recent events in China have
shown that hers is still the ruling will
KWang-Su's real name is Tsai-Tien, but
upon ascending the throne, in accordance
with the Chinese custom from time i'm
mortal, he had to take a "kWOh haO,' or
imperial name. By that he must be
known to his people and to history, and
thereafter it becomes a criminal offence
in China to pronounce his former or
proper name. Kwang-Su signifies ell
lustrious succession''-a rather ironical
title now, in view of the illustrious rulers
dismissal by the old Empress.
If he were possessed of a strong charac-
ter the Chinese Emperor would be able
to exert arbitrary power of high de-
gree, but 1t is long since China has had
such ruler. Most of them are content
to move cautiously and slowly in the
rut prescribed by an incredible amount
of red tape and ceremonial, and to allow
the board of censors and the great Hanlin
college to manage affairs much as they
will. Certainly in no other country be-
sides China is there such a: host Of tradi-
tions and customs governing the etiquette
of court life. The. greatest pains are
taken to surround the sovereign with
special privileges and honors, in SEM
blance at least, and to emphasize the gulf
which exists between him and his peo-
pie. Some of these customs are very
curious. One is the setting apart of the
color yellow as an imperial emblem. for
| bidding its use except by members of the
| imperial family. The yellow girdle Is
| worn only by those who are descended
from emperor. There is one exception,
| however, to this exclusively imperial
use of the color-that is, the order of the
| Yellow jacket, which may be conferred
/! by the Emperor for distinguished SER
| vices. This with the three-eyed peacock
| feather, is the highest decoration of the
| empire. Ii Hung Chang's deprivation of
| these insignia as mark of disfavor
brought them into the notice of the world
not long ago.
| The "kotow" is the form o. worship
| which must be rendered to the sovereign,
and an imperial edict is always received
1 with nine prostrations and the burning
of incense. All subjects who approach the
presence must do so grOvelling and
| knocking their foreheads against the
ground This humility before the Son
| of Heaven" as the Emperor Is called, Is
even carried So far that one official must
"kotow" to. another. who has recently
SEED the imperial presence The
lhinese say of their Emperor HE is as
! solitary as gOd.'
Kwang-Su is forced to rise far earlier
than the most hard-worked laborer ever
does, for Chinese etiquette requires that
most of the state business shall be tran
/ sacted between the hours of two and six
| in the morning. The daily duties of the
| monarch are complicated and almost
! overwhelming in amount as may be real
lied from the single fact that all SEN
fences, even Of the most Insignificant
criminals, must be submitted to the APP
prevail of the Emperor on his dragon
throne. Imperial DEGREES are signed with
the vermillion pencil, an awesome instru-
ment, but one not nearly so effective at
present, 1t is rumored, as the blue pencil
which the Dowager iwields. AS to the
manner in which foreign Ambassadors are
received at the court, Charles DENLY,
United States Minister to China for thir.
teen years, says: ~
From 1870 to the accession Of the pres
ent Emperor there were no audiences
with the sovereign by the foreign
ministers. The Empress Dowager ruled
the empire According to the etiquette
of China, no man can see her face. When
her ministers called on her., as they were
obliged to do, she sat behind a screen.
When u went .tos China, I did not pres
ent my letters of credence to the EN-
press Dowager Aftr I had been there
4 about SIX years the Emperor came Of age,
married three wives and assembled the
throne In the time Of the former EN-
peror, the foreign ministers had been re-
cedved with little courtesy. They had to
stand at q distance and lay their Gre
} dentlale on q table shout thirty feet away
!. from the Emperor. We decided when the
could demand greater show of courtesy,
Ind, after some conference with the
: Sung l-Yanen, 1t was agreed that we
we're to s.a.--, between the pillars CO the
> ragon, that the En- peror would sit on
platform about .F
! and that the head Of the Tsung-li
!. Yamen would take our credentials from
US and lay them on a table beside the
Emperor. This form of ceremony hal
been modified great deal. When pres
ented my letter OF recall and the credenti
: ais Of my successor stood behind thu
table ON the Emperor's right and read my
Z letter. Then I laid it on the table be
: fore the Emperor and introduced my
successor. Mr.. Conger made speech ant
: the Emperor replied. Then we bowed our
;, selves out
z Besides the Emperor's political duties
he Is the great high priest Of the empire
!. is obliged to attend all importan
:. ceremonies In the imperial temples. On
= Of the chief celebrations is that held i
~ the tempel Of heaven, and similarly i'm
!, pressive rites are held In the temple o
= Confucius The Emperor must also wor
: dynasty, some distance away from Pc
3 ing. Thither he proceeds in great pomI
accompanied by the court and the army
IS Kwang-Sus marriage, which took plac
In 1889, In February, the month of tn
Chinese new year, was magnffcen
ceremonial, which with Its attendan
ceremonies. is believed to have cost owe
p IS, OOO, GOO. To the Dowager Empress fe
g the task Of selecting the bride, whic
= In China is most difficult and tediou
! affair. The prospective imperial censor
J need no. be Of princely blood, but sh
il must be OF q Manchu family. The choic
!. In this instance fell upon Yeh. ho-na,ls
{ niece OF the Dowager and daughter Of
Manchu general, Knei-H siang. She wa
selected out OF several hundnsd cand
y 81 G - As1s = ~ n,rA Sea Dneeassssa & -