The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-12
COL. VIFQUAIN A MANDARIN.
COL. BRYAN's SUCCESSOR DECORAT-
ED BY EMPEROR OF CHINA.


Majesty Has Conferred Upon Him
the Decoration of the Double
Eragon-He Protected the Chinese
in COIombia-Fhe Third Nebraska's
Next Colonel Has Military Rec
ord to BE Proud Of-Awarded
Medal Icy Congress for Bravery on
the Field of Battle.
Col. William Jennings Bryan will be sue
eeeded in the command of the Third Ne
braska Regiment by mandarian of the
Chinese empire. A member of the Order
Of the Double Dragon will be the next
colonel of the regiment.
Yesterday Lieut.. Col Vifquain received
an official document from the Chinese en-
bassy at Washington. Ii contained the
following letter:
Chinese Embassy, Washington, D. c.
Victor Vifquain, Esq. Lincoln, Neb.-
Dear Sir: By direction of the Chinese
minister I beg to inform you that his
imperial majesty, the Emperor of China,
upon the recommendation of his excel
Iency, has been pleased 20 confer upon
you the decoration of the Order of the
Double Dragon, in recognition of the val
liable services rendered by you to the
Chinese residents of the republic of Co.
lomba during yonr term of office as
United States consul general at Panama
The decoration will be forwarded to you
as soon as you kindly give this legation
your present address. Yours respectfully,
Yung Kwai, Interpreter
The letter went 10 Lincoln. Neb., the
home of Lieut.. Col. Vifquain, and then
was forwarded to Camp Onward. The
decoration will arrive some day this week
Ii is understood that 1t cannot be worn
by the officer to whom it comes as long as
he is in the service of the United States.
Nevertheless the Third Nebraska will
have the pleasure of knowing that it will
have at its head a man who is probably
entitled to wear peacock feathers or per-
haps even a yellow jacket, in the Flowery
Kingdom.
Col. Nifquain was consul general at
Panama under Cleveland and while there
exerted his good offices to protect the Chi
nese from imposition The Chinese gov
eminent had no treaty with the republic
of Colombia, and no representatives
there. The good graces of the United
States were invoked and the agents Of
this government looked after, and pro-
tected the interests of the Chinese. Among
other things done in this line by Consul
General Vifquain was to save the Chi
nese merchants from an effort to bring
them into subsection to a monopoly. a
large portion of the retail trade on the
isthmus is controlled by the Chinese mer-
chants San Domingo Villa, a prominent
politician, secured d concession from the
republic for a public market at Colon,
which gave him to some extent a mono
poly. He endeavored to force all the Chi
nese merchants either out of business or
into the market. Troubles arose, but
Consul General Vifquain stepped in, as
serted the right as the representative of
the United States to protect the Chinese,
and broke up the scheme of Villa so far
as it affected his protoges. OF this and
other services the Chinese government
seems not to have been unmindful.
The thing that perhaps as much as any,
thing brought the decoration was the at
tention paid by Consul General Vifquain
to the Chinese minister to the United
States, who was also minister to Peru.
On his way 10 Peru he passed through
the republic of Colombia, with which his
government, as stated, had no diplomatic
intercourse. Mr.. Nifquain used his good
offices again to excellent effect. He
cured flattering official reception for the
Chlnaman. and himself did all that he
him unsual courtesies as BETTING the
representative of a vast people. Time
has recently put this distinguished Chi
naman into higher place than ever in his
empire. He is now the virtual successor
TO Ii Hung Chang and the especial ia
vorite of the powerful Empress Dowager
and the Emperor.
In some ways the successor to-be of
Col. Bryan is as distinguished as Col Bry-
in, ho 6afA nf Ia
was educated at the Royal Military Acad-
envy at Brussels, and served in the regi-
ment commanded by the present King of
Belgium. Coming to this country prior
to the civil war, he served in that strug-
gle as colonel of an Illinois Regiment.
He received a medal of honor from Con-
gress for bravery on the field of battle
and it was presented 10 him ON the scene
where the acts that won it for him were
performed. He was breveted brigadier
general by President Lincoln in 1865. He
Is a devoted friend and admirer of Col
Bryan, regarding him as a man of great
| intellectually The officers and men have
! much confidence in their lieutenant colonel
| and the regiment is fortunate in having
such a successor to Col. Bryan, when the
latter retires.
Lieut. Col. Vifquain thinks there is no
| soldier in the world like the American
1 volunteer. 1T is useless to compare him
! with the soldiers of Europe" said he yes
| terday. you can take raw material in
! this country and in three months do as
much in the creation of an army of trained
soldiers, with proper officers, as they
could do in continental European countries
/ in year. That is one thing they over
! look in those countries in considering the
! United states from the STANDPOINT of mill
1 tary strength. When you take the aver
age American volunteer you have got a
man possessed of nerve, of intelligence,
! and of patriotism combinaiio that
can't be beat when it comes to making
good soldiers. They go at things with a
vim. 1t would open the eyes of a drill
master in Europe to get hold of a squad
! of our boys. He would then find what
|