The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-22
CHINESE DIGNITARIEs.
A Conspiracy Thought to Exist
Against Viceroy Chang Chih Tung.

correspondence London Mall
There are wild stories current about the
Empress of China-that she studies boxing,
that she is half an Englishwoman. that she
is anyway not the child of her reputed pa
rents; Needless to say, these are but told
in whispers. and never in a room. where
some one might be listening behind the door
or through the partition.
Whatever the Empress has done in the
way of wrong or violence has so far always
been done with the help of Ii Hung Chang,
and both alike have grown rich. Both are
hated, both are feared But who is to with
stand them, for the whole Chinese people
are without arms. There Is no carriage Of
arms permitted in China. When German
died in the interior three years ago, so inn
possible was 1t to find any means consistent
with law of sending his three guns to his
consul at the coast that the officials had in
the end to bury them, so as to save further
trouble.
And it is owing to this want Of arms.
enforced by the power or the foreign GUS
toms with an Englishman at its head, that
1t may now fare so badly with the whole
party of progress. Through this foreign as
sistance they may all be cut off and their
party destroyed, as the Tai-Ping rebellion
against the devastating Mantchu rule was
put down, thanks TO English armed inter-
ference Nations rightly struggling 10 be
free do not always meet with sympathy
in England. When their home is in the far
East. who understands their needs. their
1t only remains for the Empress and I'll
Hung Chang to succeed in getting the one
ineorruptible yieeroYy Chang ch III Tuns
working, frugal, patient Chinese people will
lie powerless in their hands. Chang Chin
auhg, we see Dy teiegram, II summoned 70
Picking. He was summoned IN June. He
delegated his authority, left his provincial
capital Of Wuchang, and even got as far
as Shanghai. But riot broke out at
Shaszi. All foreigners there had been driven
out of their burning houses, his presence
WAS required, and he turned round and
break out now or chang Chin Tungss al
ways frail health will forbid travel. II IS
difficult to believe he Viii IN any case trust
himself within the walls of Picking.
OF all strange characters this OF Chang
Chin Tung seems the strangest As small
and puny as his rival Ii is tall and massive
he is reported TO have killed his wife and
ever since then TO be so haunted by her
ghost as never to venture to lie down in bed
SO the great Nlceroy, but fratl Old man, has
cushions always kept I'm readiness by
obsequious attendants and drops of asleep
for a few minutes whenever he can, sitting
I'm his chair. his attendants meanwhile
suffering all the agonies of fatigue INSOFAR
able from the service OF sieepless master.
He Is respected everywhere for. being poor
in spite of the high offices he has held yet
ruins the finances OF any province he adj
ministers by his gigantic undertakings He
is reputed TO dislike foreigners more even
than most Cinnamon, yet when IN difticul-
ties IL is two foreigners he sends fora
former officer In the English army when
the difficulty concerns either army or navy,
and Mr. Timothy Richard. of the Baptist
mission, when il il about a question of
state; And though supposed to be an enemy
of China las given large sums OF money
TO missionary enterprises.
He writes In that beautiful literary
Chimes e. OF which he Is a master unriValed
exhori atoms 10 the people TO forswear
opium and give up mutilating the feet OF
their women. so that the race may once
more become hardy and able TO fight
While at Nankln he laid out a carriage
drive right through IL, the only Chinese city
thus favored. and possibly thus began 10
prepare for the only step that can yet save
the Chinese eTnptre-the removal of tho
court from Picking, on its extreme northern
boundary. back 10 Nankin, It's ancient cap
itaI.