El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-10-01

as he forced his own way I'D he forced
China up with him, compelling her to
adopt improvements that have given
the country her present standing am
opg progressive nations. Soon after Ii
became viceroy of China his viceroy-
ship and his smortal career came near
being cut short at one and the same
time. With the cleverness of the
master mind, Ii became aware that
plot was on foot to surround his house
and murder him. He acted omptly,
showing he possessed the qualities of =
general as we'll as q Statesman. In
stead OF waiting to be murdered, he had
the house OF every conspirator sur
rounded and then called on the OF ief
conspirator in person and demanded to
know the details of the plot. Incident
ally he remarked that his own soldiers,
sworn to defend his life, and loyal only
to Ii Hung Chang. were ready to put
] to death the whole trembling troupe of
conspiring mountebanks At . word
from the viceroy.
The chief conspirator Informed Lii
hung Chang that the plot had been
Matched at the court under the very
eyes Of the emperor. Therefore Ii
marched his army to the palace, where
the imperial cabinet was in session.
What does this mean?'' demanded
| the head of the council, that you
come into the presence of your sover-
eign and body of your peers, who are
| his constitutional advisers. guarded as
the general of a hostile army might
| be?"
1t Is said that nothing ever disturbs
| the beautiful serenity of Ii Hung
ChaDg's face, or causes him to depart
from the prescribed form of diploma-
| tic conduct. So he bowed submissively,
assured them that he was the humble
servant of each member of the cabinet.
and explained his coming as he did by
adding: Il heard that matters Of
| grave importance demanded my pres
ence: have come with my army at-
/ tending me, to show how greatly
respect the emperor and his advisers"
The conspiracy died natural death.
Ii Hung Changes army was too we'll
! equipped and the men con posing it
| were known to be too much attached
to the person of the viceroy for any At
tempt to defeat or corrupt them to end
successfully.
Romsutic literature doesn' It furnish a
stronger story than that which covers
the rise of Ii Hung Chang from OBJ
scuritv to fame.H was born February
II, 1922 and his biographers have
failed TO find any great names in his
pedigree. Though rs years old, he
appears not more than SO or %.
When 25 years old he was locally
known for his erudition, and was ap-
pointed to small Office. 1t was in
1861. when 80 years years old, tn at he
demonstrated what kind of metal was
in him. He bad reached the position
of taotoi, or project, of the district of
Kiangsu, which was then hotbed of
revolt. His success in putting down
the rebellion there was SO remarkable
that year slater he was appointed act
ing general of the forces about Shan
hal and Sung Kiang. There is where
his mastery knowledge of Europesn
affairs showed itself. He was the one
man in China who recognized the in
feriority OF the Chinese arms and the
iocompetency of its military code. He
engaged European generals and made
the army learn the tactics of warfare
Il was during this period that Chinese
Gordon, afterward killed in Khartoum
by Ell Madhi's troops while defending
he British garrison there, was eDgsg-
ed. So also we're the French generals,
Bungoveine and Giguel. This was
what is known as the TAPPING rebel
lion, perhaps the largest and bloodiest
of Chinese history. More than half the
entire country had arisen, the purpose
being to restore the Ming dynasty,
record that q 900, 600 persons were
killed during this rebellion. But it
was put down finally by the directing
arm of Ii Hung Chang, and in recogni-
ton OF that invaluable service he was
made governor OF Kiangsu, imperial
commissioner of foreign trade, general
OF all the Chinese forces, and supreme
adviser to the throne. In 1870 he got
the position of viceroy and came into
the honors OF which he has just been
shorn.
Ii Hung Chang has been described
as the dictator of the Chinese empire.
Writing of him former United States
consul stationed here said: "Never
before has q Chinese attained such
power. he has risen to his present DO
sltion on account of possible civil war.
and the invasion of foreign armies, the
monarch being powerless to hold the
reins OF his government, and at least
hall the imperial cabinet is inimical
to his interests and have no confidence
IN their army or navy. So it is that
the wonderful structure of MonRolian
civilization depends today upon the
genius of single man.