The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-08
DO NOT KILD THEIR RULERS.
hensons for Relieving That II the
Emperor Is Dead He Committed
Suicide.

washington, Oct 2.-A1r WI the Chin
csc minister, received eablegram from
Pekin this morning. No allusion was made
to the death of the Emperor although Il
referred to the Punishment of Chang Yen
Hoon' his predecessor here. He is, there
fore, disinclined to believe the newspaper
dispatches although he would not h. sur
prised to learn that his sovereign is dead.
Minister Conger has notified the depart
ment OF state that the Emperor Is ill., but
has sent nothing to confirm the newspaper
reports of his death. Both Mr.. Wa and
Col Denny are very skeptical as to the
story of the Emperor's assassination.
No emperor of China was ever assassI-
mated, SO far back as history goes. The
dignity and sancitty of his person makes
such thing almost impossible except by
a maniac but suicide is a frequent method
OF escaping disgrace and humiha don. Sew
eral emperors have died by their own
hand. Hwai Tsung, the last emperor of
the Ming dynasty, killed himself because
he was deposed by the Manchus, the fam
lily of the present monarch who are
known as the Tsings
Offenders are often allowed TO commit
suicide to save their honor This prlvil-
ege was granted to Prince Chin in 1861,
when he was held responsible for the Brit
ish invasion Admiral Tsenh, the com
mander of the Chinese fleet, committed
suicide In 1895 to cover the humiliation
of his defeat by the japanese, and only
few months ago one of the most prom
inent ministers was given his choice be-
tween suicide and Punishment
Suicide is not disgrace; it is often used
as means of revenge. The severest
punishment a man can inict upon an
enemy is to commit suicide in his house
or upon his doorstep, because a curse win
always hang over il, and IL Kuang Hsu
wanted to punish his aunt, the dowaser,
for deposing him, he could select no more
effective method of making her miser-
able than to take his own life in her pres
ence or in her apartment.
For similar reason the assassination Of
the Emperor would not be desirable by his
enemies or his successors. In the first place
the whole people of China, from the EN-
peror down to the most ignorant coolie,
are in perpetual and irresistible bondage
to the Fung Shuy, the spirits of the dead
who retain their interest and activity in
the affairs of the living and exercise an
overpowering influence over. the minds,
the acts and the fortunes of men.
This is the secret of ancestral worship,
1t Is the theory that the greater influence
a man exercises in life the more power
his spirit viii have over the destinies Of
mankind after death Therefore shriues
are erected 10 great men Nv lIOcS MuO
want their favor, just as we erect noun
ments in this country.
Tho Emperor is the "son of heaven;
the king of kings" While he Is living
his person Is so sacred that no one cx-
cept those authorized may touch him
without suffering the penalty of death.
People are not permitted to look upon
him When his ministers approach the
throne they bow their heads TO the floor
4 i'm
knees. When he passes along the streets
of Pekn screens of mating are hung in
front of all the houses and shops. AL
though there Is no doubt good deal of
peeping those who are guilty would I'M
doubtedlV be punished If found out. When
he dies the Emperor ascends among the
gods. where he continues 10 be a source
of good and evil, and even such rugged
old lconoclast as Ii Hung Chang would
not take the chances of mis- Interference
with his plans. Besides that the Emperor'5
successor is required to worship him.
The same obligation rests upon the court,
and it would be a little difficult to wor-
ship a man you had assassinated.
Nevertheless the Chinese are progress
ing rapidly in modern ideas. Reverence
for their sovereign is moderating and as
sassination may have come with other IN
novations. Al the same time 1t Is diff
cult 10 attribute any motive for the En-
press Dowager to murder her nephew.
He has always been submissive to her.
Ete has never resisted her will nor dis
obeyed her injunctions, and she knows
exactly what she can do with MIN, where
as Prince Pu Wei the grandson OF the
late Prince Kung, VINO f. said to have
been selected for the throne, has a very
different character and disposition. In
stead of being weak and vaciliating and
obedlent 70 a womans will, he is Wig
orous. Independent, high-spirited and am
bilious young man, who Is moi likely to
work well in harness. He will make the
Dowager a great deal more trouble than
Kuang Hsu ever did and II is doubtful
whether she will be able to control him
at all after he becomes accustomed to the
exercise of power and gets firm grip
on his scepter.
[. His grandfather, Prince Kung. who died
last May, was the most powerful and able
statesman In the empire during his gen
Grafton, and filled whet corresponds to the
office Of prime minister In other nations
for more than forty years.
When Hen Fung died childless In 1871
II was proposed to place Tsal Ching the
son Of Prince Kung, upon the throne. but
1t was deemed in the highest degree in
expedient because It would necessitate the
withdra wal Of Prince Kung from official
life Tsai Ching is a strong man, like his
IdLnEIt anu u WIAI Alio e.bAf VIII II now
10 or 20 years Of age. is. said to be very
much like him.
Prince Kung was the pioneer In pro-
gress, but he was wise and prudent and
restrained the more radical reformers. II
he had lived, Kang, the reckless Canton
ese advisor Of the Emperor, would never
have brought about the trouble that has
recently occurred.
The story that Isl An, the empress dow
ager was once a barmaid In Pekn Is in
teresting but untrue. Likewise the yarn
that was printed some time ago about her
rescue from drowning by ii Hung Chang
when she was slave and he was a young
soldier. In the first place, there are no
barmasds or bars Ia China. In the second
place Isl An and her sister, Tsu An, were
the daughters Of a Manchu general and
she never saw or heard of Ia Hung Chang
until long after she was married to the
Emperor HEN Flung and Ii came TO Pc
kin to receive his reward for putting down
the Tai Ping rebellion. During the first
years Of the regency he made himself very