Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1900-02-23
The ELIZABETH OF CHINA
Celestial Empires" View Of Change
Of Boy EmperOrS.
DOWN Fall Of Brtl,h Interests Intriguing Of
Many Years French Showing Their
Power Da k Deeds al Pekng.

When history instead of myth comes
to be written of China, the tale of the
two boy Emperors T'ungchi and
Kwanghsu will form one of the most
touching of many touching stories
says the Celestial Empire, Shanghai
History can hardly as yet be said to
have any existence in Picking. and
hence 1t is that of the secret springs
which nave within the last two days
resulted in the deposition of the i'll.
starred Kwanghsu, and the setting ur
on the unenviable throne of the infan,
Futsun we have no knowledge, excep,
in so far as external circumstances ma,
indicate the direction of the wind. II
has been known for some time that the
Empress Dowager has been lookins
amongst the Imperial clan for some
boy OF tender years to put on the
throne and give some color to her pre-.
tence Of regency.
1t was also surmised that the i'm
mediate relations who claimed descent
from Tao Kwang were somewhat too
Independent to suit the whims of this
Elizabeth of China, and that she was
intriguing with one of the more distant
princes whom she expected to make
more subservient to her ends. The re-
quired object has been found in Chat
chi, Prince Of T'wan; anc his son Fut-
sun, tender child, Just years old,
is the CHOSEN puppet to occupy the
disgraced throne of Kanghi and
Kienlung.
When the Emperor was practically
deposed in September, 1898, the two
great Yangtze Viceroys Chang Chi
tung and Liu Kwenyi, though out
wardly conforming. were well known
to be opposed to the schemes of the
Empress Dowager, and that amiable
lady tried to get rid of the two, but
fortunately for the Empire thought Il
imprudent to strike an open blow. In
trigue, however, has not been wanting,
and as Liu Kwenyi was growing old
and physically incapable, time was
permitted to work the inevitable. Last
month old Liu, under the strain of
physical infrmity. gave up a post
which only sense of duty to his coun-
try mad led him to retain for the last
two years. Ii Hung Chang, old and
worn out, was adroitly shelved three
months ago, by being appointed first,
Minister Of Commerce. nominally to
revise the Custom tariff, and after
wards sent to rule the two Kwang
provinces, which had been permitted
to relapse into utter disorder by the
venal and incapable 7 an Chunglin.
LII Hung Chang traitor as he has
been to Chinas best interests, was not
yet so utterly wanting In his duty as to
p(llnfnnnnRn az nt
prolongation Of the Regency, and
seems to have steadily opposed the
deposition Of the Emperor. Meanwhile,
however, the Empress Dowager has
been surrounding herself with crea-
lures devoted to her own interest, both
Manchu and Chinese, and of the lat
ter the most forward has been Yuen
Shikai. Yuen was, 1t is well known,
former henchman of Ii Hung Chang,
but, as is usual with men OF his stamp.
he has shown his ingratitude by not
only superseding him in the favors Of
the Empress Dowager, but by using
all his influence to bring about the dis
grace OF his former patron.
But there are other influences at
work, and there is no doubt that In the
Palace the deposition of Kwanghsu is
looked upon as a final blow to English
diplomacy. So long as 1t was thought
that there was any possibility Of Eng
land striking. the Empress Dowager
hesitated in completing her coup
d'etat; but many events have occur
red during the fifteen months, and
there Is unfortunately no doubt that
French intrigue has been largely at
work at Picking. The defeat of Eng
land has been assiduously preached in
the Capital, and kilograms have been
carefully concocted and transmitted
with the object Of proving this. This
is hardly what an Englishman would
call playing the game" but is only on
par with many o,ner things which
have recently been tried on elsewhere.
Unfortunately 1t increases the difficult
ty not only for ourselves but for all
the other well meaning Powers, and is
evidently done with set purpose of
rendering inevitable the partitioning
of China.