The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-08

I tion IN the imperial army. and later CHIEF
command in the field. With the aid Of
| foreign corps. commanded until his death In
battle by Frederick L. Ward. nm American
| sailcr-adVontUrer. and later by Lieutenant
} Colonel Gordon. who was doomed 10 be the
victim Of the .Lahd!. the new Chinese leader
| crushed the rebellion after II tremendous
! struggle.
Though Ward and Gordon did the fighting
! Ii cieycrly appropriated the credit. -efer-
| ling graudi!oqIen,y in his reports TO Pekin
| 10 his EYE; vic; rious army" During one
campaign he nearly fell Il victim 20 the rot
Uai.!s;inabIe wrath Of Gordon. Incensed ~
the execution ~ TAPPING chieftains to whom
! lie had promised immunity. tho Engiishman
went Oh: to hunt Ii with a revolver. and tire
frightened ChiuaInan barely saved his life
Icy hiding In friends house until mis-
sUhs.,iinate's anger had cooled.
Ii Hung Chang came out OF the war IN
1850 n Provincial Governor. with high
reputation in Chinese eyes for administra-
tive capacity as well as military skill. He
had been fortunate in having nothing to do
actively with the war with France and
England. which ended IN the allies, 49, 900
strong. taking T!en-Ts.n and Pekin. and tx
acting a large Indemnity from the helpless
rulers. History records here the first pro-
posal FOR China's partition. made by Louis
Napoleon. then Emperor OF France. TO drsit
Britain. and declined without ceremony
Chinas Leader for Twenty-Five
Years.
From tie Eoyernorsh!p of an outlying
Province Ii was promoted in 1870 TO be
Niceroy OF the Province OF Pe-Chi-L, in
which are situated the imperial city o. Pc
kin and rs port. Tien-Tsin. Here for twen-
ty-iive years he sat at the gates OF China
as il were, holding back from rash inroads
the hur1es Of foreign contractors who would
have remade the old Empire In q day, and.
on the other hand pressing upon his COM
srtO,s the gradual II n In,
tons. JsnUs-like he looked forward to q
emma civilized and Quickened. but he was
also mindful OF the past. which had in
crusted so many prejudices upon his coun-
Try.
During his qrarter-century occupation OF |
this post. most OF the time with the added |
honor Of Grand Secretary OF the Empire,
practically all OF Chinas progress was due |
10 him. when memorials on the ADVANTAGES
of railroads We're smo,hered by the EN-
presses anti-:oreigr advisers. ne built lines
himself, almost at the peril of his lie. He /
established telegraph lines. opened cosl |
mines. founded a military and naval acad- l
envy. endowed a hospital. fitted up arsenals,
bought modern warships, built fortifca- /
uons and generally did all he dared do to /
introduce modern appliances into his own /
Province. He became the hope OF ali native |
and foreign. who wished TO see China take
her place among the great nations OF tho 1
world.
- was Ass OE fcSlUcESob Il
al Tien-Tsin that the V.ceroy received Gen.
erai Grant and won his commentator at-
terward as one OF the three great mon he :
had met on his long tour. Bismarck and /
Gladstone he reckoned as the other two.
That the shrewd Ii proflted hugely, after
the dictates OF Chinese morality, by his
dealings with foreigners goes without say
ing. As the tide Of foreign Industrial inva-
sion slowly rose his yamen became almost
an agency where European engineers and
contractors propounded the most gigantic
schemes. Ii IS a remarkable tugRler Of |
men. ana by beating down. by playing OF
bidders OF one nationality against another, |
by making counter offers. he has constant |
ly outwitted the shrewdest men from the
West.
One Of the greatest of Ii Hung Chanrs
services to his state was in negotiating the |
peace treaty with Japan after China's dis !
astrous defeat in that contest IN which she |
mad entered aga,nt his protests. and in face
Of his predictions of an unfortunate out |
come. 1t was a thankless task and one al |
most certain TO earn the III will Of the Pc
kin Government; but the aged statesman |
undertook It. and brought tho resources Of
his marvelousiy shrewd mind to tho task
Of securing the best possible terms for Chi
ma.
For Japan the negotiations were conduct
ed by the Marquis Ito. and It is doubtful II
two more clever conversationai,sts ever |
were pitted against each other In a similar |
contest The report OF tho conversations |
and Interviews between the two diplomats |
makes very interesting reading, and cover |
Ing 1t does every point in any way re-
ating TO the question at Issue, II forms q |
most important handbook for the diplomats |
who are concerned with the Eastern situa-
lion.
Viceroy II was at q decided disadvantage,
FOR China was practically at the mercy Of
her conquering enemy. The skill OF the
Aged diplomat. aided by the sympathy