New-York tribune., 1900-07-06
STARTLING NEWS From CHINA.

There is no dearth of sensations nowadays in
news from the Far East. Yesterday we had in
awful detail the story of death and worse than
death at PekinG. The thought of hundreds Of
Americans and Europeans, including many
women and children. being subjected to name
less outrages and finally put to death by slicing,
skinning and other revolving tortures is one
which no sound mind can entertain without
horror and fierce impulse for vengeance That
the tale is true there seems only too good reason
to believe. Yet there is also still room for
doubt and TO the latter we must turn until the
last. Indeed, tO-days news in a startling para
graph increases the hope that the final catas-
trophe may not yet have come A dispatch
from Peking, undated, says the British Lega-
ton was still holding out, having been saved by
the opportune arrival Of Japanese troops That
is the first have heard of such reinforce
ments. What body of Japanese troops it is, and
how numerous, we are not told. But there is
an inttmation Of hope in it to which we must
cling, improbable though it be- Even a small
body Of Japanese troops than whom there are
no better fighters, with supplies of ammunition,
may be able to turn the scale
Equally startling in another way is the news
of an imperial tragedy at Peking. We are told
that Prince Tuan has compelled the Emperor
his cousin, to commit suicide, and that the
Empress DOwager, under the same compulson,
has taken poison that has driven her insane
Such tragedy would be sad ending for the
life Of Kwang-Su, who appears to have been an
amiable and progressive young man, who would
in happier circumstances have made wise and
benevolent monarch. 1t would be a natural
ending for Tse-IIsi, who in her tortuous career
is reputed to have administered a similar fate
to various and women who were in the
way of her ambitious designs The significance
of the incident, if the news be true is in the
complete ascendancy of Prince Tuan over all
other influences at the court. Six months ago
he cOnspired with Tse-Hsi for the removal of
Kwang-Su by enforced abdication. Now he
seems TO have turned against his former partner
as we'll
We can conclude only that Use Hsl has proved
too conservative to suit her brOther-in-law She
has never shown much favor toward foreigners,
and, indeed, was last fall the author Of a secret
decree for their practical expulsion. But Prince
Tuan apparently has gone so far beyond her as
to deem her continued existence a hamper upon
him. and so has decided upon her death in order
to carry ont a programme more extreme than
she would sanction That speaks volumes of
horror for the outlook in China. 1t means a
reign OF such savaEery as neither the Indian
Mutiny nor the French Revolution witnessed. 1t
means that the civilized world has to deal with
a monster surprising Mana and Marat, and
backed, moreover by millions Of raging iends
in human form. In such n crisis it is dreadful
thing to let petty jealouses and selfish schemes
impede the action Of humanity. The news of
the day from China should startle into life the
higher impulses of all the nations and lead them
to vie with one another only in generosity and
zeal for vindcatlng civilization over that which
Is worse than barbarlsm.