The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-08-21
Es1EsLIN'G w. a., TUEsDAY, A UGUsT q, 1900:

compliance with the demands OF Au-3
gust IL, may be announced IN the Pc
kin dispatches before the final deter
mination on the reply is made. That
disposition tonight Is clearly In the
line indicated. Z. 4 4, 4
\ China's Application for Peace.
china's latest application for peace
negotiations was received early to-day
at the Chiese legation. and was trans
mltted by Mr. WI to the state depart
ment. Secretaries Hay and Root were
out Of the city, but Acting Secretary OF
State Adee went over the subject with
the President, Earl LIS request Is
that the United States shall name Min
lister Conser. or some other official. to
act as peace envoy for the cessation OF
hostilities. He expressed his willing
ness to go to. such q point as the pow
( ers may desire, and under the intima-
tions made. 1t Is thought that Pet;n
or Tien Tsin would be selected for the
negotiations. The Chinese envoy pro-
posed no terms as to the withdrawal OF
troops, and made no other. suggestion
as to what was to come before the
commission, his sole anxiety being to
secure the cessation OF hostilities.
Apply to Other Powers.
The application is understood. also,
to have been made to the other powers.
In the hope that II all would name n
commissioner. there could be council
OF peace between Ii Hung Chang on
the one hand and the several represent
ativs Of the nations on the other. Aside
from the fact that the conditions OF
August u have not yet been complied
with by China, It is probable that this
government would desire TO take suf-
flcien time to learn what the other
powers intend doing on the same line,
as all are acting in unison. Moreover,
there are some unexplained features OF
Ii Hung Changs application. one Of
them being that while he asks the al
lies to cease hostIlitles, he gives no as
surance that he hns the power TO make
the Chinese army, and the rebellIous
Boxers cease their hostIlitles.
The situation at Pekin was made
more clear to-day from many sources.
The latest advice appears to be, that
from Consul Fowler. at Che Foo, re-
peat!ng a dispatch received from Con-
sui Ragsdale, at Tlen Tsin.
Chinese Surrounded.
The latter reports "Chlnese surround-
ed In palace grounds" The Japanese
legation received dispatch OF the
same general tenor, but more in detail.
stating that the Chinese troops re-
treated on the 18th within the imperial
palace, and that they were surrounded
there, with the Japanese military head
quarters located in the Japanese lega-
ton. Admiral Remey also transmitted
an authentic report from Pekln on the
18th. saying that "troops moving on the
imperial city," These several dispatches
from different sources establish more
clearly that the imperial palace and
grounds were under siege. But not
one OF the dispatches is clear as to
how late this condition OF affairs ex-
,isted., The Fowler dispatch is the lat
est to be received, and is dated the
goth. but probably that Is the date on
which 1t left TIen Tsin. The Japanese
dispatches also refer to the Chinese
taking refuge in the imperial palace
on the 18th, but does not bring the
situation beyond that date. So that
the latest information, while showing
the imperial city surrounded. does not
disclose the Issue OF this situation, nor
how long 1t has continued.
Have Made Their Escape.
To-day's dispatches seem to make
clear that the Emperor and the En-
press Dowager have made their escape
from Pekin. and that about the only
present service of the imperial palace
and grounds is as an asylum in which
the demorallzed Chinese soldiers are
making n last stand. The japanese le-
cations advices to-day showed that
the banners OF the imperial scortege
were seen leaving Pekln on the 18th.
and that probably the Empress Dowa-
ger, as we'll as the Emperor, had left
the city. Consul General Goodnow
advised the state department that he
had information from Chinese sources
that the Empress DowaSer had left
PekIn.
The attitude which the international
1CrCes Will opstTNe LOW d4u ehC iShibS'oi
and Empress Dowager Is understood
to have received official consideration
among the powers. resulting from re-
quest by the southern riceroys that no
personal indIgnIty be shown to China's
rulers. In response to this. 1t is quite
generally understood that there Will be
no personal indignity to the Emperor
and Empress Dowager, not because 1t
Is felt that there is any special con-
sideration due them, but because China
would be precipItated into n chaotic
condition II the responsible heads OF
the empire lost their functions.
Refraining From Personal Indtg-
mites.
In view OF the general desire Of this
government and the others concerned
to keep China intact, and speedily re.
store quiet, the disposition among Off
cials Is toward rcfra!nIng from any
personal indignities to the Chinese ru-
lers. 1t develops in this connection
that all OF the powers recently rejected
the proposition OF the consuls at Tien
Tsln to destroy the tombs OF the Ming
dynasty. The proposed destruction
was treat held out to tho Chinese. In
the hope OF bringing them to terms.
But the powers rejected the proposal.
and thus gave significant evidence that
anything calculated to give personal
aifront or indignity to the Chinese was
not n part OF the present campaign.