The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-06-22

one having horne no children. the Emper-
or resoly ed to give the rank of second
empress TO ccncuhire who had already
presented him with son. She was nam
ed Tsen Chi. ana assumed the title of
En- press of the Wcsi, while Isl An was
called Empress of he East. In China the
East is he q as teng the place of honor
and the West as the Sc ond place. There
fore here are within the palace inclcsure
two separate buildings, one eastward, the
other westward The frs one had natur-
ally been designated for the residence OF
tn first legitimate wife Of Chen Foung;
the Empr IS Isl An who diei in 1851.
while the second one, considered as be-
Ing inferior had been reserved to his
concubiue Tsen Chi. who is now, for the
Z lrd time Empr' SIS of China.
On his death. Aug. 2l, 1851. at Jehoi,
where he had fled before the invasion OF
| European troops. who had even occupied
and Cacked his summer palace at Pekin,
Emperor Chen Foung left an infant son,
who was later Emperor Tung Shi. and
two empresses--the one who was the
mother of the young Emperor and the
Oriental Tel An, who had no children.
Three of his brothers. sons of Emperor
Tao Kuang. survived him. What occurred
at Jehol just before the death of Chen
Foung is not known exactly. Still. 1t ~
probable that the Emperor, worn out by
fatigue and cares as is thought by DR..
NtH AeiaH1t~ hhdilN ukittu 10 sign All
edict iDstituting n Regency Council COM
posed of men radically hostile to foreign
ers, and especially to Prince Kung, and
who was under suspicion, since ne had
concluded peace with the English and
French without having previously secured
the permission Of his imperial brother, or
at least Of his councillors of the Tsung-f-
Yamen.
The Regency Council was dissolved In
November, 1861 BY a coup d'etat, concert-
ed between the Western Empress and
Prince Kuug, who became practically the
governing power in Chine. The influence
OF the Empress Tsen Chi was prevailing.
She was the master spirit of the new Re-
gency. composed Of herself. Empress Tss
An and Prince Kung. Those years of the
Regency were very fortunate ones for
China, and the German biographer says
that all those who approached the mother
Empress were pleased TO acknowledge her
great aptitude for business, her working
capacities and the broad ideas she enter
tanned. This appreca ton seems not to
be in accord with the ultra-conservative
Chinese Ideas actually displayed by the
Empress Dowager.
Anyhow, she was not guilty OF the
crimes attributed to her by INSCRIPTIONS
enemies, after the death OF her son. Tung
Shi. On Feb 49, 1874, he wes proclaimed
of age, the Regency was a. an end, and he
governed, nominally in the place of HIS
mother. and Prince Kung. But he died
one year later without leaving any nat
ural or adopted heirs. Then. apropoe OF
that death, and of that of the young
widow, Empress Alute, as well as apropos
of the demise of Marquis Tseng and Prince
Seiun the most injurious rumors were cir
culated In regard to the Empress mother,
Tsen CHS II was intimated that all these
persons had been helped considerably m
she work OF dying. But that was infam-
Gus calumny, says DR.. Won Brandt, who
explains that Aiute like many Chinese
WIDOWS. did not want to survive her hus-
oand; that the Marquis Tseng died of
typhoid fever and Prince Selun died ss
the result Of Incorporate living.
The heir to the throne was a son of
that Prince Seiun. whom the mother En-
press caused 10 be proclaimed under the
name of kuang Su. and the regency re-
NAMED composed as II was formerly
But in 1884 Tsen Chi caused the deposition
Of her co-regent. Prince Kung under the
preteXt that he was lazy and inca pable,
inssmuch al he was largely responsive
for the conflict between France and China
about Touquin, a dispute in which China
was worsted. In 1851 the eged Oriental
Empress died. and the Enpress mother
was the only regent until 1889 when Fm-
peror Kuang Su was proclaimed She re-
fused TO participate in any way In the
government. and went to her country res
idence. The reformers. and no ably Kan
Hu Wei. took advantage OF the mental
weakness of the young Emperor. to whom
Kan Yu Wei had been appointed as pri-
vate counsellor, and they CAUSED the pub
lcation Of all those famous edcts Of re-
form, which have awakened the. blind
rage of the reactonary party in China.
The moment was not well chosen to cue
coed. for IL coincided with the war with
Japan. Al any rate the roe played then
by the Empress Is not exactly known, al
though she was generally suspected by
! the reformers Of using her influence
against them.
They planned to seize her and Yung Lu.
whom she had caused to be appointed vice.
roy OF the province OF Chih-Li ard COM
mander of the Northern army but Tsen
/ Chi was quicker than he refo niers.
| While they thought she whs still IN her
country residence she arrived al Peking
and seized the reins of power. being Sup
ported. as she had been in 1874, by the
sympathies OF eminent ultra-conservative
statesmen and by the indifference OF the
people IN regard 10 the reforms. This &C.
CURED on Sept q. 1925.