The Topeka state journal., 1900-09-04
PLEADED IN VAIN.
Chinese Emperor Tried to Prevent the
Bringing on of War.

San Francisco, Sept. A refugee from
Pekin, whose name is not given, furnish
es in the North China Daily News, re-
ceived by the Doric today an account of
events in Pekin, which shows that the
war of the boxers on foreigners was ap-
proved by the empress dowager. The
writer says:
"On June 16 the empress dowager sud
denly issued a decree summonlng all the
Manchu princes, dukes, notables and
high (ChineSe and Manchu) officials OF
the Six Boards and nine ministers TO De
present at a grand council to be held at
once in the palace The suspicious part
of this was that. when all had gathered
at the palace, those who were Manchus
were first called by the empress doWager
TO secret audience, while all or chi
neEe descent We're left in the waiting
room. After the Manchus had ended
their secret council and had come back
to the waiting room they were again
called back, this time with those of Chi
neSe descent, into the empress doWageFS S
council room. When all had prostrated
themselves before the empress dowager
and emperor they waited for her to
speak first.
t'She said: The foreign powers have
brow-beaten and prosecuted us in such
manner that we can't indure any longer.
We must therefore combine to fight all
foreigners to the last, tosave our face
In the eyes Of the world. All our Manchu
princes dukes and mobiles and ministers,
high and low, are unanimous in this de-
termination for war to the knife and I
approve of their patriotic choice. I
therefore, give all you this announce
ment and expect all to do their duty to
their country =
The writer then goes on to say that
I5s1 Ching Cheng lChinese) ex-minister
to Russia, Marquis Tseng, son of the late
minister to Great Britain and other Chi
nese mobiles tried to influence the en-
press doWager to reverse her decision or
at least to make distinction between
nations, not making war upon friendly
nations The empress declared in this
war China would have the boxers, who
were invulnerable. to bullet or sword, on
her side and could not be conquered. His
majesty, the emperor, says the writer,
who had maintained a fearful silence,
finally 1mplored the empress dowage to
reconsider her decision, but she turned
her back on him. Continuing, the writer
says:
-Four of the friendly Chinese minis
terS then visited United States Minister
Conger, at the risk of their lives, ex-
planned the situation to him and asked
If an arnistice could not be arranged
The murder of the German minister
opened the eyes of the imperial court
They saw that things were now in dan
ger of going beyond recall
''The most prominent and active of the
Manchu party presented themselves at
the palace on the 10th of June, the day
after the murder Of the German minis
81, 1Au SOL tne empress OOWager to IS
sue decree to Yung Lu, as generaIis-
sime of the grand army of the north
commanding him to bring in his army to
Pekin and formally attack the legations.
destroy them and then, leaving Pexin
for Tien TSin, to destroy the foreigners
there and SO on until all were driven in
to the sea-
Just as the empress dowager was
about to sign the decree, says the writer
the emperor again besought her not to
plunge the nation into war, but she
treated him with contempt and he left
the council chamber weeping