The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-06-17
THE ROMANCE OF TSI AN.
SHE IS THE DowAGER EMPRESS OF
CHINA.

SUM as She haO entered the
Royal Palace-HOw She Rules, anu
Gets Rid of Her Enemies.
Margherita Arlina Hamm. in the New York
Independent.
The present situation in Pekin calls at
tention to the master mind which has
brought about these events, the Empress
Dowager Isl An. Many romances have
been written about this remarkable wo-
man, but none is as extraordinary as the
truth. A few years ago, when a resident
Of China, the writer met a Chinese scholar
who, unlike most of his class, was we'll
educated according TO our Western stand
ards. Mandarin Tsin, for such was his
name, was a great admirer of the EN-
press-Dowager and was acquainted with
both her original and adopted families
According TO his statement, her father
was Manchu noble who had held a lu-
crative post in Pekin but lost it through
no fault of his own. At Flu Chau he suf-
tered the same fate, and drifted to Can
ton, where in 1888 he found himself with
out employment, money or credit and with
wife, son and daughter TO support
Rather than starve he sold this daugh-
ter to a rich merchant who had bought
what may be called "mandarinship."
The girl was strong, healthy and very
comedy from both the Manchurian and
Monaghan point of view. The two races
have different ideals of female loneliness.
the Mongolians favoring plumpness and
medium size. the Manchurian strength
q M CT
Dlood' her feet were not bound, and after
being sold her social position as a pocket
daughter or family slave prevented her
underSolng the cruel operation of foot
pindng. Her pocket parents" to use
the Chinese phrase. were kind and gener-
GUS. she was ambitious and highly tai
ented and seemed 10 have a vague idea
OF her future beauty She learned to
read and write before she was 8 years
Of age and evinced an aptitude for study.
she was also not confined within the
walls OF the yamen or family establish
ment, but went about with the older
slaves and saw all the sights of the city.
AS she grew older she was intrusted
with the marketing of the family, and
WnlIe stlil a child, manifested consider
able business ability. In 1S4S the EN-
peror Hen Fung issued the marriage pro-
clamation prescribed by law in which all
eligible maidens Of Manchu descent be-
tween the ages of Is and IS were requested
70 present themselves at the imperial pal
ace in Pekin with a view to examina-
ton as imperial concubines or secondary
wives. This is one of the great social
and political events of China, and usual
ly brings thousands of applicants to the
capital
Isl An read the proclamation and i'm
mediately announced her desire to enter
the list. Her pocket parents" laughed
at first, but she made so spirited and CO.
gent an argument that they finally Weld
ed. They first changed her legal status
from slave girl to an adopted daugh-
Ter, and did all in their power to prepare
her for the examination.
They gave her a handsome outfit and
enough money to go from Canton to Pc
pin in the style becoming the rank of
Manchu princess. The court authorities
pronounced her faultless specimen of
womanhood; well brought up in ethics
and possessing all the virtues needful to
the sex; in the front rank in ACCOMPLISH
ments; intelligence the equal of the grad
uate of the first imperial examination.
The examination over, to her delight.
although, ii is said, not to her surprise.
she was among the first ten of the list of
successful candidates. She was taken TO
the palace and there installed in one of
the suites of rooms in the wOman's quar-
ters. Here began her wonderful career
of intrigue. She paid particular attention
70 the Empress, and at the same time
conducted herself with such tact and wis
dom as to make friends and few or no
enemies among the hundred of other wo-
men in the imperial household. BY de-
grees she made herself indispensable to
the Empress and in this way was thrown
into the company of the Emperor After
time she won his admiration and affec-
ton and finally presented him with a
and as Isl Ans son was well loved by
the Emperor she induced him TO appoint
her by proclamation the Empress of the
West.
This action was a master-stroke Of di-
plomacy. The tide was an ancient one
but had fallen into allegiance; in fact, it
was well nigh forgotten by the great
lord of the council. How she unearthed
it was at the time and has ever since
been a mystery 10 the scholars of the en-
pire. Under dhe old law it was the high
est honor and position a concubine could
hold Ii put her almost on a par with
the Empress. whose legal title was the
Empress of the East. From now on she
rose until she became the real power
behind the throne. Nevertheless, she
never permitted her ambitions to thwart
the Empress proper, who was her senior
as well as her legal superior. Hen Fung
died in August, 1860. According to some
reports, the cause was a broken heart on
account of the great Tai Ping rebellion
according to others, he died from poison
ing.
He was succeeded by Isl Ans son.
who went to the throne under the off,
cial name of Tung Chi. The real gov
erning was done by a regency consist
ing of the two Expresses and Prince
Kung the boys uncle. The new govern
ment displayed far greater ability than
its predecessor. 1t attacked the rebels
with great vigor, engaged foreign Off
GERS, including the Americans, Ward and
Burgevine and che more famous English
man, Chinese Gordon" Ii opened rela-
tons with the European governments and
effected many reforms. The credit of
this work has been divided between Tsi
An and Prince Kung, but it undoubtedly
belongs to the former.
In 1874 Tun Chi, then 10 years OF age
began to display some independence.
rial palace, and che great men of the
state were appointed and dismissed, pro
NOTED and degraded, in manner which
showed that a tremendous struggle for
mastery was going on. Things looked
very dark when the Emperor fell sick in
a mysterious manner and died shortly af-
terward. in January, 1875. He left a wife
who was about 10 become a mother. Soon
after her husbands death she also fell
sick and died. Her death was ascribed
TO a broken heart by some and to poison
by others. There being no legal issue,
the succession now devolved upon the
Manchu mobiles. There were several can