New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-06-28

a perfect education that two of them were chosen
brides for Imperial princes. Tsou Hsi's sister
married Prince Chouen, the father Of the present
Emperor, The Dowager Empress is therefore the
aunt of Kouang Su after having been the mother
Of his predecessor, who died in 1875.
She was born in 1894, and is therefore sixty-siX
years old. She entered In 1850 the harem of the
new Emperor, Hen Fong as Empress the
East-bur secondary wife, and she had been
chosen especially by the mother Empress. The
legitimate wife had the misfortune not to give any
male child to Hen Fong during the five years
which followed his elevation to the crown. This
blessing reserved to the other wife, the daugh-
ter of the Tartar marshal BY this stroke of fort
she saved her masteE- from the decheance
being ousted from power for any Emperor who
during five years does not have a male heir Is
compelled designate hmseH.. tet be designated
his eventual successor-that is, to abdcate por-
ton of MS rights.
From the day she was the mother Of the
future Emperor, the young Tartar Princess received
the title OF Merciful Benefactress.' and was in
stalled in the Palace of the West. Still her child
did not belong to her oficallythe sterile Empress
OF the East proclaimed being his legitimate
mother But both women contributed to his edu-
cation, rather the official mother surrendered
her power to the real mother.
''TsOu Hsi was then very beautiful woman. 1t
is impossible TO find any authentic portrait OF her
for the face of the far East sovereign is not
But poet has depced Tso as as fooWs In his
verses: Her body is graceful and supple like the
neck OF the cygnet the waters, the oval face
takes birth on the rounding form Of a capricous
chin, and IS nobly crowned by the harmonious arch
of a wide forehead; the nose is of line, pure,
coQuettsh. straight thin, sngularly movable, ac-
cording mental impressions. The face is light
ed by dark and sparkling eyes etc; Does
this Tartar Venus possess the masculine and
sportive tastes attributed to her by British chron
iclers? -; The Dowager Empress gives too much
time to State affairs to be able to reserve large
portion Of 1t to gymnasrC exercises.
Still, it be affirmed that her heart has not
remained inactive. The great expresses, like
Catherine II, have e. known the Weaknesses Of an
always associated with the movements Of passion
and directs them most often. is thus that the
first favorte of TsOu Hs Prince Kung, her
husbands brother, an intelligent man and a re-
cent death, against the reactiOnary parties It Is
quite probable thai she had somewhat similar re
lations with the statesmen whom she made
State Minister'S like Ii Hung Chang
This ardent woman never heStated to all
means, even violence in order to execute her will.
The first OF her coups d'etat followed Immediately
the death of her husband. the Emperor Hen FOng.
He had instituted Council of Regency, excluding
the Expresses from the direction of public af-
fairs. On the very return from funeral of
Hen FOng, Tsou Hist had all the Regents beheaded,
with the exception of Prince Tchoung who be-
drink cup of golden leaves which the hem
lock of China. In 1873 Emperor Tong Tche of
Of humanity After two years OF a disease caused
by his debauches he died, to be followed the
grave by his young widow. This recalls the history
OF Agrippina.
In 1895 on the night of September q to %, Tsou
Hsi, who had caused the elevation to the throne
OF Kouang Su, her sisters son, having become dis
pleased with his Government. penetrated into his
room with some friends devoted to her She
cused Emperor of all kinds of crimes and
Being terrorized, he surrendered the seals of
State 10 the terrible woman and signed the decree
aim at writing here the history Of China l
merely tried to sketch the physognomy of the
the massacre Of all the foreigners in the Celestial
Empire"