The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-08-22
WHERE Is TUAN AND
THE EMPRESS,

'Ssu sOP'y W Sutue sesCos oPP0ss iOs
. cessation of hostili,ies received
today from Ii Hung Chang. has not
been made known aud it is likely
that the matter will be one Of the
main subjects of consideration at the
cabinet meeting tomorrow But
there 10 reason to believe that the
overtures will in effect be rejected.
on the ground that tho conditions
laid down 10 the American note Of
Aug IL have not been complied
with and until complied with
the governments course must pro
ceed without reference to Chins's
desires for halt 10 the proceedings
The dispatch Of August 18th said
specially that tho United States was
ready to enter into On agreement
between the powers and the Chinese
for . cessation of hostil.
itiee on condition that the relief
forces should DO permitted "to enter
Pekin unmolested" and escort the
legstionsrs thereform. under such cir
cumstanoes % tho commanding gen
ersl might Icy down. Bot up to the
present time there 10 no evidence that
the allied forces are unmolestcd ct
Pekin. or haver eceived the sanction
Of the Imperial government to con
vey the legatiopers 10 Tien Tsin With
out further trouble and under the
laid down by the com
general % the contrary,
oil tho dispatches indicate that the
allies ere meeting stubborn, resis
lance and there 10 90 entire lack of
with the conditions laid
down BY the United States in it's die.
patch Of Aug IL Az stated, how
ever, the government has given no
authoritative statement of its pur-
pose in reply to Chins's application
Of today. and there is still q slight
chance that complete compliance with
demands Of Aug l2 may be an
nounced in the Pekin dispatches
before the final determination on the
the reply is made But the disposi
ton tonight is clearly in the line in
dicated
The situation at Pekin was made
more clear today from many sources
The latest advice appears to be that
from Consul Fowler, at Chefoo, re
pesting q dispatch received from
Consul Ragsdale at Tien Tsin The
latter reports Chinese troops surren
de.ed 10 palace grounds The Jap
Anese Legation received dispatch of
The same general tenor, but more in
detail, stating that the Chinese troops
on the 18th within the I'M
perial palace. and that they were
surrounded there with the Japanese
military headquarters located in the
J japanese Legation
Admiral Remey also transmitted an
authentic report from Pekin on the
18th. ssyiog. "Troops moving on the
imperial ci'y"
These several dispatches from diff
Ferent sources establish clearly that
the imperial palace aud grounds we're
under siege But not one of the
dispatches is clear a. to how late this
Of affairs existed. The
Fowler dispatch is the latest to be
received, and is dated the Goth, but
probably that is the date on which il
lett Tien Tsiu. The Japanese die
patch also refers to the Chinese
taking refuge In the imperial pslsce
On the 18th. but does not bring tho
situation beyond that day. So that
The latest Information, while show
Ing the imperial city surrounded
does not disclose the Issue of this
situation. nor how long il hos con
Iiuued.
Todsy's dispatches seem to make
clear that the emperor aud the em
press dowsger have made their
escspe from Pskin, and that about
the only present service of the impe
rial palace and grounds is 50 asylum
10 which the demoralized Chinese
soldiers are making Q last stand.
The Japanese legations advices
today showed thst the banners of
the imperisl cortege were seen leav
in0 Ptkin on the 18th, and that
probably the empress dowager. "a
we'll "a the emperor. had left the city
Consul General Goodnow advised
the state department that he had
information from Chinese sources
that the empress dowsger had left
Pekin
The attitude which the information
al forces will observe toward the
emperor and empress dowager is
understood to have received ,fficial
consideration among toe pow.rs,
resulting from Q request by the
southern vicerOva that m uarsoD.l