The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-05-15

did it's utmost to try and stop the at
tack, and thus the worst calamity to the
foreign ministers was averted. 1t is l
who, in order to satisfy the Empress
Dowager's anxiety, sent fruits and wines
to the foreign ministers, and her anxiety
for them ought to be widely known.
Now, by the peace negotiations, am
in full possession still of power and en-
plre; / have lost neither prestige nor ter
ritory. l am grateful to the foreign ma
tons for their leniency, and truly grieved
at what the officials have done, and i am
sorrowful and Inundated. but hopeful
that peace is really insured, and that the
Powers will not offer more serious diff
culties to be overcome. Let Prince Ching
end Ii Hung Chang negotiate the re-
naming articles carefully and for the
best interests of China. The foreign ma
tons are just and reasonable, and they
know the capacity of China, and they
must modify their demands accordingly.
We would further point out that at the
time of the trouble we ordered the SOUTH
ern viceroys to protect their provinces,
but not to open hostility. Fortunately.
they obeyed our wishes and did not break
peace with the foreign powers, but enter
ed into an agreement with the consuls.
and the trade Of the southern provinces
was thereby saved from ruin. In times OF
peace these provinces were confident and
boastful, but in time of need they were
powerless, and instead of realizing the
hardship and danger of the court. they
stood calmly on one side and blamed i'll
Think of the position we were in! On the
journey between Chang Ping and Hsien
Hua / attended the Empress Dowager in
ragged cotton clothing, and we were not
able to get so much as a bowl of congo,
The misery was even worse than that en-
dured by the poorest people. Does not
the thought of 1t make every official
ashamed But the responsibility for the
officials of state rests upon the sovereign,
and thus the fault OF all this is mine,
and j go into these details not to re-
proach you, but to urge you to do better
in future.
Within the past twenty years, after any
trouble, there has been some feeble pre-
tense made at reform, and talk Of reor-
ganizing government finance and strength
ening the nation, but these plans became
mere empty memorials, and in short
time corrupt practices and selishness
were again rampant. I would have you
officials understand that the country can.
not be built up in this way. At the best
OF times our finance is weak. and now this
serious calamity has made us poorer than
ever. You officials, who have received
so many gracious benefits from the gov
eminent, must exert yourselves and dis
play your patriotic loyalty by devising
some way by which we may be able to
face the indemnity without causing the
people to suffer too much. 1t is of the
utmost importance now TO abolish self
ishness and conservative principles from
the official circles. and then the affairs
OF the state may be better managed. You
must report to us where reforms are need
ed and begin at once, as / and the En-
press Dowager look 20 you to help us re-
cover what we have lost and suffered by
this great calamity to the nation. Let
this be obeyed."