The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-11-10
FROM PENNILESS LAD
TO RULER OF CHINA
Remarkable Careero of Ii Hung Chang, the
Greatest of the Chinese.
MAN OF GREAT POWER AND WEALTH

Tic most interesting episodes in LIS zro-
mantle career. Together, with Goroon IN
tho lead, however, they brought the re-
bellion to an end in eighteen months with
thlrty-three battles. After desperate
stand, the rebel Wanss surrendered, I'M
der Gordon's promise that their lives
should be spared. While the Englishman
was busted with other details Ii Hung
Chang seized the captives and put them
rLthessly to death alleging that their
ccrduct did not exhibit the proper spirit
o. submission.
1t was said that Gordon's wrath. on
hearing of this breach OF faith. was, SO
great that he pursued his whilom ally
With a pistol, and when Ii Hung Chang
escaped him by concealing himself III
boat and dropping into a river, the Eng.
lishman tore his commission into bits.
stamped 1t into the mud and swore he
would no longer serve a country which
produced such traitors.
Though Ii was severely criticised ut the
time for his apparent treachery, he las
had defer ders who believed that had he
not, destroyed the Wangs he could not
have destroyed the rebellion. At all
events, Gordon and he We're finally recon
ciled, and one of Lis earliest acts OH
visiting England in 1896 was to lay a
wreath on Gordon's cenotaph. s.t
RECEIVED MANY 1IONORS.
I 1t was Tor his services at Soo-chow
thar Ii Hung Chang received the cele-
brated yellow jacket which was more
| than once afterward taken from him for.
a punishment and then restored.
/ This coat OF imperial color. carries with
| it the highest military gradesin the CHI
| nese army. The same honor was sfters
ward conferred Upon. Gordon.
IN 1S1s Lii Hung Chang vas sent 10 Tier
Tsin by the Government to bring about
peace after the bloody massacre of
! French nuns and foreign consuls, and
was endowed with plenipotentiary pow
I ers to arrange a satisfactory settlement
NTH the Powers. HeFshowed such diplo-i
| matte genius in this negotiation that the
Imperial Government showered upon him
new and almost unprecedented honorS.
IMPROVING CHINA.
In addition to his military and diplo-
rnatic achievements. Ii Hung Chang
brought about almost unheard-of im-
+ prove,nents in the internal condition of
the country. These progressive tendencies
set a strong palace clique against
him. nv whose Vaccinations he was con-
stantly thwarted, but against whom he
| GENERALLY triumphed finally. He at
tempted and partly carried out the reor-
ganization Of the army, the building of a
navy ard the fortitication of the ap-a
nroaches to the capital. He succeeded
in building about two hundred miles of
r.. jircad from Il en-Tsin northeart erlyt to
Shan hal -kwan. the fortified town at the
end of the Great Wall .on the sea coast
and opened arsenals, coal mines. a ce-
ment factory schools for the army and
navy, and finally formed an army of for
eig:i-lriiled II oops ard a navy of foreign
built ironclads and cruisers. IS.
+ When General Grant visited China on
/ his tour around the world Iii Hung Chang
contracted a warm frssndship for him.
.showered courtesies upon him. asked and
adopted his advice in many public mat
ters and placed his .statuette side by side
iii 4 hat of his other hero Gordon an