Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-02-14
Il HUNGyCHANG.
Story of the GreatestlStatesman Of
China.
How He Waxed in importance. and Gained :
Prejudice Against the United States.


fury that is just past. One was the
man of iron. Bismarck. the real
founder of the German empire. Another
was Gladstone. who. by the varied role
which he was able to carry. the ease
with which he was first in scholarship
in letters. as an orator or as states
man, seemed properly TO belong TO
period of which il is recorded that
there were giants in those days. Ii
Hung Chang is the third. That he mas
attained his place of pre-emincnCe
cannot be said TO be due To anything
but talent. Yet il is talent of a different
order from the men who We're his con-
temporarieS in fame. writes an Ameri-
can missionary to the Boston Trans
cript,
Governor General Ii, or Earl Ii. as
he is often called. is now nearly eighty
Years old. The most celebrated of his
family he still can boast that he does
not stand alone. He had brother, Ii
Han Chang. who was many years
governor of one of the central prov
trees in China. While Ii lives his sons
cannot expect to rival him in reputa-
ton. but he has Il brotherin-laW by
the name of Sheng. who is described as
the keenest Chinaman in the empire.
and who is now al the head of several
business organizations in which Ii has
great interests.
Lii is a native Of Anhu. This is one
Of the central provinces noted for the
fiercer character of its people. who now
have an intense admiration for their
illustrious compatriot. and a proper
tionate pride in themselves.
Early in the tifties there sprang up
in southern and central China re-
bellion. such as even China had not
seen in many cycles. A student. Hung
Ehu- Chuan by name. was cheated out
Of the degree 10 which he was entitled.
and thirsting for revenge upon the
officials succeeded in rousing his
friends TO join him in furnishing them
The result of his attempt astonished
him. In a short period he had driven
out the Manchus and soon was on the
high road TO the imperial sovereignty.
In the fall of 1888 he sent an expedi-
ton against Pekin. This was his great
mistake. Had he left one of his lieu
tenants in the south in charge of his
affairs, and, with all the force he could
muster pushed for the capital. he
would almost certainly have toppled
Hsien Fcng from his throne, and there
would have been a native dynasty rul-
ing today at Pekin. Even as ii was.
the attempt was almost successful.
The TAPPING rebels marched through
one province after another. everywhere
conquerors. The length of their
march is greater than that of any
army in the last century. The rebel
AOst subsisted upon the country. and
We're victorious in every battle on
their way they reached the city where
| lately lived. Lin Ching chou, thriv-
| ing place in those days. in western
Shantung, and on Good Friday of 1854
blew up part of the wall on the south
side and rushed in TO STAY indis-
criminately everyone who opposed
them. Outside the north gates of that
city are scores of huge mounds. in
which We're buried the slain The
native of Linching tells the traveller
tales of wonderful escape mingled
with exaggerated accounts of the
numbers who We're massacred one
man said the river was red with blood
for thirty miles. Another that the vic
Tins were between four and five
millions. The lowest and most sober
account gives two hundred thousand
as the number of the dead
All which statements. when ex-
amined, need revising. Even the eSti-
mate of two hundred thousand
slaughtered, and the story that there
was an official count, hardly satisfies
the occidental, who reflects that said
city covers less than a square mile,
l,,,
paved the streets and filled the houses
SO that there would have been no
place for the living. When one thinks
of several million dead lying in such
cramped up space. one can have only
admiration for these disciples of
MunchauSen.
The TaipingS went on north toward
Tien- Tsin, a place they We're destined
never TO reach. They met with obsta-
cles, and became discouraged. there
vas jealousy ana disagreement among
the leaders, and as a result they re-
turned to the Yangtse. The rebellion
continued for nearly ten years longer,
swept over an immense area in CEN
trail China. resulting, it is estimated
by careful calculation, in the destruc-
ton of twenty millions OF people. and
was finally crushed out by Chinese
troops under Colonel Gordon. called
Chinese" Gordon
Before the latter came on the scene
Of action. others had taken part either
for OF against the Taipings There
were foreigners in that army. Ward.
an American. assembled force of
chinese. trained them in foreign tao
ties, ana led them against the rebels
Gradually he eniaI ged their numbers.
and by employing foreigners to officer
them, succeeded in turning out some
good soldiers who We're generally sue
rcssful. The imperial government.
which had begun 10 despair of con
quering the malcontents. gladly vel
coined this assistance. Ward was
promised definite sums for the capture
OF the places held by the enemy AS
these were taken they We're delivered
over to the imperial officers. At
length after showing how the rebels
could be conquered and opening the
way for Gordon. Ward was killed and
ms army fell into the hands of his
heutenants who had none of his ability
nor his sense of honor. They were uni
formly unsuccessful until finally the
imperial government determined to
ma someone who could fill his place.
Gordon came forward to restore the
reDlltn ion which had baan Loot