Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1901-11-12
WU'S EULOGY.. OF LIZ
Chinese Minister'S Tribute to
the Deceased Viceroy.
WAS oH1GA's GRAND OLD NAN.


Country. Declare. wu Ting sang
Incidents Connected with Earl Lis
Visit to This Country-Plant. Tree
at General Grants Tomb-visa to
Mrs. Grant.
WI Ting Fang. the Chinese minister
at Washington, WAS greatly shocked
when he heard of the death of Ii lung
Chang.
"Oh. this is too bad. too bad.' he ex-
claimed. 1T viii be a triShtful blow
10 China. hope the news is not true.
l hope Ii Hung Chang viii be left TO
serve his country many years. for his
country needs him now if she ever
needed him. brilliant as have been his
services in the past.
For more than forty years. said
Minister WI, Iii Hung Chang has
been in the service of the Chinese gov
eminent. He is the Grand Old Man
of our country. There is none like him.
and ii will be generations before an
other will come up to take his place.
Il know the man. l served under
him. | was taught by him. He rec
commended me for promotion and put
finally sent me as minister to the Unit
ed States.
His experience was vast. and in all
China Ii Hung Chang alone of all our
statesmen has been the one man who
could deal with the problems constant
ly arising in the field of diplomacy, our
civil relations with others ana the con-
duct of cur army and navy. He has
been proSst ssive and yet conservative.
THE new China of today is the result
of his genius. his foresight and his in
domitable will All the sensible re-
forms inaugurated in our country are
due to him.
He built the first railroad. the first
telegraph. He opened the first mine.
that gave promise of developing the
mineral industries Of the empire-the
kaipin mine.
He originated the modern navy, the
modern drill and Improved tactics in
the army. 1t was Ii Hung Chang who
employed General Gordon.
"In short, it was Ii Hung Chang
who did everything to make China pro-
gressive, and it was his will and his
will alone, aided by few who believe
the few modern ideas she has accepted
and made it possible for her to shake
off some of the barnacles that chung TO
her for many centuries.
Iii Hung Chang had the foresight TO
see the superiority of foreign appli-
ances. apply them to his own coun-
try and use them TO the advancement
and bet3erment of his own people. He
would have done more and would have
made China a powerful nation and u
strong people had it not been for the
opposition of certain members of the
imperial cabinet. who. looking al things
through the narrow light they possess
ed. saw only harm in the progressive
ideas of Ii Hung Chang. who knew
the world and realized the danger that
would come TO China if at any time
China should be brought into conflict
with the outer world. of which our
people knew so little.
He was opposed to the war with
Japan because he knew what the re-
suit would be. Ii Hung Chang had
suppressed native rebels successfully,
but he knew what it meant to cope
with superior force. His advice was
not needed. and when the disaster came
he was Inundated and made to suffer
because the advice he had given had
not been needed.
His death will be bad for China.
She needs his advice and counsel more
now perhaps than ever before.
Ii Hung Chang visited the United
States in 1898 and was the recipient
Ia tel I'd hnr
wise One of the notable incidents Of
his visit was the planting of a jingko
tree. native of China and Japan. at
the tomb of General Grant, in River /
side park. in New York. The tree is /
still fiourishing there. Its queer PAIN
shaped leaves without rib are fauil-
lar to those who notice trees, for It
grows readily in our climate. Perhaps
the extreme simplicity of General /
Grants manners touched a kindred +
chord. for, Notwithstanding the elabo- /
rate etiquette of China which Ii Hung /
always followed, he was man of very /
simple habits.
During Ii Hung Chang's sojourn to
this country he called upon Mrs. U. s i
Grant, who has thus referred to the
visit:
The visit of his excellency Ii Hung
Chang TO me was the renewal of an ac-
uaiatance made in China when Cen
erai Grant and l were travelling around
the world. Ii Hung Chang always bad
the warmest admiration and friend
ship for the general and his excellen-
cy asked to visit me as the widow OF
the general his friend
when we were in China. Ii and the
general became friends The premier
extended every courtesy to US He has
been very progressive and is so liberal
that while we were there be allowed
bis wife. the late Lady Ii TO give a
dinner to me. Lady Ii was lovely
character and of liberal mind.
The palace was magnificent and ev-
erything about the dinner was the per-