The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-11-17
STORIES OF Ii HUNG CHANG.
Personality of the Great Chinese
Statesman Just Dead.
From the New York Tribune.

he mad met -FOUR great men bedCOh'
field, Bismarck, Gambetta and ii Hung
Chang. On his part Ii reckoned tha'
he had known only two entirely grea'
men-Gordon and Grant. Statuettes OF
them. and OF them alone adorn his
audience room in his official residence
at Tien-Tsln. To all visitors he was
courteous and hospitable, but he never
failed to ask them characteristic
Chinese questions. and pertinaciousiy
to insist upon answers to them
How old are you" he asked, ana II
was idle TO attempt evasion Ana then.
.Are you happily married. and how
old is your wife," Or If you are not
married, why not?"
Mr.. Henry Norman, who called upon
him a couple of years ago. writes as
follows of the interview:
The Viceroy was dressed simply, not
to say shabby in the ordinary Chlnese
stiff round hat, a thickIy padded upper
garment of some kind Of yellow SILK,
and an undergarment Of gray silk. His
hands were tucked into his wide sleeves
and only came out twice during our
conversation, once when he wished TO
blow his nose. which he did in the
familiar but indescribable manner OF
the tramp in the street, and once when
he was startled by little piece OF
news. Yet he smoked a pipe i've rect
LONG. An attendant stood with pipe,
smoking material and fire at the back
Of the reception room, and every five
minutes he walked solemnly forward.
filled the pipe. blew the fire stick into
a flame, the Viceroy opened one corner
of his mouth, the attendant inserted
the stem and applied the light to the
bowl the great man absorbed the
smoke and opened his mouth again,
when the pipe bearer withdrew as he
had come. This occurred a score OF
times at least. and never a muscle ola
the Viceroy move. except just to open
the corner of his mouth wide enough
to admit the pipestem.
Three or four attendants did nothing,
and did 1t we'll. simply listening to the
conversation, While saw in the back
ground that another had opened
window an inch. and was listening
from outside. These attendants are al
ways present at official interviews, ex-
traordinary as such a habit may seem
to US. and the. natural result is that
most of the foreign representatives
each have one Yamen in their pay, and
that there are few secrets which money
will not buy. After / left Chung Tang
l met a facetious acquaintance who
inquired where 1 had been. Talking
with the Viceroy," I replied. oh" he
said. "Tu get all you said to him for
a couple of dollars tomorrow.
John Russell Young wrote as follows
of him in an article in 1.-THE Review of
Reviews"
How far the career Of Ii Hung Chang
win Justify the estimate Of General
Grant history will show. But he is un-
doubtedly one Of the notably men Of
the century. When I first saw him in
1879 he was in the fulness of activity.
an alert, imposing parsonage: tall with
a soldierly bearing. and the touch Of
the poet in his glttering eye. He had
less of the passive Oriental manner
than was common to Eastern states
men. the result. 1 presume. of much
contact with foreigners. He would give
you the English grasp of the hand, or
more likely rest his hand upon your
arm in a gentle caressing way. when
taking leave. He had an abrupt and
at times turbulent manner-with ca
pacities, was told. for vehement anger
and there were coca sions when the
courtiers and high people would seek
safety in fight. Ii was never vouch-
SaIeu 10 me IN lnlS COnult'On, WAS al
ways a stately. imperative person
with a capacity for asking questions
and given to mockery and banter and
unique views of Western affairs He
welcomed talk running into narrative.
did not disdain gossip. liked to hear Of
the customs of other lands, relished
anecdotes of eminent men-Lincoln,
Grant and others He had read inter
national law, and / remember his
handing me a copy of Wheaton in
Chinese, and asking me to point out
the passages In which Wheat ton had
laid 1t down that a negro should have
more privileges in America than
Chinalnan. The viceroy intended this
criticism as an offset to some demand
was presenting. for in his soul he
cared no more for the emigration ques-
ton than the average American does
for the Digger Indians in Lower Cali
fornia.
Ii Hung Chang was princely in his
courtesy, considerable. strove to divine
some way of comforting a favor. would
If possible anticipate your wishes, and
do it offhand. He would send his steam
yacht fifty miles to render a service
to the ladies of the legations. His
industry was incessant. and he kept in
touch with everything. He would in
nocently read telegra ms passing to
Picking through Tien-Tsin. and II at
all vague would send inquiry to the re-
ceiver as to their meaning. l remember
that a foreign minister heard of the
death of a member Of his family
through a message OF coincidence
from the viceroy. which arrived before
the dispatch containing the news The
dispa Itch had been intrusted to the
viceroy. and was belated in its delivery.
This tendency of the viceregal mind to
keep informed by other peoples tele-
grams was, II ruuor were correct,
utilized by some of the embassies. IT
is said that when negotiations came
to a hitch they would be advanced
by confidential message of a warlike
character addressed to an admiral
through the Tien-Tsin office, advising
him to prepare for serious business.
1t is the custom that when either
parent dies the sons shall resign honors
and employments to repair to the an
ceetral tomb. and there in sack cloth
and ashes mourn for a long period.
When 7 was in China as minister there
was speculation in political, and espec-
tally opposition, circles as to what
would happen upon the death of the
Viceroy's mother. She was then in ex-
IRENE old age--up in the ninties-and
in the course OF nature must soon pass
away. This meant the resignat ton OF
the Vicerov-his enforced retirement
from all Office and a political revolu-
ton.
IT came TO pass in time. and Ii hur-
ried home to celebrate the rites at his
mothers grave. His brother. Viceroy at
Wu-Chsng. accompanied him II had
finally gone. and then what Opnosi-
tfosa haT ft41f oxrrax hafo., -.