The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-03-12
The MaChiaVeIIi OF
Chinese Diplomacy



II He ace negotiations at Pekin call to mind
the ineSpcricnce of the ministers who are
i ncgotidtn,- with the Chinese statesmen.
The American minister has had about three
years of contact with the east; the British
minister has been in Pcl,in less than year;
the Russian minister has been at his post a
shorter time than the American; and the French
representative is 4 novice i'll dealing with the
Celestial.
Opposed at these keen hut new diplomatsts
sits the wlinkcd veteran, Earl ii Hung Chang,
with his associate Prince Ching. Of LIS seventy.
eight wears, the last forty have been largely
spent in crossing swords with European and
American representatives Of statccraft This
prince u oriental word.wauioH has fought
with Sir Frederick, Bruce, Sir Thomas Wade,
Sir Harry :. Parks, Sir john Walsham, Sir Nicl.
oas O'Ccnror, Sir Claude Macdonald; Hon.
Arson BHrlingimc, Hon. George T. Seward,
Hon. Charles DENNY; NM. l.ochcchouart, Pate
notrc, Fournicr, Cogodan; Marquis lto Count
Mumvict, and scores Ot other iirst.class dipo.
matte lanCcs.
lie Knows every thrust and every parry; he
has hunted out every seam in the armor; and
he can cut into every unprotected, vital point.
lie has come into the negotiations TO represent
the Inundated power; hut there ia reason to
believe that he is better prepared to fight a
losing battle than would be all his opponents
combined. Tile white Cmissarics have shown
by two great failures that they are not vet
prepared to cope with thc yellow man. In sep.
t1mbcr, lsJS, they knew nothing OF the coup
dCtat until IT was passed; aud they, by doing
nothing, permitted the reign OF reaction, con.
seratsm, and terror to gain hcadway. In 1880
they refused to believe that this reaction and
conservatism were eliminating. Not until the
Boxers imprisoned them in Peliin did they re-
alizc that there was a Boxer uprising They
aIc now backed by force, that is their hope of
success say it with all respect. Given a tdir
field and no favor, Elrl Ii would dcftly set
them 10 quluclling as to who should lead in
the assault, who should have his hat, coat and
shoes, with the result that he would remain
intact while they would wonder how it all
happened
EdIl III is striking, if not q great figure. llc
Is a fascinating study. The foreign diplomacy
Of China, Tor forty years has been his In
Chinese politics he is past master lie came
into prominence as governor OF kdngsu, in the
sixties, This 10 the province Of which Soochow
is the capital, and Shanghai and Nanking are
the commercial and literary metropol Because
OF his services in supprcssinG the TAPPING Re.
bollion, a vaster struggle than our Civil war,
he was made guardian OF the heir apparent--d
a position similar TO that recently held bv
Prince Tuan-was granted the yellow Jacket, and
WAS made assistant grand councillor of the eli.
pine.
IN 1865 he stepped into a viceroyalty, and,
with NuchanS his capital, ruled over Hupci
and Human, as Chang Chh Tung is now dong
Imperial commands took him from his post;
and, at the head Of his armies, lie put down re,
Lellions in the northern provinces of Shantuns
and Shlnsi, and was made full member of the
grand council of state, In 1915 hc was made
metropolitan Nceroy and moved from Wuchang
TO Tcn'sin This position corresponds locally
to the goyernorship oi the empire state, but
nationally it is Of much more importance i1r
the metropolitan uceroyalty under III Hung
Chang las assumed hrst place in international
diplomacy. The nation, now in despair, now in
defiance, for over twenty years entrusted its
knotty problems to him. The vicoroyalty OF
Chilli assumed greater and greater importance,
although LIS predecessor was none other than
Marquis Tscny. Ii was created a noble Of the
first class and appointed to take the initiative
in foreign negotiations
We ind him displaying o profllson OF talents
On one occasion he publicly worshipped a snake;
on another he ordered a modern fleet. lie bat.
tied with diplomats; was snuhbed by the pal.
ace clique; and after China was defeated by
Japan, in what was his war, was blddcn TO
humble himself and plead for peace The war
was over in 1895, and in lS9G he attended the
coronation OF The car, after which he made
tour Of the world. Back in China again, he was
degraded, then promoted, and finally seated in
the chief grand sccrctary'a chair. Playing too
much into the hands OF Russia (ior moneyO be
was removed from the Tsungli lamen in lSgS. 4
year later, 1892 III was made viCerOy az Canton
nom which post lie was called To- his present
positions OF Ncoroy Of thihli and peace com.
missioner