St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-11-13
Lii Hung Chang,

ner OLD military arlstOcraCy, with it
false punculios.
Lii Hung Chang.
Ii Hung Chang, for nearly half cen
fury the foremost man in China, anc
indeed one Of the notable men of tn,
world, died at Picking, Thursday. Wher
General Grant returned from his famou:
tour OF the world he declared that be had
met tour great men-Beaconsfeld Bis
marck, Gambetta and Ii Hung Chang
ana IN his opinion the last named was bv
no means the least, and although his
career was one that might be expected
Tor great man with modern ideas in
China, b story will doubtless accord him
| a nigh place among the men of his time.
! he exact cate Of his birth is not known
but he often said that he was born in the
same year with General Grant. That
was 1922, and it is probably the correct
date. His father was a farmer and a
poor man but he belonged to the edu-
Gated class and had a university degree
therefore bis i've sons must pursue the
same course. Ii Hung Chang went
through the schools with high honors
and received doctors degree and a
mandarin button Of the fourth grade
He then became a member of a great
Chinese university and apparently settled
down to literary life.
The Tai-Ping rebellion gave him the
opportunity to become famous. At its
GU look be was undecided whether to re,
main loyal to be Tartar government or
to JON the rebellion and help retore the
Ming dynasty to its true place on the
throne. Although he was true Chinese
and not Tartar be determined to cast
bis lot with the reignng party. He Or
gained 9local militia and led it against
me rtb-is with great success. He was
born military man, for combined with
thestature and strength of a giant be had
the supreme gilt OF mastery over men,
bis hTst taste Of war made him anxious
tor more and he placed his command at
the service OF the government. He soon
became division commander, and his
army was the only one that was not CON
ttnually beaten by the insurgents. The
success OF his division earned the appella-
ton OF the ever victorious army" and
IN 1861 be was made military command
er OF the Province OF Kiang Su, then the
seat OF the rebellion. 1t was here that be
met Chinese" Gordon, and secured the
aIdot that noble man in bringing the war
to an end. Whether the greater share of
the credit for this achievement belongs
to Ii Hung Chang or Gen. Gordon is an
unsettled question.
Ii had accomplished much before Cor
don took command but he was a China.
man and carried on the war with Chi
nese methods just as his opponents did.
Gen. Gordon introduced European ideas.
and more than that, he brought to it his
own marvellous personality and the re-
Dellion was soon crushed. When Ii
Hung Chang welcomed modern ideas of
warfare and gave Gen. Gordon supreme
command Of his army, he made his first
move in the direction of undermining
China, and this spirit of progress which |
marked his after career was not ALWAYS |
appreciated by his countrymen. After
this success he was placed at the head of
an important province and tor MANY
years was the foremost man in the en- |
pre-. He would not Weld 20 foreign in
huence but improved the school system.
introduced railroads and the TELEGRAPH: |
ana reorganlzed the army and navy on |
European models. All the while he re-
NAMED true Chinaman, refusing to |
ADOPT any European customs or learn
any European language. But in spite Of
MS Efforts China would not progress and
IN 1850, when Russia was stealing Chi. |
neSe territory on the Amoor, and the
Chinese court was in chaos Ii again
turred to Gen Gordon for advice. what
shall do y'l ba ocbaI
men at your command" said Gordon.
Lake them, march to Pekin, expel this !
wretched Tartar dynasty, and put vour.
sell at the head OF a new China. will
help you to do it, This was the sr-
preme temptation. The plan was en-.
trrely feasible, Lis army was well drilled |
and armed, the imperial trooDs were n
raoble, and millions of true Cinnamon
would have supported the reyolution
But he declined to do it.
Later came the Corean trouble and +be
consequent war with Japan. The old |
Statesman, knowing well the inability Of |
emma TO cope with progressive nation
protested earnestly against it, but when |
tHe outbreak came he was held resnonei-
PIE lor the conduct of the war. He did |
nus pest out the utter rottenness of the |
Whole Chlnese system was too much for |
MN Nothing but disasters followed |
ana Ii was unjusty blamed for then,
an. he was deprived of his rank but
mat only made matters worse, and he
was quickly restored to authority, and
commissioned to negotiate terms Of neace
with Japan, In 1895 he was appointed
as a sort of prime minister to the Gov.
eminent, but he was unpopular because
OF the humiliating treaty with Ianan
his enemies succeeded in having him de-.
graded, but they were unable to over
throw him completely. A secret treaty
with Russia which resulted in the loss Of