The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1902-01-16
Return Of the Chinese Court.

Return Of the Chinese Court.
The return of the Dowager Empress,
the Emperor, and the bourt to Pekin
marks the elimination OF an epoch in
the history of the Chinese empire. AS
to the epoch just beginning, forecasts
vary widely, but all agree that it will
be different from anything in the en-
pire's past history.
In the epoch just passed the Chi
nese government has been essentially
marsupIal. 1t has been confined with
in the Forbidden City, an inaccessible
space half mile square. In this
pocket the Vaccinations of this
Oriental court, the very atmosphere
of which is intrigue and corruption,
have been as completely hidden from
view as if the participants were little
kangaroos in the pouch Of their moth
er. Mystery and power are largely
synonymous to the Oriental mind.
and to tie Chinese the Forbidden City
was holy of holies, the seat of a
power unknown and irresistible. To
a less degree this inaccessible mystery
has had its effect on all the world.
For the first time In centuries the
Chinese court has been overthrOwn
and forced to fee from its mysterious
hiding place. First in the sequence
of events was the Boxer uprising. At
first the couLt advised the legations of
the powers that it was the work of
boys and peasants. Later it pro-
nounced it TO be popular uprising
too great for the Chinese government
to withstand.
Information now at hand makes it
clear that the Boxer movement was
sanctioned by the Dowager Empress,
whose imperious will OVERRIDE that of
the Emperor. Then came the siege
of the legations. When the relief
forces of the powers approached Pekin
the Empress, with her hair simply
twisted in a knot and wearing the
common dress of the people, fled her
capital.
\ little over sixteen months have
elapsed since the fight Of the court.
In the meantime the administration
of the government of Pekin has been
in the hands of the ''foreign devils. p"
A part of Pekin was intrusted to the
Americans. The American admins
tration was SO excellent that even The
Chinese were forced to see its excel
lence. The Chinaman is creature
welded to his idols past all comprehen-
sion of the Western mind, but even
he has eyes to see and to hear.
When General Chaffee ordered the
withdrawal of the American troops
the Chinese residents of the district
petitioned the allies. asking that the
Americans be permitted to remain in
authority. During the absence OF the
Chinese court, therefore, it has been
possible for Western civilization. and
and especially American civilization,
to present to the Chinese an object
lesson in good government SO c0nyinc-
ing that even John Chinaman has
been impressed.
During the absence of the Chinese
court an even more significant change
has been accomplished. Up to the
very me ment that the court fled, the
Forbidden City was the abode of mys-
terry and power While the court was
in hiding from the Just wrath of the
powers every nook and corner of Pekin
was open TO the inspection of him
who cared to see. The court returns
to find the mystery of the Forbidden
City dispelled to Cinnamon and Cau-
caSian alike.
1t is the strange lot of the Dowager
Empress of China, after authorizing
the commission of the greatest crime
in his history against the intercourse
of nations, TO be returned TO throne
and power. But the throne is not as
it was: nor is the power. The Dow
ager Empress of China has lost her
capital of humbug and mystery.-Inter
Ocean.