The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-09-24
NEW VIEW OF EMPRESS

NEW VIEW UT
 DOwAGER OF CHINA. In The New York Times of recent date Poultney Bigelow writes the fol- lowing of Tsu Hsi, the little woman who rules the Celestial Empire and its 200. .000, 900 of people.
 There could hardly have been a more startling announcement to Western ears than that made by Sir Chentung Lian Cheng at the dinner given Prince Pu Lun at Sherry's the other day namely, that the Empire of China had become a signatory of the Geneva Con- vention, and that the Dowages Empress had started a Chinese Red Cross organ ixation with a subscription of 100000 taels.
 The Dowager Empress of China does not figure in the popular mind as person likely to head Red Cross sup scriptions and commit the Government she controls to the humane practice recommended by Geneva.
 Who and what manner of woman IS she whorules where Kwang-Su reisns :
 She made her debut into high chinese society as a wife of the fifth class TOT the Emperor Hien Feng, who ascendeo the throne in 1851. At that time oni- ciaI China longed for an heir to the throne, which commodity the actuai Empress did not succeed in providlns' But in 1856 this lady of the ntth class, in the hierarchy of foot-warmers' oio give a son to her lord in a manner so satisfactory that in the following year che was raised to the rank of Empress, and from that day to this she has main tained herself in all the honors that were then heaped upon her. This ot itself speaks volumes for her personal charm. cleverness, and courage, for In no country IS there more regard for rank and precedence than in China, and think what a jump that was-from ffth-class companion to first-class Elm press!
 The Emperor, Hien Feng, when the allied French and English forces invad . ed the country in 1860, fled to Jehol, in Mongolia, where he had a summer pal ace, and here he died in 1861, some think from the effect of wounded pride.
 Two Expresses in Charge.
 He left two Expresses in charge of affairs-the Imperial Empress and the concubine who had provided him with an heir. It is interesting to note that the same concubine. after a lapse of forty years, should again have had to fly Peking in consequence of an inva- sion of English, French. and others ap- preaching her capital over the same road as their predecessors of 1860.
 In 1860 French and English troops between them managed to reduce the marvellous summer palace of Yuen MT Tune, to A heap of ruins. In 1900 there was no such destruction, but a good deal of incidental footing. That there was not more was owing not so much to Christian soldiers as to the Japan ese, who throughout this latter cam paign set an example of moderation as well as courage.
 The two Expresses returned from Tnh 1, 1861, and immediately carried out a coup d'etat in which the Dowager con- cubine first showed to the world that Napoleon III had much to learn from his colleagues in the Far East even In the matter of a coup d'etat.
 Made Herself Regent.
 She called the Council of State to gether, and read them a paper purport- ing to represent the mature delibera- tions of her 6-year-old son; this edict suspended previous arrangements con- corning the regency of the child and made her Regent, along with the Impe- rial Empress and Prince Kung. In fact. 1t made her virtual ruler of China, and as this was, for many reasons into which I need not here enter. contrary to the Constitution governing in such cases. 1t made an immense uproad Tn the immediate neighborhood of the pal ace.
 But the concubne mother was equal to the occasion. The three who ven- tured to protest against her arrange ments were two imperial Princes and the Secretary of State. Su Shuen. The Princes were permitted to hang them selves, while the public executioner cut off the head of the Secretary of State on Nov 8, 1S61-only a week after the return to Peking
 This was all very sudden, and, from the standpoint of the constitutional lawyer very unjust. But Europeans,