Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-11-19
SOLITARY AS A GOD"
Life Led by the Emperor Of Chinn-
Facts Regarding KwnnR-Su--
Feeble In Mind and body.
The Chinese say Of their Emperor
lie,

women, and was ruled most OF his
life by them. Up to 1901 he welded
the formidable vermilion pencil; but
always the blue pencil of the Dowager
Empress was the more formidable
weapon. Had the young Emperor pos
sessed the requisite will-powcr, he
might have exercised an arbitrary
power to a remarkable degree. AS 1t
was, he meant little to the world at
| large: and the ohscurity in which
his character has always been clothed
was intensified by the mass of cere
monious traditions and rules of court
etiquette which make the Chinese En-
peror little more than a Gagged anto-
maton.
In Hans Andcrscn's story Of THE
Nightingale" death captures the
crown and sccptro Of the Emperor
and sits on his chest, in the solitary
sickroom while the DESERVING court
iers and attendants, in another part
|of the palace, are already discussing
the succession There will he no con-
siderable emotion over Kwang Sus
death. However, it will not be allow
ed tn appear TO. When Ii Hung
Chang, China's greatest man of mod
ern days, died a few years ago the
| funeral ceremonies We're of an elahor-
ateness which taxed belief. Kwang
Su's will be more SO. His wedding in
1889 cost s5,o00,o00. Now that II, is
dead, the Picking Gazette will be full
Of culogies; the governors and gene
rails and lesser officers will flock in
from the provinces by thousands to
do homage; and there will lie ccre-
monies and professions extending over
Il period of six months perhaps.
The last Chinese Emperor died on
January L. 1875. He left no direct
heir, and the two r'mpresscs quickly
held family council AMI appointed
Tsai-Tien Emperor. with the title of
Kwang-Su C"thc illustrious success
sor'). "The Illustrious Successor" was
Ejust three years old at that time. and
greatly resented being brought in and
put through the ceremonies necessary
to his proclamation ON the following
day however. he issued a long and
high sounding decree in the Picking
Gazette. of which one paragraph was
as follows:
"For the observance of the rite OF
mourning. we have revertly received
n charge, by the testament of his
Majesty, now departed. that in obedi-
ence to previous usage the mournin :
garb be laid aside at the end of seven
and twenty days. To do this, our feel
lings, In very truth, will not consent,
We shall observe, with reverence, In
strict adherence to the rule of an
ciont times. three years of mourning"
This was the tone of a great guam
tity of DEGREES that were issued at
the time Two musicians who had
been previously honored because they
seemed 10 ne pehei''ihS inc Ehlper-
or, were degraded and stripped of
'helr buttons ana Peacock leatherS
when the Emperor died. The body was
placed IN nan OF the palace espec-
tally reserved Tor the royal dead the
AVIAN zen ilef' OF Iehold-N irtuc
Hail. some SIX months later 1t was
inferred III special mausoieu'h with
Ella ""r"to ceremonies
h"ans-Su was porn on August = 1872
an" WIS hepie" OF men + uhg' the
h"pero', whom he succeeded lie was the
hIl'h ruier Vi 'He N'ahcHu dynasty OF
ls'he' "liich oFelthreW the naive dynas-
" Oh Ming III lo4i, Ills iather' frlnce
nun, prother oil lien fuhg' mad made
himself conspicuous IN the Tien-tsin
massacre as 'he leader OF the
antl-foreign party But instead OF
acquiring some high official post,
after his sons elevation, Chun
was compelled to retro altogether,
as II was Impossible, under the
chinese Ideas regarding parents. for a
father to kowtow to his son, Chuns an
henhcement. Which was probably written
by the Dowager Empress was gem.
After expatiating on the devoted loyalty
which inspired him toward his late Ma
Jesty he went on to state that On
gazing on the imperial features after
decease. his vita!s were rent with the
agony OF grief and his strength fled
Inn utterly, lie nevertheless strove To
boar up for tho moro efrectual discharge
OF his duty. when he was suddenly over
whelmed by the news that their Males
ties. by their benign mandate. had chosen
his son to be successor to tho throne
Stupened by this intelligence. he became
entirely helpless. and whom carried e
his home he renamed trembling and agi
tated as though bereft OF reason or n,
one in a dream. The complaints under
which he has heretofore labored have
been revived in consequence and he Is
compelled to throw himself on the merci
full consideration Of their Majcsties the
Expresses. whom he entreats to grant
him the indulgence which can alone per,
nit him to prolong his days and allow
him. wasted and useless in his RANK
though he be- to continue in existence OF
the face OF the earth
At fourteen. Kwang STU had reached hi,
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