The Crisis in Peking.
Enclosure
THE DEGRADATION OF PRINCE KUNG.
A Decree written with the Vermilion Pencil.
We have reverently received the following commands from Her Imperial Majesty the Empress Dowager.
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At the present moment the pristine vigour of the Empire is impaired, and the difficulties of the time are greater than ever; administration is mismanaged and the people find no rest. The services of capable men are absolutely required for the conduct of public affairs, whether central or provincial. The Grand Council is the pivot upon which all administration, internal and external, turns. Yi Hsin, Prince Kung, and those associated with him were in the first instance fairly careful in their conduct and zealous in the assistance which they rendered, but as time went on they became self-satisfied and thought only of securing their own aggrandisement, while of late years their daily increasing rank and emoluments have caused them to lapse into a corresponding condition of perfunctoriness. Every effort made by the Court to exert itself and to endeavour to exercise good government has been met by fallacious adherence to preconceived notions and an unwillingness to display any genuine exertion in the execution of its behests. Their conduct has been repeatedly criticised in detail by those who have the right to speak. They have been charged with concealment, with indifference to public interests, with corruption and with a want of perception in the selection of fitting agents.
Now the Domestic Law of this Dynasty is stringent in the extreme, and if it be said that any member of the Imperial line, in imitation of someone of former generations, is anxious to usurp power and throw the Government into confusion, not only would no one dare to harbour the thought, but the Laws would not permit of the execution of such a design.
Inasmuch, however, as the mischief wrought by the shortcomings above referred to is already by no means slight, if We continue to pursue a course of indulgent toleration and make no change in Our attitude, how shall We promote that policy of national dignity which is the legacy of Our Illustrious forefathers? How, too, when the Emperor in due course of time takes the reins of Government into his own hands, will he be able to carry out his various duties in a satisfactory manner? If We were to give publicity to each and every one of the denunciations that have been launched against them (the Grand Council), We could not continue to be influenced by considerations of kindred or high position, nor could We endeavour indirectly to protect them by reason of their age or long service, as this would be repugnant to the broad principles of magnanimity by which the Court is actuated in its administration of affairs. When We speak of these things or reflect upon them, Our heart is filled with compassion.
Yi Hsin, Prince Kung, and the Grand Secretary Pao Yun have been longest in office, and upon them heavy punishment should rightly fall. But when We bear in mind that the one is afflicted with many ailments and that the other is stricken in years, We purposely take note of the past meritorious services of the first, and extend protection to the second as he nears the last stage of his journey through life.
As a special act of grace, We command that Yi Hsin shall retain hereditary rank of Imperial Prince of the First Order, which shall be secured to his family for ever, together with the emoluments attaching thereto. But he will be deprived of every office that he holds and the double allowances that were granted him as a special mark of benevolence, and he will remain at home and attend to his ailments.
Pao Yün will retire from office with his present rank.
Li Hung-tsao, Assistant Grand Secretary and President of the Board of Civil Office, has served in the Palace for years, but is hampered by a want of ability and experience, with the result that he mismanages everything that he undertakes.
Ching Lien, President of the Board of War, can do no more than carry out his allotted duties in a mechanical way, but the power of organisation is not his strong point. Both these officers will relinquish all the offices they hold and be transferred to other posts with the deprivation of two steps of substantive rank.
Wong Tung-ho, President of the Board of Works, has just entered the Grand Council at a time when there are many affairs on hand. Although he is not conspicuous for ability, there is on the other hand no blame to be attached to him. As an Act of Special Grace, We deprive him only of his official rank and allow him to retain his office, but he retires from the Grand Council, continuing as before to officiate in the Imperial School-room. This is to manifest the discrimination We exercise in the awarding of punishments.
We have been quietly observing the motives and methods of the aforesaid Prince and high officers for some time past, and We are aware that it is absolutely impossible that they can rouse themselves from the condition into which they have fallen, while there is every reason to fear that the deeper the mischief they work, the heavier will be the punishment they must receive. We have therefore done all in our power to save them by the infliction of the lightest penalty that their offence will permit of. It is not for the commission of an ordinary or trifling offence or by reason of a single impeachment by some officer of inferior rank that We have caused the Prince and high officers to retire into leisure or be deprived of rank.
From this time forth, all officials, high and low, whether they be serving in the capital or the provinces, must positively be earnestly on their guard against the sin of perfunctoriness. Let them one and all give expression to their views with loyalty and sincerity, provided that their criticisms are just and equitable. Their aims must be far-seeing and wide in scope. We shall look only at the motive which prompts the suggestions and not at these suggestions themselves, but should this be of benefit to the state, they will never fail to meet with their due meed of praise and tangible reward. Partisanship, on the other hand, or favouritism, or the furtherance of private interests under the cloak of public aims, struggling for the supremacy, or backbiting, or, which is worse, conduct of a low and debasing character, such as bribery and corruption, will assuredly be promptly unmasked and punished unmercifully, as the Law requires.
Let this be universally made known.
ELEVATION OF PRINCE CHUN.
(From a Correspondent at Peking.)
You will no doubt have already received news of the change of Ministry here. Nothing is said by the Chinese about the imminence of war; but the following Edict, which appears in the Gazette of the 11th instant, is significant:--
Ts'z Hsi, Empress Dowager, decrees that all important affairs in the Grand Council shall be referred to his Imperial Highness Prince Chun until the time when the Emperor administers the Government in person, when another Decree will be issued. Reverentially obey!
Is this war or peace? I know nobody who is in a position to answer this question. Several Europeans here affirm that the new Ministers are all violently anti-foreign, and will stick at nothing; but I confess that I differ. I look upon the whole affair as a pretext for condoning the delay that has taken place, and now—in my view—the entire policy and plan of the Government is...
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