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LI HUNG-CHANG.
some of his tools
of
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[September 26, 1895.
SIR NICHOLAS OʻCONOR'S SUCCESSOR.
Who is to be Sir NICHOLAS O’Conor's successor at Peking? So far no clue has been affolded to the choice of the Foreign Office. The probability is that it will fall
on some one hitherto unconnected with
wealth in China is not always a source of strength. It only serves to make its owner the target for persecution and squeezing.. Possibly LI HUNG-CHANG is for the present secure from this process, but it is by no means certain that he will be left unmolested long, especially when the pinch becomes more acute, Like his brother LI HAN- CHANG, the ex-Viceroy of Chihli would no China for the policy of promoting a member doubt have preferred, after the conclusion to the Corsular Service to the Legation of the Chino-Japanese Treaty of Peace, and appears to have been definitely abandoned, of the Commercial Treaty still to be besides which there is at present no member negotiated, to retire to his native province of of that service who stands out conspicuously Anhwei, where are invested most of his vast as having established any claim to the savings. But he has not been allowed to appointment, with the possible exception of the evening of his days, with the infirmities and he, it is believed, is not ambitious for lay down the cares of state, and though in Mr. HILLIER, Consul-General in Korea, of age creeping thickly upon him, he has it, owing to considerations of health still to bear the brunt of affairs. Yet in a Sir CHALONER ALABASTER, who retired sense he has disappeared from the forefront.some years ago, his last appointment having of the political stage; and he will hardly been that of Consul at Canton, would again step forward as sole arbiter of China's probably have made a good Minister. He foreign relations.
is one of the few Chinese scholars who have not acquired the habit of looking at things through Chinese spectacles and who always maintained a proper attitude of firmness and dignity in dealing with the Chinese officials. We believe, however, that his retirement is definitive and that there are reasons which would prevent his resuming active service, and in any case the Foreign Office would probably think there were members of the diplomatic service having superior claims. Whoever comes it is to be hoped he will be a strong man, not a mere blusterer who will expend his energies in wrangling with the Tsung-li Yamen, but one who will make his will known and have sufficient force of character to make his will respected. At present British interests at Peking lie in the dust, and a good man is required to raise them to the position their importance demands.
Some little speculation has been excited as to whether the permanent transfer of LI HUNG-CHANG to Peking
as Grand Secretary (virtual Prime Minister) is really promotion for the veteran ex-Viceroy, There is no doubt that as Viceroy of Chihli with an army at his back which was known to be devoted to him, LI HUNG-CHANG WAS practically beyond the reach of intrigue; and could afford to despise the enemies he necessarily made in the capital. Censors might memorialise and nobles might intrigue, but in vain; the material force behind the Viceroy was a guarantee against any overt attempt either on his personal liberty or his freedom of action. The Censors might prove him guilty of corruption and convict grossest dishonesty, but
Whether Li's reduction to one among the EMPEROR dared not proceed to exact a many Ministers instead of being virtual penalty. His Imperial Majesty knew well dictator will prove beneficial in the conduct that Li was indispensable, and the Mancha of China's foreign relations it is at present officials have not been able yet to strike a
impossible to predict. For our own part we blow at either the power or the influence of doubt whether it will make any material difference. It might once have done so, the great satrap. The despatch of L to when there were several men of com Japan to conduct the peace negotiations,parative ability and greater patriotism in and the appointment of WANG to be Acting China, such for instance as the Marquis Viceroy of Chihli would, it was expected, TSENG, TING JIH-CHANG, and TSENG Kwo FAN, available to replace him. Now, how afford the enemies of the latter an op- ever, most of the mandarins are mediocri portunity to secure his final supercession. ties, and very few indeed but are most This idea was of course based upon the severely afflicted with the itch for squeezing assumption that LI would be unable to which possesses the ordinary Chinese official obtain "peace with honour," and that he CHANG CHIH-TUNG, the present Viceroy of the Two Kiang, stands almost alone in dis- would be compelled to yield terms that regard for filthy luere, which has, however, would drag China into an abyss of humilia-been in a measure in his case counter tion. Thanks, however, in the first place to the attempt on his life by a Japanese fanatic, which only resulted in a painful but not serious wound, in return wherefor he obtained great concessions from a generous enemy; and, secondly, in consequence of the voted to the classics. The public service is been tried and both have proved failures. uncalled-for interference of France and Russia, whereby the cession of the Liao- tung Peninsula was abandoned, Lr emerged from the trial with more credit than could be expected, much to the dis- comfiture of hostile mandarins at Peking. But though their secret machinations were again and again defeated the enemies of the ex-Viceroy still hoped for some chance to overthrow him. His army was at least a vanished quantity; he could no longer refuse to go to Peking on one plea or another. Nevertheless the desired chance has not yet come, though we note that the anti-La party have just scored | affords a most significant proof. A number ALCOCK and Sir THOMAS WADE. If it
a point against him. It is stated that, in order to prevent His Excellency from using his influence with the EMPEROR, they have induced His Majesty to decree that in future he is not to memorialise the Throne singly, but must do so in conjunction with some other person of equal rank with himself. It is hoped by his envious colleagues that his predominating influence has been des- troyed, and the first step towards securing his effacement been secured.
Time will show whether the enemies of the Grand Secretary have correctly gauged the effect of this measure. Meantime Li HUNG- CHANG has taken up his residence in the capital, whither when Viceroy he was so chary of his visits. He has now no longer any bodyguard, and has to trust to the gratitude of the EMPEROR for his past services. He is enormously rich, and can no doubt buy his continuance in the Im- perial favour, but the possession of great
balanced by a reckless expenditure over projects better conceived than carried out. But he is the exception that proves the rule in China: his fellow officials are as much wedded to the squeeze system as he is de-
crowded with officials who have graduated in the school of LI HUNG-CHANG, and of whom the notorious SHENG Taotai is a bright example. It may truly be said of the Government of China that “the whole head is sick, the whole heart is sore." Rotten to the core, saturated through with dis- honesty, there is absolutely no hope for China until she has gone through a period of training to fit her people for the task of self-government. Of the utter hopeless- ness of endeavouring to secure any upright|| or even civilised administration the latest development of the Kucheng difficulty
of the principal prisoners have been allowed to escape, undoubtedly by the connivance of the officials. They have bribed the judges and gaolers, and have obtained their liberty with the greatest ease. In face of the facts exposed to view during the past two years: the impotence of Peking to grapple with the first foreign foe that comes prepared to strike, and the crass unwillingness of the officials to make atonement for wrongs and injuries sustained, what is the use of further parley ing with treacherous semi-savage mandarins whose one idea of justice is the decapitation of ignorant coolies and the payment of a meagre money indemnity as solatium for any outrage, however foul and wanton? The time has gone by for the endless wordy war- fare in which the Chinese so much delight; it has become necessary to act. Is it not the business of the China Association and the British communities in China to endeavour to convince Lord SALISBURY of the fact?
The question whether the Minister should be a Chinese scholar or one who has never come under the influence of Chinese ways of thought has often been discussed and so far it remains an open one. Both classes have We have had Sir RUTHERFORD ALCOCK and Sir THOMAS WADE as representa- tives of the sinologues, neither of whom could by any stretch of the imagination be termed a successful Minister. Sir HARRY PARKES was a man of a differ- ent stamp, but his tenure of office, cut short by death, was too brief for him to prove whether he would have been as successful in China as he was in Japan. Then came Sir JOHN WALSHAM, followed by Sir NICHOLAS O'CONOR, neither of them a sinologue, and they have been even more unsuccessful than were Sir RUTHERFORD
were necessary to strike a balance it would be found in favour of the latter. If the Chinese scholar is apt to make too great concessions to the Chinese, to allow a glamour of orientalism to confuse his mental vision, and to permit himself to be drawn into endless discussions leading to nothing, on the other hand a man who comes to his task with no special knowledge of the Chinese character and with the idea that the Tsung-li Yamen is to be negotiated with on the same terms and conditions as European diplo- matists is apt to make egregious mistakes and be generally befooled out of sheer ignor- ance. Sir NICHOLAS O'CONOR has been in the habit of going to the Tsung-li Yamen and storming, fuming, and wrang- ling by the hour, indeed almost by the day if all reports are to be credited, but all to no purpose. After one of these stormy in- terviews a paragraph may appear in the Shanghai papers to the effect that the Minis-
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