The-Hong-Kong-Weekly-Press-1897-03-25 — Page 2

The

G DILANG AND THI

ONVENTION.

ONGKONGWERKIN

AND

Convention the

the Contem istory of the

and

treveals?

writes with an

Da Bo-called

ono

the Russo Chinese Convention

possi

HUN

OF

fifce an TT HÙNG CHỐNG

rue t

We believed

ressed that belief in these column

ciple in all his dealings

lfish endse quite

of his countn 1896 de

o this old

the

cou

ver

the

ever have bee

had In Hund CHẲNG been

its provisions with Co We entertained the cony

iceroy of Chihli would

ty to a Convention: laces Manchuria underi

tion

unex

the Chi I but

The concessio

Convention:

BO great ing that we could not conceive personage as Lt to be would dream

€80% astute.

enemy

opinion of His ency's int

whether political knowing s do all his country that he has grown rich beyond the ams of avarice at the expense of his country by methods that should be execrated by all honourable and patriotic men. We were aware who is not that to his bas 1 sordid trafficking in contracts was largely due the state of unpreparedness in which China found herself when plunged, war with Japan. It is notorious the mismanagement of his wretched the then Chinese Resident in Geoul, was due the quarrel which afforded t for that war. Nor was the EM OR'S Complaint that to Li HUNG-CHANG

been entrusted the powers and the to place the country in an adequate defence, to equip the army, to a navy fit to cope with that of Japan, and that he had failed to do either, without was unquestionably pod foundation, Er

which the Peking Government and he proved to be rotten at the

OR

orrupt at heart, and let them down abyss of disaster and humiliation. ad we have said, was within our ledge or belief, but we still retained mith in the veteran Viceroy's loyalty his Imperial master and his love of his

The

that attended his Shimonoseki, in minimising the the Japanese helped further and the ability

the more con- from the capital tunity

came to Count oubt that LI HUNG

senting party, but instrumental in laying things in train for this cons

ion. It is hinted

of Bhi

ation, in the pur

all times

noy for the sak

Grand Secretary has,

seems probable,

tance

their bill.

we may

entire

clusion, would be a no

able

ador (coached

SIT HALLIDAY

with that well worn

O'Asarnt bag cho

Chinese Clov

the kid

they! that refuses

hey cannot appre tion. What is w the most subtle

been relegated to obscurity for the future it will be no loss to China. Li HUNG-CHANG let us hope, has had his day. He never represented the party of progress the friends of the foreigner He

esented himself and

gang of seekers who sought office solely as of personal enrichment. His sym and he was, throughout his career, opposed were not really with progressive measu to foreigners, except in cases where he thought they might be useful in furthering his mercenary ends. That he was sincere in his admiration for General GORDON that gallant officer in a most successful un very probable, for he was associated with dertaking, the suppression of the Taiping Rebellion, and GORDON was really the Whe means therefore of laying the foundation of imm Li's success and fortune. But Lr's was a cheap kind of gratitude, and, it did not prevent him from being guilty of a base act of perfidy to his friend that might have cost

三

making it, failing be deferred, a fate with When, ho this

and

dmit

should be

compunction listened

him dear had he not kept out of GORDON'S Way until the latter's anger had cooled. after GORDON had promised to spare their tation We allude to his massacre of the Taipings to be put forward lives. The story of the conclusion of the Russo-Chinese Convention as related in the urge Contemporary Review does not seem so probable when viewed in the light of. LI HUNG-CHANG'S past history, which is a record of meanness, perfidy, and selfishness, which we trust even his apparent successor, the notorious SHENG, will not be able to

surpass.

THE WEST RIVER AND THE BURMAH FRONTIER

QUESTION

and

If the opening of the West River has been Eas accepted as a settlement in full of Grent Britain's claim against China arising out of the the latter's wrongfully ceding to France territory on the Burmah frontier which was not hers to cede British diplomacy has once more proved weak: The opening West River

not a

thro

arto

decs

fourt

the the

Thi Count

his

Secre himsel

at Chi

I master, the Em

for this li

the

UNG

Bough