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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[February 3, 1900.
THE DETHRONement of kUANG | be leading China in the path of reform, and, | marked characteristic of the British Service
HSU.
(Daily Press, 27th January.) The Imperial Edict, which is reported to have been issued at Paking on the 24th instant, announcing the Emperor of China's abdication of the Throne in favour of a juvenile protégé of the Empress Dowager, will not come as a surprise to those who have followent the march of events in China. For some time pnst
rumours to this effect have been prolific at Peking. and quite recently the intentions of the Empress-Dowager were foretold, though the actual time when those intentions should be realised were known only to herself and her secret counsellors. The dethronement of KUANG HEU-for it is a dethronement in every sense of the word-was not unexpected, and the period, the last few days of the dying year, naturally lent itself to the pur pose, marking the last milestone on the im- perial way of the Son of Heaven. To-day the four hundred millions of this trembling Empire obey, ostensibly, the immutable will of His Imperial Highness KUANG Hau; next Wednesday will witness the exit of KUANG HSU from the face of Chinese his- tory and the inauguration of the era of PUT SING, and a little child will lead his multitudes of subjects. The ad- vent of PUT SING is not a period of joy for his people, his enthronement no doubt will be emblazoned with all the Imperial heral- dry and pomp of an ancient people, but he is a child, unknown to his people, a puppet in the hands of his Imperial mistress, whose dreaded influence and presence will denote the actual ruler. The event is really the exchange of one puppet for another, for reasons known chiefly to the Empress Dowager herself. It is she who has ruled China, and she it is who will continue to rule whether it be the era of KUANG HSU or of PUT SING. It may be argued, and rightly too, that if the Emperor, be he man or boy, is incapable of enjoying his own, if he be so weak in will and power as to accept the dictatorial guidance in the affairs of state of this old lady, then it is she who should rule, and the imperiul nonentity should be displaced. If her will be stronger than theirs then let her wear the crown. Such is merely the Imperial interpretation of the principle of the survival of the fittest. KUANG HSU goes out, PUT SING comes in; long live Pur SING |
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with his fellows, warding off the over shad- | is, as we have already suld, the indifferent owing engulfment of the Empire, escaped manner in which the service has been run with his life from Peking," and is now for years past from Pekin. Compare the an alieu enjoying a refuge in this colony. two services. A despatch goes from His comrades were less fortunate; some Consul to Pekin. In all probability no ne- were beheaded - the most degrading death to knowledgment is made of it, and he is lett a Chinese scholar-others" to-day labour in ignorauce of whether it has ever been re- with their hands on the post-ronds of the ceived or not ! Let one of the many points Siberian border. These were condemned by in connection with trade crop up and be the Empress-Downger, their crime being that referred to Pekin for settlement. A reply is they sought to influence the young Emperor the sent to the Consul who asked for a "deci- for good. They endeavoured to enlightension and to him alone. The same thing may him in the elementary principles of sound come up at other ports and they are left- government, and to educate his mind to grasp in the event of reference not being made to the realities of the nineteenth century and not Pekin, which the average Consul doesn't wallow in the ideas and conceptions of the care about doing-to blindly grope their first. They reckoned however without the way out as best they can with the very sat- influence of the Empresa-Dowager; she istuctory knowledge hanging over their stepped in and, with a grasp of iron, heads that their action may not be approved With the Customs a far different stopped the attempt at reform. The Re- of. formers paid the penalty with their lives system prevails. A decision given from two years ago for their presumption; on Pekiu is made known to all ports. De- Tuesday the Emperor will pay the cost patches are acknowledged and business gen- of his indiscretion with the loss of hierally attended to with a promptuess that throne. The curtain will foll on KUANG has largely been the cause of that service nt- HSU; he will pass out of history, and, as hetaining the position it has, and which enables has lost his throne he will not unlikely lose the leading members of it to furnish that his life,
information to the enquiries which he in vain The long smouldering jealousy between seeks from his Consul should he be of British the rival princes at Peking, heads of the two nationality. The attitude which their chief most important factions, has helped to secure desires them to assume on any particular the ends of the Empress-Dowager, Had point is carefulty pointed out to the various JUNG Lu and his princely rival been Commissioners, while the Cousula aro left by united and their differences settled, the task their chief in ignorance of what is going on of the Imperial lady would not have been and what attitude he wishes them to take. so easy. In dissension there is weakness The Mining Regulations are one sample; the and it is this that threatens China and the Inland Water Concession is a better one. general peace to-day. The removal of Li The Consuls were notified of the opening HusG CHANG to Canton was another possible and furnished with draft rules. Those pub- opponent from her immediate path. The lished by the Chinese Government didn't and prospects of a quiet reign for PUT SING un- don't agree to this day with that draft. By der the regency--to put it mildly-of the and bye came the Supplementary Rules, Empress-Dowager are by no means assuring.and instructions were issued that the work China to-day, through the apathy and bi- ing of these was to be carefully watched goted couservatism at Peking, is on a quick, and reported on-one or two men took their sand. The country in the western, middle instructious to mean what they said and did and southern provinces is ripe for a rebel report on them. Those that received any lion of such dimensions ns would overshadow acknowledgment received evasive replies. entirely the recent risings. The Yang-and at the best received no thanks for their tse valley is practically ungovernable by trouble. The correspondence published by Peking and the same may be said of the the Chamber of Commerce affords ample two Kwangs. All that is lacking to over-evidence of our statements. throw the existing dynasty, which has Lord CHARLES Beresford was one of the proved itself latterly so fuenpable, is visitors to which we have reterred. He put an able leader and organisation. It it nicely, but there was no mistaking either is the possibility of this assisted by the what he gathered to be the general im astounding antics of the Imperial lady pression of the mercautile community of So much for the mere question of Im- at Peking, that will affect those foreign Pow the Far East or what he himself thought, perialistic honours. But how will the Em- ers having an interest in this Empire. After and while there is, without doubt, a peror's displacement affect the Empire in all Mr. HAY's "Open Door," "may yet by great deal in what he says in favour of its domestic and foreign relations? That force of circumstances, prove to be a division the individual, we think, with him, that is the cardinal point of this really undesir- of the Empire among those Powers inter- there is a great deal more to be said for, or able event. The character of the Empress-ested.
rather against, the badness of the system.. Her crass
Surely it would not be too much expense. Dowager is now well known. ignorance and bigoted antipathy to foreig
for the Legatiou to have a Chinese clerk. to fill up a number of printed forms ac- ners and their methods, who would raise China to a level of modern civilisation, has
knowledging receipt of all despatches re (Daily Press, 30th January.) brought the ancient Empire to the verge
[CONTRIBUTED.]
ceived, or to supply every Consulate with a of dissolution. The jealousy of the Foreign
That our Consular Service is inferior in copying press and let press copies of all Powers alone has saved the division of the Middle Kingdom," though she and many ways to the Customs is a common correspondence follow the original 10 Pekin her edicts have well-nigh provoked its remark made by the visitor to the Far East by the next mail. These are details, small downfall in spite of that restraining in- who has any object or means of comparing in their way, but they largely affect the well- fluence. The blame of many blunders fell the two. It is with some regret that we are being and effectiveness of the service and. on the afflicted head of KUANG Hsu, he it under the necessity of endorsing the visitor's with it of British interests. was who was held responsible for the die remarks. That such is the case we regard reform be allowed to stop at these small as a fact, due partly to natural causes and details. The great point on which the astrous war with Japan; it was he who was supposed to stand in the way of all reform partly to the indifferent manner in which public at home must insist is a reform in in China. But what did the sudden the Consular Service is run from head-the attitude persistently adopted by the -coup at Peking reveal, when some of quarters; natural causes, because our officials Government as expressed by the Times' Chinn's best statesmen and most enlightened | areonly called uponasa last resort, and, consa. | correspondent the other day, to the effect officials were banished or executed? It quently, they are not in such close touch nor | that it is the merchant that needs re......
are they forced to face auch complete pro- pressing. As long revealed what an entire and hopeless blems as daily fall to the lot of the Customs Government it must have its effect on the nonentity the Emperor was and what power for evil the Empress Dowager possessed.official. But by far the chief cause of the general bearing of the Consular and KANG YU WRI, an official who to-day should slackness and stagnation which is the Diplomatic Service throughout the Far
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THE CONSULAR, SERVICE IN
CHINA.
Nor must.
as this is the iden of the..
ས་ ་
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