Dosina the past month we received from our correspondents in Peking many letters, which although lacking definiteness and consistency with regard to the action and ends of the three greater political parties in the recent time of crisis, yot satisfy us upon what to foreign residents in China is the supreme question, that is: the stability of the State.
The Eastern Empress is dead; the Western Empress is in a precarious condition -of health, and the boy Emperor, though he may live for some months, or for a fw years, is not likely to attain to manhood. The death: of the Eastern Empress, and the unhappy concurrent incidents, precipitated the solution of many Imperial and dynastic questions. The questionablesovereiguty, whose legality as been hotly disputed, will probably soon be settled by the death of a weakly boy. The question of regency may be brought to an end at any moment by the death of the Western Empress, and there are signs to show that arrangements have been made to provide for what is now the urgent and imminent matter of success sion, About four weeks since, the Imperial Princes T'au, Kang, and Ch'an, the leaders of the Palace party and the representatives of what may be termed conclave by the pre-eminent Chinese notables, Tso Tsung.t'aug and Li Hung-chang.
Tt was known that between Tso and Li, old disputes existed, which perhaps did not constitute positi enmities, and there were many regrets that the ae friend and ally of the rivals—Shén Pao-chén—had died, and that no other man could now act as authoritative intermediary. The history of the old rivalry between the two great Chinese leaders is this, At the time of the final and successful effort to cope with and overthrow the Taepings, feo had charge of the Imperial forces in Chekiang, and Li was at the head of the Imperial armies of the Liang Kiang. At various conjunctures, one of which was at the time deemed to be critical, jealousy was evoked, and Li when called upon to give aid either refused help or least did not assist who was waging difficalt and un tain war against the rebel hordes, Ca Li's part, however, it can -bo urged that his position was uncertain, full of difficulty, and at times seemingly desperate. Li. was. pitted against the Chung Wang, o remarkable leader of men; @ bold, enterprising, restless, and astute warrior, whose rapid combined movements show him to have been a master of the art of irregular war, On many occasions Li was overmatched, and if skilled foreign help and arms had been wanting, it is probable Li could not have withstood the rebel hosts, But the victories of Ward and Burge. vine, and, finally, and in larger measure, the rapid avd continuous successes of Colonel Gordon, gave confidence to the Imperial cause, and when to Fatal Li's ceaseless and stubborn endeavours, was added the assistance of Adumirals Hope and Protet, the advautages of foreign support, foreign arms, and Gordon's strategic genius, the scale turned. The contest soon became no longer a doubtful straggle.. The rebels were flanked, their positions were turned, their triple lines of
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.