Tris somewhat difficult at the present jaucture to form a. very satisfactory iden as to the precise meaning and probable results of the degradation of Prince Kong. Whelher it is comedy or tragedy, whether ils significance is percenble or warlike, whether it indicates a triumph of one party over the other, or whether itis simply intended as a piece of "bluff for the especial benefit of the Frenclh—all these points are. matter of the purest specu-Jation, on which the opinion of one man is worth just as much and just as little an the opinion of another. The particulars that have reached us are meagre, and we are atill unable to discover what Lins led immediately to the downfall of the Ministry. At the same time there are certain features of the situation to which it may be profitable to refer, with a view if possible to getting clearer notion of what are, after all, the Lnrest' possibilities. And,-in the first _pliow,..hat strikes us.as being at least noteworthy is the for that the blow was struck as soon as.ever the British and Americnn Ministers were safely out of Peking, and not till then, For weeks there had been an appearance of profound repose pervading the Tsung-li Yamen, to which we referred in our article of the 7ch instant, It was not until Sir Harry Parkes and Mr, Russell Young wore satisfied that this condition was likely to continue that they cided.that there would be no danger in their both absenting themselves from the Capital at the same time. That neither of them thinks very seriously of the matter even now—utlerly unex. pected as it was—may be inferred from the fuct that Mr, Young, after consult. ing with his colleague, lias gone South Yinatend of returning to Peking as he was fully prepared todo, We consider ourselves justified in ascribing some Weight to this fact. Hud an absolutely final rapture taken place between the Empress and hor brother-in-law it is fair to conclude that we should not now see Peking deserted by the Ministers and surely, the Imperial family cannot but be alive to the extreme danger "that would arise from their quarrelling among themselves. At the first glance, one is naturally disposed to attach importance to the fact that it is the hond and lender of the Ponce Party who has been disgraced, and this would neem to argue that a victory has been galed by those who are advocating war. O€ course, this is possible; especially when we remember the hotheaded and irritable disposition of the Empress herself, who, unlike a constitu. tional monarch, is said to favour very strongly the counsels of the war-like Sliqué." Another' and more probable explanation which has been offered is that the Haipress, angry at the delay, has resorted to the Vermilion Pencil as a spar to the Governmout,—a strong and somewhat startling hint that: the time has come when vacillation is no longer admissible.
The effect of this was no. doubt i tended primarily for jhe benefit i indeed, difficult to believe that some such. considerations did not weigh very heavily in the motives which prompted the Edict, The news will probably cause more gseusation in Europe than among: the best informed circles here, and will be made the most of by the Marquis, Teéug. The conclusion at which.we ourselves Lave arrived—if, indeed, it be not premature to arrive at a conclusion at all on such insufficient data—is that' the importance of the event muy not prove so very grent, Temporary.necessities for a senpegont are of constant occurrence in Chinese political life, and it is even within the bounds of possibility that the selection of Princes Kang for that responsible office on the present occasion was not altogether a surprise to himeelf, 'The difficulty is, none the less, still to be got over. For the Chinese to yield immediately to the demands of France would be impossible, and-we warn: our renders not' to be surprised alarming news reaches next few weeks. It is nothing less than imperative that China should assume a valorous front, and this if only for domestic reasons of much cogency. Supposing, for instance, that the entire burden of responsibility be thrown upon the shoulders of "Li Hung-chang, not only as the man fore. most in the Empire, but asthe star man who has been arming China against foreign Powers for- the Inst ton yours, Ho knows well enough the poworlessness of China; but the immediate avowal that such @ fact - should.be. his persounl rain, The strongest men in China, taken us a class, come from Hunan, These include 'eéug Kuochtiian, the acting Viceroy of the Linngkinng; his nephew the Marquis—for whom the Empress is said to have a high regard—Tso Teung-tang, Puo Ch'ao, Liu Chin-tang, Ch'gn Shih. chieh, lan Chung-lin, P'gug Ts'a-han, and P'éng Yii-lin, All these, we say, are strong men, and have constituted a clique of political friendship among themselves, with the Viceroy: of Chi supported by them, no power gould touch: Li; but if their influences were once combined against bim, he would ran a very serious risk of being broken. Therefore, when Admical Courbet appours with his fleet in the Gulf of Chibli, we may expect: to hear of a sharp and protracted struggle. The i Viceroy of Chili will be expected either to throw down the gauntlet, or to make such terms with the French as will land themselves ensily to those ingenious misrepresentations in which the rulers of China so greatly' excel whenever they have to make the best of a humiliating position in-the. eyes of their own world. The task cannot prove otherwise than a dificult one, and will try to the very. utmost the resources of Chinese diplomacy. Butit will have to be accomplished, niles the Goveriment defeat from foreign-foe or Ing itself open to the scorn atid resentment of three powerful classes—the literati, the sectaries, and the officials of Hunan extraction, From whichever standpoint we look at the, position of affairs internally, they appear extremely critical; and "although, as we have pointed out, the importance of the Pence Party having been disgraced may very ensily be over-estimated, it would be-a grave mistake to enpposethat there are no dangers and risks to encountered before the, final' pol ment is arrived at. The best foreign opin there is not Une slight Lope at present that the Peking Gover ment will relinquish their old. tengoity of purpose, or favour the to concession on" any Nothing' but-the atomest neces sch will bend them to the demands of and the Chi Since the abovs further and faller igonce has come to hand which to some extent modifies its ions. 'The elevation of the Seventh' the downfall of Prince Kung to be permanent, and may even affect the power of the Empress more or less considerably.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.