19th Nov.
THOsE who came to the conclusion after the war between China and Japan that the partition of China was inevitable, and who had their opinion confirmed' after the coup d'état in 1898, and again by this year's outbreak, have never been thoroughly reassured even by the protestations of the Powers, Russia included, that they would not make use of the present complications to obtain for themselves any territorial advantages in Chinese dominions. It has been feared that circumstances will be too strong for the Powers, even for those which have made their declarations of disinterestedness with no reservations whatever. There are signs now of such a disintegration in China itself as must almost certainly lead to a break-up of this great empire, and if it breaks up from internal causes, there will be a scramble among the Powers for the pieces, and the result will be the same as if it was a case of partition from outside. We are not speaking of the rebellion in the South, which now seems to have died down, or of any possible rising of Mahomedans in the north-west: re-hellions of more or less severity are always occurring in China, and through them all the country at large recognises the authority of the Government at Peking and obeys its decrees; but a very different and more menacing state of things is now in existence. The authority of the Empress Dowager, who is the de facto ruler of China, is being very often disregarded, and high officials are found disobeying imperial orders with impunity. It has been very fortunate for foreigners in China that that is so, for this disobedience began when the edict ordering the extermination of all foreigners was issued, Ifmany Viceroys and Governors had not treated it as a forgery, the death-roll of foreigners in China would have run up to thousands, not hundreds, If the telegram we publish this morning is to be relied on, Yi Keng, the Chinese Bannerman who represents China at Paris, has made up his mind to repudiate his imperial mistress altogether. He is reported to have said that the negotiations now going on at Peking, or supposed to be going on, are a mere pretence; that the Chinese plenipotentiaries, fearing the vengeance of the Empress Dowager, can only scheme, lie, and temporise, and that the Powers should release the Emperor from the disastrous tutelage of the Empress Dowager. The statement is quite true. Most otus in Shanghai have put no re-hance whatever on Li Hung-chang's peace negotiations; we have felt that it was his congenial work to "scheme, lie, and temporise but it is a little startling to find a Chinese Minister to a foreign nation saying so. Really, the object of the allies must be to get the Empress Dowager as well as the Emperor out of the hands of the Kansu ex-rebel chief Tung Fu-hsiang, who, under the pretence of protecting his imperial mistress, has, as we said some ago, got her entirely into his power.
nies means can be devised for suppressing this usurper, there will shortly be a break between the northern and southern divisions of China, which is likely to be a prelude to partition.
Another indication of the contempt existing in the South for the anthurity of the Empress Dowager and her gang is given by the funeral honours lately paid at Hangchow to the martyred members of the Tsungli Yamen, Hsii Ching-ch'éng and Yuan Chiang, both natives of Chekiang, who were barbarously murdered at Peking during the siege by the Empress Dowager at the instance of Li Ping-hong. A translation of the ode composed iti their honour will be found in another column. Another translation, in blank verse, has been sent us by a correspondent; it is worthy of the original, and we are glad to be able to present it to our readers
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.