BIN. Gaston Donnet, the able special correspondent of the Temps" in hina, has sent long and interesting account, of an interview he had at Wachang with Chang Chih-tung. The Viceroy," he writes, is a phenomenon, 'To begin with, he is honest, and, what is still more extraordinary," he is a patriot. Further. more, he is an innovator, docs not regard foreigners as altogether' barbarians, and thinks it would be to China's interest to cease gazing at her celestial rotundity, Finally, he can talk for two hours and say something. This in change from other high officials, who are quite cupable of talking four times as long without. saying anything. All strong men have their partisans and their enemies, and Chang Chih-tung is no exception to the rule, They regard him either as an inspired genius or as a meddlesome and imaginative idiot. He is both the one and the other, this little old man with the rapid gestures of a Southerner.
WANTED—4 FORMULA, He has convinced himself only too easily that Occidental seed will make his country blossom into a harvest, and he is anxious to be the sower. He forgets that ional changes are not brought about by the will of one man, but from the slow evolution of surrounding circumstances.
has never read Herbert Spencer or Tame, and he knows nothing of French, English and German, All he wants of Europe is a formula for reform, and, as soon as he thinks he has secured it, he will kick the Europeans out. Beneath his progressive exterior he has remained int posely Chinese, from his coral button to he tips of his thick-soled shoes, I am persuaded that he heartily detests us. His slews are all the more interesting, because his hatred of us is the outcome of reason, because he realises the inferiority of hix race ami is pained by it, because he has found something better to' do than smoke opium and accumulate wives, because he uses a quire of paper every day in draving up reports and schemes of all kinds, because he dreams of the distant times when China shall take her revenge, and because he is highly intelligent. He ix very progressive and very conservative—a state of mind that would be paradox'eal anywhere but in China,"
THE SITUATION, M. Donnet than proceeds to reproduce the Viceroy's political views, which have already been made known' through his celebrated pamphlet. Questioned as to the present state of aifsirs, his Excellency expressed the opinion that the conflict between China and the Powers would soon be "rided, pavided too much wore not required in regard to punishments, wherely the Emperor's authority would be diminished and a state of anarchy would ensue, to the great detriment of commerce. The Court, said the Viceroy, will return to Peking as soon as the foreign troops have evacus'ed Chihli, leaving only the smallest possible number of men considered necessary for the protection of the legations,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.