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CHINA.
- THE NEW GOVERNMENT.
(CHINA MAIL.)
The long-delayed return of the New Emperor of
China to the palace of his ancestors, has been signalised
by an event that stamps, in a manner not
to he mistaken, the inauguration of a new era in
the foreign policy of the nation. It will be recollected
how much regret was felt by all Foreigners
on learning that; the Prince of Kung had been excluded
from the governing Council, on the death of
the late Emperor. Without knowing much of that
statesman's character or ability, it is still true
that the hopes of us wanderers from afar became
gradually centred in this man, and the policy, at
once wise and pacific, that he seemed desirous of
pursuing. It would be difficult to state all the
transitions of thought and conviction that were
passing through this eminent politician's mind, as
he sat on that eventful occasion in the Great Hall
of Ceremonies, that has cost England so many
millions of money to obtain. Those who reported
that scene at the time described Prince Kung as
wearing throughout the whole ceremony "an expression
of undisturbed sulkiness." From what
we have seen and learnt the conclusion would not
appear to be an erroneous one-that new and
profound thoughts were passing through the
Prince's mind as to the policy of maintaining any
any longer a ruinous, and, perhaps, senseless opposition
to the requests of the strange and uncontrollable
nations, that had sent their equipments
from the Far West, and had dared to
violate the virgin capital of the Celestial Empire.
May not old prejudices have been undergoing a
process of uprooting and new perceptions have been
crowding into the portals of a prescient mind, as
this grave old Chinaman sat viewing the uniforms
of England and France in that Hall where the foot
of a hostile foreigner had never trod before ? May
not the presence of that grey-haired descendant of
Bruce, whom the Prince of I had failed to entrap
at Tung-chow, seated on a chair till then under
operated by so strange a tenant, have opened the
wondering eyes of this now eminent Prince to an
extent that all the reported greatness of the
English had failed to accomplish The likelihood
is, that beneath that aspect of undisturbed
sulkiness which the Prince of Kung
wore at the signing of the Treaty, revolved
thoughts that had never before found an entrance
into his mind, and that then and there a policy of
peace and friendship with the Foreigner began to
receive its first shadowy outline. Be these things
as they may, tim late coup d'etat at Peking declares,
in a way not admitting of doubt, that relations
with the West are to be accepted at last, from
convictions of their wisdom, and not, as formerly,
from fear, or inability to oppose them. The
present coup is decidedly fatal to the anti-foreign
party, or to any dregs of that party yet remaining
near the seat of government. The facts of the
case are so far brief, and may be thus stated ; On
the death of the late Emperor, his autograph
decree was made public, by which eight individuals
were appointed as a Governing Council during the
minority. of the young Emperor, Tsai Ch'un. From
what has since transpired, and been divulged by
the Dowager Empress, mother of the young prince,
the deceased Emperor received very indifferent
treatment at the hands of one or two of those
noblemen ; they did what they could to alarm and
harass him, and if not by any darker means. at least
in this way, hastened on his illness until it
became fatal. Their next offence was an
insolent disregard for the person of the
young prince, and an abuse of their authority
so far as to utter decrees in his name,
altered in important respects after having
received his approval. It is, of course, very apparent,
that the contending influences were the Queen
Mother with her party, and the Council of Regency
appointed by the late monarch. It is to Prince
Kung that the Queen's party, doubtless, owes its
pro-foreign tendencies, and not to any leanings the
Queen herself can have to those who made her
a widow ; she had to contend with the Council
of Eight for the guardianship of the prince ; her
commands, were neglected, and the downfall of these
ambitious men became her immediate desire ;
she could do nothing without a party, and
no party could suit her wishes better than that of
the Prince of Kung. It was immediately upon
the new Emperor's arriv 1 in Peking that the blow
was struck, and the eight who formed the regency
overthrown to a man ; all of them being seized and
sent for trial before a great Council named for the
purpose. The result of that Council's deliberations
was to sentence to an ignominious death the three
leading members of the Regency to banish a
fourth to the frontiers, there to explain his
conduct in military successes and to de-
prove! the remaining three of office, one being allowed
to retain his rank ofDuke.ThoEmperor.incon-
sideration of their exalted rank, so far remitted the
capital sentences as to allow of one of the condemned
men being simply decapitated, and of the
other two having the still greater privilege of
despatching themselves in prison. By these events,
it is considered, the government of the country is
restored to the proper hands, and the head of the
Empire will now be the Dowager Empress, with the
Prince of Kung as Prime Minister. The friendly
policy of this now government towards ourselves,
appears none of the charges that were urged
against Tsai yeen, the Prince of and his
colleagues, viz that they had sought to entrap the
English Envoy in a manner that brought disgrace
upon the nation. Their and Barbarian policy was
also alleged to have been the cause of a great
trouble to the country. It is remarkable that
something like this course was dimly foreshadowed
by the dying Emperor, when he instructed his son
that good government consisted in " the adoption
of such changes as the occasion may require, "at
least the youthful monarch has quoted that passage
as his warrant for the present coup d'etat. It
is now probable that many years, will elapse before
we have any more trouble with the Chinese government.
The curtain falls upon a peaceful tableau at
Peking, but simultaneously, another curtain begins
slowly to ascend at Shanghae, and disclose the
grim and desperate features of the Rebels.
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