Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 February 1875 — The Late Emperor of China. [ARTICLE]

The Late Emperor of China.

The late Emperor of China, who at one time had his name changed to Kitsiang, and afterward resumed his original name T’oung-chi, was born April 21, 1856, and was the eldest son of the Emperor Hieng-jung. After the death of his father, which occurred Aug. 21,1861, he succeeded to the throne, and reigned until Feb. 23, 1873, under the joint regency of the Dowager and the Empress Mother, when he became of age and formally assumed the reins of government. The regency of these two ladies had been successful in the highest degree. During the twelve years they had jointly wielded the power of the Empire peace with foreign powers had been maintained and all internal rebellions suppressed, and the young Prince ascended the throne without having any discordant elements to contend with. At the very beginning of his career, nevertheless, a very important point in Chinese court etiquette had to be decided. It was a question as to whether the foreign ministers representing England, France, Russia, Germany and the United States at Pekin should be received by the Emperor without the perfbrmance of any humiliating ceremony. This point was satisfactorily settled shortly after, and the foreign ministers were accorded an audience on May 6, 1873, at which they congratulated the Emperor upon his accession to the throne of his fathers. Before he became of age, or, to speak more definitely, when he was in his seventeenth year, "a still graver responsibility that of marriage was thrust upon him. On Oct. 16,1872, he was married to a lady of high rank by tne name of Alute, the grand-daughter of a General who had been deposed years before for want of success in a campaign against the Taeping rebels. The old General was eventually reprieved, but his property, which had been confiscated, was nipt returned, and his son, seeing no other road to fortune open to him, devoted himself to study. In the metropolitan competitions he' successively re ceived high honors until ten years ago, when, examined in the palace in the presence of the Emperor, he won the first rank among the scholars of the Empire. This at once gave him the rank of Ghmongquen, which entitled him to a high place in the Empire, and the elevation of his daughter to the position of Empress was due to her attainments in letters no less than her beauty, as she had received a thorough education from her father. The marriage was celebrated wuth great pomp and ceremony, and the expense attending on it was said to have amounted to between fifteen and twenty millions. This wedding, how’ever, included the taking of other wives besides the Lady Alute, the Emperor being also compelled to take to wife three ladies of the first degree, nine of the second degree and twenty-seven of the third degree, and nine times nine, or eighty-one, concubines. Previous to his majority, on Dec. 21, 1872, the Emperor entered into the full discharge of his functions as High Priest of the Empire. In the Chinese ritual the winter solstice is a sacred day, and is described by thjqaas Yih Yong Seng, “the birthday of the year,” and is consecrated to the worship of heaven. On that day the Emperor was borne in his car, or chair, of state, which was coyered with yellow satin, and carried on the shoulders of thirty-two men, clad in robes of scarlet silk, to the sacred inclosure or temple, where he was to receive his initiation and make his vows and offerings. There he passed the day in fasting and purification, and the night in vigils. At dawn the next morning he ascended the steps of the "high altar, and after bowing his head to the ground eighty-one times concluded by offering a bullock, • which was consumed as a burnt sacrifice. This was dor® by the young Emperor as a preliminary to assuming charge of the Government. While the first festivities of the reign were just commencing the news was brought of the complete subjection of the Mohammedan kingdom in the Southwest, the Panthoz State, as it was called, which for many years had disturbed the peace of the adjoining provinces. This was held to be a good omen and was said to indicate that a long and prosperous reign might be expected. Of the personal character of the young Emperor little or nothing was known outside the yellowtiled walls of the palace. He is said to have been childish in his tastes and amusements, and was surrounded by all that was calculated to foster idleness and sensuality. The deceased Emperor was the seventh of the Tsing or pure Mantchoo or Tartar dynasty, and his successor to the throne is a prince five years of age.— New York Times. It is all up with cremation. Lady Dilke’s spirit has “manifested,” and says the proces* is very painful. She hopes it will noßecome popular. Possibly she finds it difficult to materialize.