LI HUNG CHANG'S DIARY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1649, 16 January 1913, Page 4

LI HUNG CHANG'S DIARY.

. PERILS OF NEW YORK, CLEVELAND AND BISMARCK. ' ' A TALK ON WIVES. REFLECTIONS AT GRANT'S TOMB. |Xi Hung ,Chang, having run tho gauntlet of tho interviewers— and woistcd thom—continues lus obseivations upon How York.] Of all tho cities in tho world I think Now York is the worst. Tho worst, least Milted to*tho bfc of Li Hung Chang, I mcanj Of course," they didnot think of mo wne.li they were building it. But I would not want to live where, if on earthquake happened, ten thousand [tons of stone and iron would topple over on my head. Oh, I have pains now in my head and neck from loolnng up! And when I was looking up thcro woro hunitlreds of thousands looking down at me— tiko people- in ciovices ot gioat ohlVs lour times, higher than our tallest pagodas. vHad they been enemies how easy for one or ton ot them to drop heavy boulders down into mj enrnago! > \ i Later, Samo Night, fThB President's Gift, Tho fine pibtuio 01 President Clov eland which I uifldo him promiso mo in New York was a special Government messenger this evening. Mrs. Cleveland's picture alao accompanies tho President's, aild'there is this insonption iu ■her own hand- "Joining with the President in sending photographs to tho most distinguished 'of Chinese statesmen. _ 1' ttlso request that assurances ot mj hignest esteenl bo; ( 'given to hei Majesty tho jEmpres3 Dowager.". <■ It is told mo that'of ell thoso fair wojrnon who have been mistresses of tho fcxeoutivo (Mansion at Washington. Mrs. Cleveland is one of tho most lovablo. This [I can readily Relievo, for I do not Know When or whero I havo seen a faco 'and [form more pleasing to the eye. I would call her the Mother of Graciousnes l . and tho Sister'of Heavenly Love. As tho chief Lady of the United States she is an ornament to her set and a glory to womankind tho world I wisn tho illuf' tridus and sacred Empress Dowager could know Mrs. Cleveland and tho Tsnntsa. >, President Cleveland could not have paid a higher compliment to royalty than ho Idid to me and tho members of oar party. , lit was so great and affecting that I an/thoriscd- C'iiung to expend 1300 taels upon 'a message to the Throne tolling of tho lAmencatt President's auperlativo compliment in'coming all tho way. from Washington t& Now York to gieet us. Could . tho havo^done ( moro?, No, if ho hrid ot- ; (fered me'the post, of Secrctniy of State I could not have felt more highly honoured. I cannot compare Mr. Cleveland with , nny man vvhom I have met, unless it is ,with Prime Bismarck. Yet, while ho appears toihavo tho great force and will power of, the Iron Chancellor, I am suro (ho is not possessed ot tho samo quick ■temper."/'! Bismarck kicked ono of his hounds Ihnd slapped lO'lackoy for lotting Itho dogrget in his way. I cannot lmagino (President, Cleveland doing that or getting 160 red m-tho faco as Bismarck did. Still, v ono cannot always toll. A Domestic 'Incident. I had'-tt wife once who before sho came to my htjusaTVivas tho flc} bonification of meekness aiKriovability.* I almost began to •beliovo beioro marnago that she was too,mild in mind to bo leally human, but in six weeks sho began, to makomj tea bitter and to .treat mo as if I were the tail instead of tho head oi that catab- ■ lishment.- •! pnuMier twenty shoes ot mlveo nnd-'sent her away. / This some ot the questions of anothe.r-*rcporlci\'m Now York. He i" wanted to kndw how many -wives I had,' and after I ,told him I had ns many as I nedediho'was impertinent enough to ask T,'needed. Tlio question did not please me, but I did not let him ' know it! for that would havo been a satis- , faction to him, nhich I did not wish to \ give. And so I asked "How many wives ' -Lava you?",? Ho answered quickly, "None'';' ' * '• - "Coocf,". I said, 7' you look as if you might bo' ablb W takVcaro of just that number.'f '. *" • ' , AVhen, Ma.* Cleveland and myself talked about -women,in America and China iV was'different. The President was enlightenment, and so was I l He laughed heartily when I told him I that if he! w he-President of China he i would have, a* he has here, but one wiio 'in full leenh'Status, but that undoubtedly ho would also possess i seccndaiy wife 'in each proviutc, or perhaps n»oro. I "So, no," lio> said, the tears of laugh- , ,ter running down his checks "But, come to think ot it," ho continued, "it takes a man cupablo of managing sixteen oi eighteen ,Clilne c o woman to govein ono American glil" , th«" Keyjfjif'.the City.. < ' I cannot 'pretend ■ now., to -tell •, of ; Our, nctivitietf'in-''New , York, with : tho dinners and "receptions/sand tho speeches. ..The ' Mayor presented me with tho keys of tho city; ;at*Jcait,'that *is what -ho'said',-he; WoiS:d6ing.3;The ceremony meant that I could, go-whore-.I pleased, eat and purchase what I pleased and even buy fine silks and' satins',''and -tho country would pay- ! lor;.it^all.;.;. , ;But.ns.it happened' I Wasn't allowed at any timo to go whero I iplcased,- nor-to'spend.sb much' as a cash (about;one^iglith;of.a v 'cent). ; ! v, , /'-_ •:. I ' j A\gTea'tvrlv,er, as ! wide ns.ours at Hankow', bo'nrids.i.the -city upon ono side. I wentJup:V,tbjs.uhe,stream 'when .1 was takcn'to'visit-.the-,tomb;of the-great Gen-, eral MrahtV\Vhb:>put down tho rebellion •o'f the Confederates: as r had put down the Ion? turmoils' of tho Taipings. And, strangely -enough,'.! was fighting tho Tailings with- ■Ching' and Gordon in ,1863 (while General Grant was fighting' to reach tlie reljel v capital.-...... ...,', ,* , - •'I-think,'if they wanted-to win, that iho Confederatesr.used-, poor: judgment- ' the}-'-placed'their capital -so- near the old/ctfnital. of the country. Why, ilio 'distance; is not greater than that between Shanghai-- and Nankin! -If their, army lost: the battles in front of their capital, their Government must run away. <rr fall into the-hands of tho other side. A Government that is running ljke a rabbit or trapped like a guinea-pig does not command much respect from its followers. I Jmvo looked at the map of the Confederacy, and I would havo established' the "capital ' someplace in Texas. It could be moved later. At ■Grant's-'Totnb,--..; .;■-..':■■;...•-:-.-■ ' I cannot'shed tears as some people do those who shed them when , they break the shell of a painted eggBut my heart was full of bitter sadness and sweet memory when I stood besido tho tomb of my glorious departed friend, General 'Grant. Of course,:l' was - in - v man • ner happy to think and know that I could Btand at his holy grave and speak.to him in tho Other Land.of -Blissful-longevity. It is at the grave .''of, the. departed that ono's words are of most effect. The soirits linger there-to listen, and when tho distressed''friend- comes and speaks his words are cnughtup and carried to the Sacred Hollow where tho Heyen Springs are always flowing. And.so I told the spirit of, my 'departed and illustrious friend that I,had come all the way from distant China to look upon his tomb ns I had looked i'ptn his faco eo many years ago. And it was the very truth,'for while I had mi cfli T cial mission to perform for.my. Sovereign and a message of goodwill to tnko to the Tsar'and to tho rulers of Belguim, Germany, and tho other countries, 1 had in my heart a loving desire to SDeak my inmost thoughts to tho spirit of the fnnious American commander. .11 could not, havo returned satisfied to China had IJeft this sweet and fioirersccnted duty unperformed. I offered sweet " incenso. nhit' holy flowers to his spirit. T placet] v a;''.bpbklet of prayers at 'his head, arid! asked'his blessed 6Dirit to think ''of-meialways- and givo.mp. welwmo to the Lnhd of Sunshine nnd . fj'ilrjen Ho'ftft. 'This dcneriani Ailed with an n'cn'i of peace and content; just as when, at the grave of my illustrious and most

jioly mother, I.find joy of tho heart and incense of tho mind. . . I have thought and thought so muwi of Goneral Grant. He came to Chini covered with tho honour and plaudits of the whole.world;-and'wo honoured-him t still more. Wo hbhouretl ;hiin as' rio loreipnei; before or sinco has been honoured in our country.' ~ * '' •' And—is it' not ! strange ? Of 'General Grant I was thinking :when the Japanese ruffian attempted my _ lifo !at Shimoncseki, when the Marquis Ito and myself; ' as representatives of 'our nations, were engaged in tho' treaty 'of peace. " Is it not,strange? ■ ■ Yes; I even looked beyond to tho trees of General Grant and Mrs. Oraat and s'poke to him as I felt the biirniug of the maniac's bullet. t - [Tho Viceroy's memoirs take it as being well 'known- that, during the visit of General and Mrs. Grant to the Far E 'st the Japanese honoured them, among m/viy hays, .by the planting of two trees on a littlo island opposite the city of Shimoneseki, dedicating tho ground as isacml. 0 Upon one tree Was hung a copper por--1 trait and inscription of tho General, and j a like placard with the picture of Mrs. Grant " upon, the other. It is recorded locally that soon after General i!rani's c -(loath,the tree dedicated to him withered t away, but'that the 1 other grew green and [ luxuriant .until Mrs. Grant's death.' wheu it,. too, diid.]—London "Observer." ■