LI HUNG CHANG'S DIARY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1660, 29 January 1913, Page 8

LI HUNG CHANG'S DIARY.

j : > POET AND PATRIOT." p: U ■ XINES'TO THE LIBERTY ' }■:■■• v'/BELL;. '■■■.' - |£ .>,;■ FAREWELL TO AMERICA. , ?.''",:;.- Tho following'is'a' continuation of Li f;':i: v iHimg 'published by tho. t ; ;■■:■; London "Observer":—.' • ' '.■'■■. if: ■■■' : - "■■ 'Philadelphia,; tho City of ."Brotherly \y: :■'■/; Lovo; it is callod also tho City of tho I ■• ■ . Cradle of American Liberty*' : I want, to «: ' '- put down, a few impressions now, for in h "k :,: a few. days more I shall bo commanding |-';:','."' .tho long- journey;across/the- United States [/'•'''■: -toward tho ; I'aoifio iOceiui.,' and my be- :'.';. 'loved home.. -I am homesick for I';;/:.. China, and.although of late I have been j,-'.V-; : .. : . sending;brie.f dispatches by cable to tho | '.. '..Court,, always 'With love, and reverence f';''/''.' : ;fo'r.. : tho;illusWous';Th'rbhe,'':''l, am ' as Yr ■ ,;' anxious to toll,, Chiiia about my triumphal !'.-; ■■'::':. '.' Journeyjinforeign;lands as a first' wife. &i\: ls'rto relate l tho.-antics,of her first-born f,;:';:>;; ;! boy."-;;;- ; '-'-'.V;;: ; .;--' ■.:■■'.--■ ..-..'•'•- ■;'■••.-.; . I;■■/■] 'yj.l Hurig'Chang as Poet., •'•;. ':[.:}: y !..,-,:.:.-; -If Neiv'Yorki9 tho noisiest, most mind- | ■ y distracting v and''elbow-rubbing. place" I j;.i. :{■' over saw,' and Washington the most, beau- :.;-■'.:;; Tl tiful and open—though"-T- have no doubt j.'./-- lny-jFrendh.'friends'would' not-thank nio I; ■:■.'■ ''.: for sayingthis;"' especially: considering tho ;! ■;'.' • ;of j Pnrisr-Philadelphia -is; ono of P.,:..'. ith© most smiling„of,big. cities. ! , I think fl. ■:'■;-..' the place wcll-.namedi'City'.oflßrotherly -j Biit.'Ljam goingto a 'new. t; ;',•.' '} ititle, whiohititle I. told .the Mayor, , and !'-;,":,;';. lo -said; ho would ■writo it- down,: and (,'■„' - ■'"'• )• call it the Place „,of Va Million: : 'Smiles. h-'i':'. ..That. is.'.' almost poetic,; but'it is 'proper, p'v.*'.;■; torl-have also iwritten-'sonielines en the i;':./: Liberty .;Bell;; which'..nro yet to' : be re-" Sf' V, ; .written when lireturn,toiChina. ■ K ':/•[Whether"Li 'Hung Chang '.over re-' h^;, •:'wrote-his'lines upon the Liberty Bell,I-. .:;. .Icomppsed during his stay in ' Philadelphia, j;;- ■: is not"known.'' ,A. ! .''careful search of' h'is >'?'; and.notes fails to,reveal any, s,,'v .'. : fnithep ; attempt''tb-,impr'6vo', or. revise.the fefU tow several [v:;':. places in; his. memoirs, of 'later "date ho j;".,: .refers to the Liberty/Bell 'and -his"'Visit f,':.'-;."'.-;-':to Philadelphia;]■;'■;•;';':'-;' : '.■■'; ■":■'. |:'":' i: .V v :..The poe.in>to which'ho and which. Pv: .'. las an r cxcellejit cadence"and- metre,',-ac-i .V V cording to,. .Chinese is 'extreme-' \'<'\: ":ly.difficult l of: translation'.into'English if; ; r.7,;''''i''vthor J B'.'.--involved It may be.. '.'';;:; {.j'-.-'i :., JTo.niy point'put'tho symbol' »'::';. V^ : ,^bf;Liberty, : '.;';,^./i:V j i- ,|: '-i:.;V''f ; ■■■.....' ■ nf And : to; my ears,they "did- sound; f,i:.'':/.lt was/.qhly'.a'sp'und bf/.ding-Kiqng,:-,''--., : •.. r;;':..:'; .'And-it came from an'inst'rument v of brass f- '-ft-'T,.:''' ; ':' m nde7by'/maii;j,'';.,'^;;'-; v y l; "\./ ■>y |c : , : >-V.The;.bell';,did inot'iing to my ears; [;■!: - '. I.could .noit'ihear'itHe;;yoicD.in'ray ears; .. '■■ [■y':i But in, my heart its'tones took.-hold '.' L : ''':.,: ylSiid I,.learnedthilt its'.brazen itonguo '• ■') |-' ~ ;''/,iyETen':iii'''Sil«>iceVJ))ld.'|'6£ struggles .against i-'^ '■;'-.■.'■"■""..' .':,wronj[J.'■■';.'■,:,-. '■■. 'j;-. ';.'■■;';.'./ : ..";'■.',;■'' f'-:. • ■-.■,• ry : Y; ,- Theso:good' sons ■■•'of. America i,■ V :; ;~- Vi' p-':.),-'Call- tho;J/iberty;Boll,ancient; ;•/.;." ...;".■;■■: fi'X':'.<. But -l;-who';coni6-,from-tho oldest of the. vla'hds, ■'■'.•/■;. : .:.' ~:] . '".•.:.■; f:;y, ',':'-:-'A,' : student; .qi^tWipliilpsophy,;of the ages, £.'■;:Vw Knowthat-wha^.'tnis' ; ~ '(-'.'•''. Ms' of Heaven's "wisdom,'; }\ :',:.;' ■ ;:■: \ •:.:':/; •■■; ,' v ;;. : :v;.3lillionS,of.'centuries the earth, was H'/S' l -/.''■:/■'.'■'. bprn, I ',"-"'•■.;'iS-vV;);/!' i.i' •'■V;-'..;.vi,'•.' ■< ■ ';•''•;.;' : It repeats ( the hear.t;, words; of '• the, gods; , !;.'- ; f : ; ;'lt; rep'pafs,'.billy,.repeats:"'•■''. .■'.>'.'. i.'V: ,-.' u//But' let; : sd ,tp,tho end. ;: .;v ■/ .■■■' '.•,. . hi? prbse:regarding tho Liberty. Bell. j i \';-!: : ,:the,''Viceroy. sp?aks. its agej. but' tov/';;:'iri'a'~much,;;lighter;Veiii:-^.:. : v.-V - ■AXyXtie/iAheriy ißeUi^^ -''"I, 'i.'They:'(showed,' .'me a'.Jbeantifully.shaped ; ;;,.:; old bell.V'wliich l fs,'ih' Indtfiendenco' Hall, V, ''..'..-: x■.. and. is \ called tho Bell jOt, liberty; -.which p"- •;.'meansUliSfc.'at'-its ringiilgfall men within [V ;'•, * sound' of Jts '.voice.know they, are' free.,; p:.\ ;■'■" But. thby;.'do:.'npt;:rihg it;'anyV,inore,;be,- j ii ;;■ •' cause, it- is ;.crackedJ;.: Is /.liberty cracked (' >'/}:" : ';","•''','Vv',W. '*. ! '"? ■~'/.'""/.■. ■'.'•.'.'.".''/•'■'.".."','.'.' ";.. ( : 'v ■•■":■ -Wheti' I'was informed that it : was con- (•';:. ,vSidei'ed' '.'old," in ■ fact,'.'oalled:,'the.."Old t'vJ^V'liibcrty./Bellj'^-Ifasked, regarding its age,. \.-:\\! %'aiid >'solrib;Vof ijthe.'officialsvbegan: looking; I'c,',., quizzically one tb'ajiother:- The Governor f.-h'.i ''Vof v.the'''St'a'te''liim"self ! ;did ".'not,' know'its' tf; ; ' '/bge, biit;iiriapy''Spn;(S'fellow';'-with"sharp'! £;.;:',.;;',;..'. eyes 'discerned:. a':. dato' oh 'the:; symbol, I]."- ':</'whether. out'X'cannot, say.'.and l\ "..'v.■';._.announced;that-it; was some hundred or 6;V'.; ; V;:-twb''hundred''years; old/.-;' ■-yy .'.■-'. r,y v v;;':;/::Ho!:-';a : 'hundred;'or/'two'liiindred (I -fo'r-fc:-j'i^''pV..^icn>:^eaTs;'old!''.'Hb.!- i -';Wo woul'd E;-.-/;.■'."/':' 'laugh in,Chihdyf.qnyone should call ftny- .-,';.;..■•, ;thing J bld'at'/'thatvage,;'.'lt "is'iimply 'an $■. : J•/■ .-,;'■ infant, ;■ jtill sucklingi' I laugfhcd at: the I :,';:-'.;. : mention, .:.'and! ; -I v told v'the.:. Governor. "He j '•'.-.v. v. -winked and. said:--'yv" ."''■',.' ■'' ■-.'■. f '•; -L ' v "Yes,'//.Viceroy,-;, all the nations." are |.:;vv v ; compared.'.to )your' ven-' fi;.:;;;.erable land." .■;:';?■; h-: "-.: .■'.-'■■••".". |/j : ;: ; v;;:;;'Wjth( ; that : I-;bb'wed and-thanked him, ; [Vy/;; tod. I liked:him;for ;his,spcech;.';;;' ;:.. ■',;";.;;The,teajTax.^-:'-;;:v ; ..'! : .-,';.': v >'"!":■;'; -;■'''

k"? 1 'TKo:BT«at-celebration:for'oiir party in r ,:;.',';,• -this• ~citrr held principally; about the -;V' ■'. i; place .where,' the. 'Liberty Hall is guarded = ; ■;■:.:•;-'. ~ a ,--building called':lndependence Hall. f.-;-i a small struoture/ not half as large fi ,V ; i j,s tho Hall of' Sacred Reconhrat Canton,' |.:"■-. -:vnor;ev?n'of. the ', Temple of ..tho Great !•.:>, ;.Philosopher at the Forbidden City. Here t;.,.' ,1 ; ;.'>it was :toat-the 'first' Assembly of''Ameri-'. £,* ;>>;-■.- can .-representatives met'.- to; declare war i '■';.'..; upon (England and freedom from j; /;;•* . : heavy taxes? :, .::Tho: : Englislv. taxed: every■:',..thing the Americans used,almost,.except' ': j:, ,'ing.the air and water. ' '; . i " [^' ; i;^^:'.V :^e';■•w:o.l^;-/tax'.! pf■:'all;'■wa3:'•.upoll.■.tca■ K;'■:£• '■■ grown in China. :-Tho. Americans wer'o' p : ■'.'-; very.fond of tea, and they wanted much I-.---, i-'-of it.'So England decided that she could f ■;v ; r'Taise.. largo .revenues ;by taxing the tea. I .',' ,:', r Then : .tho Americans:throw,,the. tea into f. harbours,*tax''ah<l' ,i ''all, : 'and/''"would' i : v:,.;'drink nothing but milk and water, and? [:;■-.?:; whisky foriWlong time.' Not much tca : s,l . 'was drnnk.for eight years, when .'tho war- .'.,;•< ended with England beaten." It was what: !'. ~::«,•* she deserved:!! would hato any man who: r;' V .deprived mejof my sou-chong. '. -.•'■ .

1/The.Sleepy £ovim;: ■■■'!"-';'.'■ /-V:-,':-.-. -.:•':• Imustnotifo'rge'tthe Mayor of Philadelphia, tho''Honourable; Mr. Warrick, ■'-■' who was n'.jolly fellow, wearing;'a silk hat ■;.■■". and o perpetual smile.. The sinilo 'edited ,-.. his•' cjty.;"•■ My Honourable Mayor, -made .', ono >pf tho; longest:'speeches :I .'have heard' . :y. on "this trip, and he put raeto sleep, Yes, ■"-•'■'', l really fell, into a deep doze during his :■ oration,: and J it took -roars,: of Slaughter : ■' to awaken m'a-to the sense of my/position. ..••'.•': Whon I-optmedi'my eyes I sawthon- : .Bands of .-pepplo. laughing and clapping ..:•, their- hands,iand at.firstsl."thought: it -~ must have been ', some Very . humorous I or wifty remark'"of the. speaker's that ■. (had brought :about f such in ..extraordinary,' outburst of .good '■' nature. >; Then ■! > saw •/. that everybody was looking at me, in,. > eluding the Honourable Mayor himself. He was laughing with the rest! Of course, ,'"-.I felt, a little'embarrassed. Then the . said,'.'half'to ine and.half to the' immense audience :— ."His Excellency,: does riot liko long . speeches evidcntly>, so . I will cut mine .short." -: : ' . ; : : ," This being translated tome,'l, - nsked;my. -secretary to.say to, the Honourable Mayor ''.. that I did like long speeches, for.during. them I could have long sleeps. Tho HonBurablo :Mayor repeated' my.'\v6'rdsU6'.liis ; hearers arid "there was' laughter and Sheering for .several minutes, 'Anyway, : the Honourable' Mayor finished, what ho , had to say. quickly: , - ■- But was it'.uotjhumorous.that in all my travels,' lipweyer tired 'arid 1 ' worn I' might be,' I neycr went to sleep in public " before! 'f; .',,;■•....' .••-■-■■ ■ ' '( ' : -.'■'.-<- Late, Same Night. . To-night I'.visited the Union League, '' and was served a delightful Chinese din- ' nor: with wines arid tea from Canton. It was the bcst.'.':that: my stomach has received r.iiioe leaving home./A great num- ; bor of prominent people wcro there.. I . havo a complete list and will preserve it. ';; ': : Next -Morning.'', A Parting Invitation, ","■•'.' .General Hastings, tho Governor of ,thia irreat State, called upon mo this morning ■-.'■'to'bid me adieu, and to present, ono'.'or. ' ' two young ladies and several .members of '■ his staff.' I 'give tho G6vernor_n pressing invitation to'Visit'me in China, arid I :.- told him that if ho would come and spend '"■*■ half a year in the quiet of my home in : Canton I would make him so pleased and' comfortable that ho would not over want ■■■'■•'■ to return to tho. noiso of Pennsylvania. Ho thanked mo cordially, and said he '- would give'ths'.-mattcr careful thoii'ht. I am sure that Governor Ilastiiics is;!)/

far the handsomest man I have seen in nil these Western countries. Ho ought to hold the position of emperor or king, or at least be duke of a duchy. It was a pity that ho did not appear in uniform, for he is a horn gcneral-in-chief in appearance, and of the most commanding presence. I had several delicious American drinks called cocktails, and I asked Salang' to find out. just what ingredients were used and how (hey were made. There was just enough spico and sweetness to them to suit my taste, and I do not think they would hurt me if . taken not too frequently. ,1 feel that I will sleep most calmly tonight. After Three Days on the Train. Changes of Fifty Years. ■ Again I must think of Russia' with its vast'plains and heaven-reaching mountains. But here the parallel of thought must end, for with Russia all tho wild and newer country is far to the east, while in tho United States it is tho West that is wide-spreading.and new. ' In this wonderful Western Empire of tho American Union there ,is. the same spirit of enterprise ,nnd business, with all modern progress, that there is along tl» seaboard of tho Atlantic. And to think that fifty years ago there was not' 'a-settlement of stationary people in the hundreds-' of miles' we have been travelling since wo left tho great river of America,- the Mississippi.. ■ ■'. ; Can it be true?. Can it be that • all theso : changes have taken place since I took my examinations for the Hanlin? It must bo, for I have heard it from everyone, and a whole nation cannot lie. For hours and hours we travel, and see nothing but great ■ ranches .with cattle or vast•■ stretches., of,country without a living man or woman or fowl.. .Then, there will be a small town, then another;' then another, until finally 'the- train rushes through tho outskirts ,of a big city and into a depot that makes.. one think again of New York, Chicago, or London. And there are high buildings .everywhere, so high that men look like children when seen, from , their roofs. Heaven help .this 'country,,.whenever an earthquako comes!

Sky-Scrapers. '-.I, cannot see, in spite of the explanations that have been made to me, what is gained by having these, structures built lip .so that they- almost stop the clouds going'by.; Yes,,rcnn see in New-.York, for. New' York is .biiilt unOn.an .island, and the, shippers; and others, do not want to; go across rivers and bays-to dotheirbusines's.: -, The city becomes crowded, and land is, so valuable that those who own it send their edifices up,into the air, which is'frec to 'use as high as they Want, to go. ■" .Yes I can-understand New York's cloudstoppers, but I cannot understand, : why .thesa' Western cities, with cheap'land'for hundreds;of miles in all directions, wiil .try!to see how• many great: buildings-they 'can'-,'crowd together in one : place. . Still, I- suppose if I should write a whole volume and make a present of it for circulation among the business men of these citifcs they would not even thank'me for my,meddling.,,Anyway, it is none of my concern, and besides I do not expect to so'B.-the'.'places again'.'; ' '~'-.

:I. care nothing for mere places unless there: is some charm of the mind or heart to. draw and hold me'..'.iAnd;no .place because of-itself.- can have a claim- upon, ray;'-affections.-; There must -bo some.human 'or ancestral association coitnected with :a place if J am'to think; about it, ,or dream.abont it or write about it. : .

..Moscow as Moscow, is nothing-to me, butlns the place I, witnessed such /overpowering'ceremonials,';where I saw the Tsaritsa,; and;;whcrc I presented to her.the sacred- rin? sent by, tho illustrious ,and, cver-.vir.tuous Empress 'Dowager, .it is a- plaeo'. enshrined.deep in my.hcart. ,And ,so v;ith- Ikssn—T hate its smoke and lir-at, but I love Es«en brcause of Herr Krupn and admire Essen because of lier,;cannons.' .-/• ■ . .; .! '..'And so with-Hawarde.n'.'' ;A,nd so with Philadelphia and Washing■ton and Moiint; Vernon. . •.-.'■''...

: And so with home—where our loved pnps [are! .- ; ; . »'■ "■ ;i' '~, .',,. ■•■ ■ ; [Tue'.Viccroy wrote but.little*'more "f his memoirs .whilo on„Ameri' , «n «nil. His lnst : riarai?rnp).is, .written.a.t, S.an' Prancisco the day. before his, sailing for China,'arc as follows]:— .■'.■'■'. ■,■

Kome Across '.the Sea. ;' : .' ; ";;. -, : '. '.: To-day'niy. friends took me far out toward the Golden Gate, -«rhd gavo me my first view of tlih broad Pacific from this sido of ~thb->wbrld,'.- .. .-. i -I could not .believe .H was so' m any thousand .'miles' across.: T?or as I stood 1 there', upon those high cliffs, at .one side of the narrow eutrance to the great Bay of Sari .Francisco I strnihedmy tired eyes;across tho waters.'-.ind'l thought I could/see in ,tli>3 beautiful distance the holy mirage ■;of my native land. , Those pl>ou>. me .talked and pointed, but I heeded them not, for my very, soul Was reach : ngout to th<> souls of China.. I;.*aw th« Throne nnd I bowed my knoe,to their j'lnstrion.i ,V?iesties. I saw ; Tientsin and Canton and Hankow—all places I love arid will ever love. -.

. B«turnirig. to my; apartments >I ."-Jin'tl nothing more to. say.. I have, seen ..th° .world in these months; Now all. I, ask : ii;;th'S; supreme joy of. kissing the earth of my native land. ■•;■'■.'