Mr. Conger to Mr.
Hay.
Legation of the United States,
Pekin, China, January 29,
1900.
No. 315.]
Sir: I have the honor to confirm on the
overleaf my telegrams of the 24th and 25th instant1 and to inclose translations of
two imperial decrees upon which they were founded.
[Page 92]
P’u Ch’un, who, by the decree of January 24, has been selected as the
Heir Apparent, is the grandson of Prince Tun, a brother of the present
Emperor’s father and also of the late Prince Kung, who was so long at
the head of the tsungli yamen.
When the present Emperor Kuang Su was selected, there was much
disaffection and criticism in official circles because he was of the
same generation as the Emperor he succeeded and because he was not in
the direct line of succession. By naming the present selection the
adopted son of the late Emperor Tung Chi the theory is that the direct
line of descent will again be established and preserved.
It will be noted that the decree is apparently the voluntary act of the
Emperor, yet it is well understood that this, as well as all of his
public utterances, are simply expressions of the will of the Empress
Dowager, and it is almost universally believed that this is another step
toward the early abdication of the Emperor.
The general report on the street is that the abdication will occur on or
near the Chinese New Year, which will be the 31st instant.
A brief decree by the Empress Dowager, published yesterday, and a
translation of which I inclose, concerning the celebration of the
Emperor’s next birthday, rather indicates that the abdication is not
soon to happen. Yet I shall be prepared to discover that the last decree
is only another clever move in some way not yet understood to bring
about the retirement of the Emperor.
The event so far has created little excitement among the Chinese,
although there are rumors of opposition in the south and in some other
parts of the Empire.
I shall keep you advised by telegraph.
I have the honor to be, etc.,
[Inclosure 1.]
A decree published in the Pekin Gazette January
23, 1900.
Let Prince Kung (P’uwei) and the princes of the third order, Tsai
Lien, Tsai Ying, and Tsai Jun, the grand secretaries, the ministers
of the presence or grand chamberlains, the ministers of the grand
council, the comptroller of the imperial household, the ministers of
the Imperial College of Inscriptions and of the office of imperial
instruction, the Chinese and Manchu presidents of “the six boards,
and colonial office prepare for audience to-morrow (January 24).
[Inclosure 2.]
An imperial decree published in the Pekin
Gazette January 24, 1900.
In our youth, when we were selected to the succession of the Empire,
the Empress Dowager carried on the administration of the Government
behind the curtain, and she was extremely diligent in the
instruction she gave us on important and unimportant questions; in
fact, nothing was left undone. After we assumed reins of the
Government a different state of affairs presented themselves. We
have been most anxious that every energy and effort should be put
forth by us for the proper administration of the Government in order
to reverently show our gratitude for the kindness we have received
from the Empress Dowager and to respectfully aid in performing the
important duties intrusted to us by the Emperor Tungchih.
But since last year the condition of our health has been bad, so that
the many perplexing questions of government that have arisen has
given us occasion for anxiety But we reflected also on the
importance of worship at the Ancestral Temples and [Page 93] altars to the spirits of the land,
and earnestly entreated the Empress Dowager to instruct us in the
administration of government. A year and more have elapsed, but we
have not regained robust health.
We have not been able to go in person to offer the great sacrifices
at the temples of Heaven, Earth, Sun, and Moon, or to perform
worship at the Ancestral Halls and at the altars. Since the country
has been confronted with so many perplexing questions we have
observed that the Empress Dowager, both night and day, has been
worrying and shown anxiety, and she has had no time free from
care.
We have tried to comfort my body and save myself trouble, but to no
avail, and even when eating and sleeping I have found it difficult
to get repose. We reverently reflect on the difficulties attending
our ancestors in creating and perpetuating the Government, and we
are very much afraid that we are not able to bear the responsibility
of our office. To recall the time when we were selected to succeed
to the Throne, we remember that the Empress Dowager issued a decree
that on our having a son born to us he would be appointed the
adopted son of the Emperor Tungchih. This is well known to both our
ministers and people of the Empire. But we were afflicted with a
chronic disease and it would, in consequence, be difficult to have a
son born to us, and the Emperor Tung would therefore have no
descendant. This concerns the succession of the Dynasty, and is a
matter of the greatest importance. We have anxiously thought about
this matter and find that we have not a leg to stand upon. With alf
my ailments how can we hope for a complete cure? We thereby implored
My Sacred Mother to cautiously select from the imperial clansmen a
near relation of good character to be the adopted son of the Emperor
Tungchih, so that in future he may succeed to the Throne. We
implored and implored Her Majesty, and finally she gave ear to our
prayer and assented to P’u Ch’un, son of Prince Tuan (Tsai-I) being
adopted as son and Heir Apparent of the Emperor Tungchih.
Having received the Empress Dowager’s rescript giving her assent, we
must say that our gratitude is inexpressible, and we carefully obey
Our Mother’s instructions and appoint P’u Ch’un, son of Tsai-I, as
son of the Emperor Tungchih, thus continuing the succession of our
Dynasty.
Let this decree be universally promulgated for general
information.
[Inclosure 3.]
A decree issued by the Empress Dowager and
published in the Manuscript Pekin Gazette on the 28th of
January, 1900.
Next year (July 22, 1900) the Emperor will have reached the thirtieth
anniversary of his birthday, and it is right and befitting that the
occasion should be celebrated by the observance of proper
ceremonial.
Let all the proper yamens examine the precedents and fixed usages as
to the ceremonial that should be observed on such occasions and
memorialize us on the subject.
