Chapter 14 Looking at the sky with "foreign eyes"

⊙ On December 12, 1915, a report in the "New York Times" once described Yuan Shikai's figure: "Short and strong, with a thick neck, and a slightly fat body." The US Minister to China Rui Enshi also described: "He is tall and strong. Stocky, but with an expressive face and quick manners." ⊙On December 6, 1911, Prince Regent Zaifeng resigned.The New York Times reported on this at the time: "The empress dowager today issued a proclamation announcing the resignation of the young emperor's father, Zaifeng, as regent, signed by members of the cabinet. Pointing out that the current government is not governed by the people. Welcome, and a constitutional government has yet to be established. The proclamation states that the Regent felt his regrets came too late, and he begged to resign as Regent, expressing his sincerest desire to renounce politics. Due to Misguided, he has endangered the people. His resignation is therefore accepted. The retiring Prince Regent will receive an annual subsidy from the Crown totaling fifty thousand taels (approximately thirty thousand U.S. dollars).”

⊙British Hurd wrote a letter to London, once talked about his views on the political situation of the Qing Dynasty: "Although Prince Gong is peaceful on the surface, he secretly opposes progress, rejects foreigners, and advocates war. Prince) and his friends are instead for peace and progress—I am half inclined to believe that this is the correct interpretation. In China sometimes the law of inversion has to be applied. I think that if Qiye controls the government, it is likely that China is really able to progress." ⊙In 1900, the British Hurd wrote a paper entitled "China, Reform and Great Powers" in the "Fortnightly Review".It tells a fable about a donkey: the old man and the boy went to the market with the donkey, and they met an economist who advocated reform, and taught them that it was a waste to have a donkey and not use it, so the old man got on the donkey.Another reformer who advocated children's rights blamed the old man for having the heart to let the child run with the donkey, so the child rode the donkey instead.The third reformer blames the child, how can the old man stagger and walk?So, the old and the young rode the donkey at the same time.People from the Animal Protection Association quit, saying that the most appropriate way is to lead the donkey.In the end, the old man, the child, and the donkey all fell into the ditch, and the reformers who suggested it were helpless.Hurd's conclusion is: don't criticize China's reforms, "people may be most familiar with the field they are in."

⊙ "Cambridge History of China" commented: "Luo Ergang's "Outline of the History of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom" is still the best introductory work." ⊙The New York Times once commented on Yuan Shikai: He believed that the number of wives and concubines was a sign of a man's ability. He liked women with bound feet and wanted to be an emperor. Some traditional vices. ⊙He Tianjue is an American missionary and a diplomat stationed in China. In 1895, He Tianjue wrote "The True Colors of the Chinese".In the book, he commented on Li Hongzhang in this way: "His manners and ways of thinking are more like a soldier than a politician. He is taller than the average Chinese, his voice is hoarse and full of spirit, It feels very civilian and accessible.”

⊙Sir Besford, a retired British Rear Admiral, described his impressions during his visit to China from September 30, 1898 to January 9, 1899 in his report entitled "A Detailed Account of China".The report said: The Chinese government is extremely corrupt, poor and weak, with erratic court orders, and does not abide by treaty and tax rules.Taxes are complicated in various places, and there are many checkpoints in the mainland. Tariffs, sub-import taxes, likin, etc. are numerous and have no rules to follow. Foreign businessmen suffer from them. ⊙In a report in The New York Times on August 4, 1867, it was mentioned about the education of the Qing Dynasty: "The degree of education popularization among Qing people is at least comparable to that of Britain. Those coolies who lived at the bottom of Qing society , that is, people who are derisively called "pigs" can still read and write. Ordinary private schools are found in every corner of the Qing Dynasty, although parents must pay an extra fee to them to send their children to these schools. Some parts of the Qing Dynasty now have public schools, which are subsidized to a certain extent by the government, and these schools are free to the poor. Furthermore, there are countless private schools in every city for the children of the rich. "

⊙In his report "A Detailed Description of China", Sir Besford talked about China's military situation in the late Qing Dynasty: "The arsenal in Hanyang is under the jurisdiction of the governor of Huguang. The equipment in the factory is all kinds of first-class German-made machines. I particularly noticed Many modern milling machines... I saw expensive heavy machinery everywhere in the factory, intended to make a 12-inch 50-ton Krupp cannon, but none of the machines were fully assembled. I also witnessed A large number of machines for making gunpowder have not been installed."

⊙William Ding said, "Prince Gong's star of destiny rose in the dark storm", relying on "extraordinary intelligence and courage", "at the critical moment of the royal family's crisis, he stepped forward more than once", "embarrassed The situation has increasingly brought out the dignity and calmness of Prince Gong." ⊙ On September 15, 1872, the "New York Times" published a telegram from San Francisco: "San Francisco, September 13th: The thirty Qing students who arrived here yesterday are very young. They are all very hardworking and excellent Miss and Gentleman, handsome, much better-looking than any Qing people who had visited America before this. They were accompanied by three teachers who were Qing officials. The Qing court allocated one million dollars for The education of these students. This group of Qing girls and gentlemen who came here to receive education has received great attention. Because the previous batch of Qing students were influenced by Christianity when they were in the United States, this time they will be taught strictly among these students Confucianism, let them believe in Confucianism. In addition, the 'Four Books and Five Classics' and the laws and regulations formulated by Emperor Kangxi will also be part of their regular curriculum."

⊙On April 24, 1906, the "New York Times" published a telegram from Shanghai: "The "Lhasa Treaty" has been signed in Beijing. According to this agreement, the British government recognizes that the Qing government has sovereignty over Tibet. The British government will not Interfere in Tibet's internal affairs, unless other powers take actions that impede the Qing's sovereignty over Tibet. At the same time, the Qing government will agree to open markets and trade in parts of Tibet to India, lay telegraph lines, and may formulate plans for railway construction in the future At that time, priority was given to the request of the British government. In addition, the Qing government agreed to pay 1.25 million yuan for the expedition to Sir Young Husband, the British colonel who arrived in Lhasa in April 1903, and the expedition team led by him.”

⊙ On February 4, 1892, the "New York Times" published a review titled "Emperor Guangxu Learned English".The article said: "The 20-year-old Emperor of the Qing Dynasty (in the Qing Dynasty, the people called him the Son of Heaven) is currently teaching English by two British and American-educated students from Beijing Guozijian, and this matter was issued by Emperor Guangxu. Inform the whole country." "Emperor Guangxu condescended to learn foreign languages ​​because he and his political advisers believed that the era of sticking to the 'old rules' formed 3,000 years ago is over, and that to deal with today's great powers, one must respond accordingly. Change the national system." "Some ministers around His Majesty even hope that the Qing Dynasty should occupy a proper position among the ranks of civilized countries in the future."

⊙ "Cambridge History of the Late Qing Dynasty" said: "Since Li Hongzhang became the Minister of Commerce of Beiyang in 1870, the leadership of the Self-Strengthening New Deal has been held by this powerful figure." ⊙The "New York Times" on August 29, 1886, excerpted some interesting facts about the life of the Qing emperor's concubine selection and sleeping in Hong Kong's "Daily News": "The prince must get married when he is 15 years old. If he is determined to be the crown prince, he must pay for it. He chooses the crown princess. One year before the election of the official crown princess, the clan mansion will first select a court lady who is one year older than him for trial, and teach him how to be a husband. When the Qing emperor went to bed, there were eight There are sixteen maids from the Ministry of Internal Affairs to assist. Their duty is to serve the master, and they are not allowed to sneeze, cough, spit or make any noise." "Every Spring Festival, His Majesty the Emperor and the Empress To co-host a palace banquet. The Empress sits on His Majesty's left. This is the only time of the year when all the concubines gather and the Emperor can see all his lovers and compare them."

⊙On August 20, 1900, the Eight-Power Allied Forces basically occupied the entire city of Beijing.A reporter from Russia's "New Frontier" described the scene he saw: "In the evening, everything was silent, and the gunfire had stopped. I went up to the city wall again and looked at the city. Over the sky of this ancient city, there used to be two From one o'clock to two o'clock in the afternoon, dreadful ammunition was flying everywhere: red-burning lead bullets, steel-cast grenades, and even ancient cannonballs made of pig iron by the Chinese people. On this quiet ancient city wall and on this Beneath the walls of the holy capital, people's blood has been shed for twelve hours."

⊙After Yuan Shikai left the mountain, the British Minister to China Zhu Erdian commented on Yuan Shikai: "No one is more suitable than him to play the role of mediator between the Han people and the Manchu imperial family. He is the most trusted representative of the Han people." ⊙The records of the French on the signing ceremony of the Sino-British Treaty of Beijing are different from those of the British.They made the point of their ridicule at the arrogance of the British in the ceremony, as if they were their buddies in the Qing Dynasty: "The Chinese always understand priority and etiquette in their own way, and they are very careful and careful in this regard." Sensitive... (Elgin) showed arrogance, sternness and excessive presumptuousness towards the Prince of China, which made the Prince of China extremely agitated and showed it on several occasions." ⊙In the "New York Times" on November 18, 1906, there was an article "Observation of an American Lawyer", which talked about the laws of the Qing Dynasty: "The "Law of the Qing Dynasty" is very unique, and the punishment is quite heavy, which is extraordinary. A few months ago, a robber from the Qing Dynasty in the suburbs of Shanghai was sentenced to "death in a standing cage", that is, he was put in a standing cage with his head sticking out of the cage, stuck in a hole and unable to move. Take a stone from the pile of stones until its neck is tightened by the cage and suffocate to death. In addition, there is another kind of death penalty called "Ling Chi", which is to cut off the prisoner's body piece by piece, which makes him feel so painful. Execute the robber The usual method is beheading." ⊙ On October 23, 1858, the "New York Times" published a group of news articles, which said about the cavalry of the Qing Dynasty: "These Tatar cavalry did not have bows and arrows, but each carried a musket on their shoulders. Their gunpowder Rough looking, with little lumps of lead in their magazines besides the bullets. Every man has a pipe and a fan in his boot." ⊙On August 27, 1894, Li Hongzhang met with Alexander, the British executive secretary of the World Anti-Smoking Alliance. "London Daily News" reporter Joseph conducted a follow-up report on this: "He (Li Hongzhang) claimed in the strongest language that the Chinese government, as always, strongly opposes the opium trade...Governor Li finally declared clearly: 'You may understand, if you Stop poisoning my people, and we will immediately ban them from opium.' When I (Joseph) told him that the British Parliament had voted to appoint a special committee to come to China to investigate whether opium was really as harmful as it was alleged, he He replied angrily: "Absurd!" Seemingly very angry and contemptuous, he softened his tone and said: "Everyone knows that opium is harmful." When I got up to leave, he was still very kind and enthusiastic. Commends the benevolence shown by British citizens to free China from opium." ⊙A foreign reporter once recalled Dai Li in this way: "A person with a hidden face always hides in the dark of the room, while others are in full view." Another reporter said: "On the one hand, in World War II No one is darker in appearance; and no one is whiter in another way. Almost everyone is awed by his piercing gaze." ⊙The French "Le Figaro" reporter Rorty came to China two months after the Eight-Power Allied Forces captured Beijing. He wrote in the article: "A few ragged beggars trembling under blue rags; a few thin Dogs eat dead bodies, just like what we have learned on the road... Beijing, which has been visited by shells and machine guns, is left with only ruins... Everything is in ruins, but the flags of the Europeans are flying On the walls everywhere." In the Temple of Heaven, he wrote: "This once solemn and solemn place now allows barbarian cavalry to gallop. Tens of thousands of Indian soldiers sent by the British to attack China camped there. They The horses ravaged everything, and the grass was full of horse manure." ⊙On June 4, 1909, the "New York Times" stated in a newsletter: "In 1908, the total value of the United States' imports from the Qing Dynasty was 10,545,423 US dollars. Among them, tea was 1,954,891 US dollars, and raw silk exceeded 5 million US dollars." ⊙ Goodnow, the first president of the American Political Association and Yuan Shikai's constitutional adviser, once supported Yuan Shikai's restoration in theory.After living in Beijing for a year and a half, he said solemnly and affirmatively: "China lacks the legal system, individual rights, and even discipline that it is supposed to display as a free democracy. Therefore, autocracy should continue until it After developing a greater obedience to political authority, a greater force for social cooperation, and a greater concern for private rights." ⊙On November 11, 1911, Sun Yat-sen arrived in London and met Dalson, the owner of the arsenal who produced the Maxim machine gun.Sun asked for a loan of one million pounds, and after the victory of the revolution, "give Britain and the United States certain priority rights in China."The letter was forwarded to British Foreign Secretary Gray.Gray called Sun a "theoretical and big-talking statesman", and at the same time told Sun Yat-sen: "Britain will remain neutral." He also said: "Britain will respect Yuan Shikai." ⊙In the 1868 "New York Times" introduction to the Chinese government process, it is almost impossible to find the role of the Empress Dowager Cixi in it.Therefore, some American historians believe that in the joint regime of Empress Dowager Cixi and Prince Gong Yixin, the role of the Empress Dowager is symbolic. ⊙ "The Times" correspondent in China, Pu Lande said: "Prince Gong's death is a serious matter... If he is still alive, maybe there will be no Boxers." ⊙The American missionary Ming Enpu believed in his book "China is undergoing drastic changes" that the death of Prince Gong (Yixin) caused China's "intricate government machine to lose an important balance wheel". ⊙About Li Hongzhang’s dining at sea, “New York Times” described it in the report: “Li Hongzhang ate in his own cabin, and the chefs he brought prepared the meals. These cooks freely entered and exited in the large galley cabin of the ship. Shark fin , Bird's nest is a delicacy, and he brought a lot from the Qing Dynasty. One of his sons ate with him, while other followers shared tables in the restaurant of the ship." "He had to eat several meals a day, and four cooks prepared for him. Prepare the meals. The cooks have to get up at two o'clock in the morning, so that their masters can have breakfast at eight o'clock in the morning, and they can't rest until nine or half past nine in the evening, because the governor always wants some 'hot dishes and meals. 'What." ⊙ On December 13, 1894, the "London Daily News" reported in a report that Qing officials at that time were corrupt when they bought foreign arms: "As long as foreign companies lure or bribe them, no matter how old the guns or outdated They will buy ammunition... Look at what these guns are: they look like that, but the tray is not processed at all, the muzzle is very rough, and the screws are perfunctory. It fell off, so that the joints came loose." ⊙ On December 24, 1871, the "New York Times" published a news article entitled "A Day in Guangzhou", which recorded what foreign reporters saw and heard in the Smoky Den: "Ten to twelve men of various ages Breathing clouds... There is a man lying on a bare plank bed stretched across a small wooden sleeper. He is staring blankly at something, opium is taking him to a misty distant world. There is a man beside him, Breathing deeply at the top of his lungs, with puffs of smoke passing in and out of his nostrils, he seemed to be throwing himself into strange dreams." ⊙U.S. diplomat He Tianjue said: "In addition to being a high-ranking official, Li Hongzhang has an oriental air and appearance, he is very easy to contact. Any foreigner can ask to see the governor through his staff. Many people have seen This seemingly rude old governor can get the impression of being knowledgeable and courteous from him. One of our former governors was received extremely politely by Li Hongzhang. At that time, the governor was not far from the governor and translator. .The governor told friends in the United States afterwards: 'Well done, I don't think the Governor is that kind of uncivilized old stubborn at all.'” ⊙US President Theodore Roosevelt scolded Wu Tingfang: "He is an unpleasant Chinaman." ⊙On July 6, 1875, the "New York Times" said in a newsletter that Chinese education is crammed: "The school is a very noisy place, and all the children are shouting at the top of their voices at the same time. Their purpose of doing this is to be able to recite the text they are reading aloud. When they feel that they can recite the content, they go to the principal, and then turn their backs to the principal, indicating that they cannot see the textbook in the principal's hand, and Began to repeat verbatim what he had learned. This method of education was cramming...and this practice seems to have been throughout the entire educational process of the Qing Dynasty." ⊙In 1863, Gordon, the leader of the foreign gun team, said to Li Hongzhang, the governor of Jiangsu: "China is as it is today, and it is impossible to become a climate in the world. Unless you do it yourself, you can rectify China's affairs with full power. If you want , I will use the whip to do the work of a dog and a horse." ⊙Wilden Martin, an American missionary, once said about the appearance of Prince Gong Yixin: "Prince Gong is thin and dark-skinned, and his eyes are squinted because of myopia. He is not beautiful." He also said: "He does not look like a prince. people." ⊙In a newsletter of the "New York Times" on July 6, 1875, the author compared Chinese intellectuals to women's feet: "In the Qing Dynasty, scholars, or intellectuals, usually hated foreigners very much. They are against the telegraph, the railways, and everything that is new. They read the classics that were created in the time of Confucius.. If any other boat of knowledge dared to approach them, they would roar. Limit the mode of education to such a narrow On the road, people's minds are squeezed and shrunk like the little feet of women in the Qing Dynasty." ⊙ On August 29, 1896, the "New York Times" reported the reaction of the American people when Li Hongzhang visited the United States: "The news of its arrival in New York Harbor spread like wildfire, and people flocked to the river where the cruise ship docked. After a while, Fort Park is full of curious people who want to see the prime minister of the Qing Dynasty, because this man ruled more people than all the monarchs of Europe put together.” ⊙ On December 13, 1894, the "London Daily News" published a telegram from Tianjin: "It is very dangerous to say that the Qing Dynasty is a sleeping beast whose breath has been suppressed. How popular. Merchants are worried that she may limit some sources of profit and give in to three points; the flattering attitude of the great powers (except Japan and Russia) has cultivated a feeling of arrogance in this country, and it continues and develops day by day .” ⊙Shen Baozhen's father passed away, and American reporters had doubts about his title in the obituary. A newsletter in the "New York Times" on July 6, 1875 said: "If people pay attention, they will find that the family's surname 'Shen' is omitted in the obituary. This obituary is written like this: Unfilial male Baozhen, The crime is serious, and he should have died in a disaster. Unexpectedly, the disaster fell to my father. Baozhen, the first-class light car captain in the Qing Dynasty, was awarded the governor of Jiangxi. Baozhen's father was the 12th year of Daoguang in the Qing Dynasty Juren...Baozhen led all the disciples to respect filial piety and guard the spirit, knelt down and kowtowed, inexplicably grieved, weeping and weeping blood." ⊙After the Wuchang Uprising, Yuan Shikai was recruited by the imperial court. On October 27, 1911, Morrison, the chief correspondent of The Times in Beijing, sent a telegram from Beijing to London: "Army generals and defense ministers are prohibited from participating in any relevant resolutions. All affairs of the army will be deployed by Yuan Shikai alone. During the negotiation process, he had absolute power to command the army. During the court, similar events only happened during the Zeng Guofan period, when the Empress Dowager Cixi gave Zeng Guofan absolute power to put down the Taiping rebellion. The court at least started to spit out the property it had hoarded. There was an imperial edict The content of the book shows that the Empress Dowager Longyu allocated one million taels of silver from her private treasury as military pay to meet the urgent needs in Hubei." ⊙On December 10, 1860, "New York Times" published a news article, which described the scene of the execution of the prisoner seen by foreign reporters in Guangzhou: "After the bright steel knife flashed, the criminal's head will be killed by the executioner. Kicked to one corner, and the body was thrown to the other corner, blood spurted from both places at the same time. When we arrived, twenty murderers had been executed, and their blood flowed under people's feet in a pool that could drown Ankle-deep blood pits, with the hair of the dead mixed in the blood pits. It is said that three hundred people are executed in a day." ⊙ In the book "Cambridge History of the Republic of China" edited by Fairbank, he said that Yuan Shikai was a mixture of old and new ideas: "He had more than a dozen wives and concubines and many children. He wore Chinese-style military uniforms except for formal occasions. clothing. He knew no foreign languages ​​and had never traveled farther than North Korea. He failed the imperial examinations, but was educated by Confucian texts and believed in their moral efficacy. On the other hand, he was A leader of official reforms along Western and Japanese lines, he gained great prominence in the Qing Dynasty. He recruited many entourages with foreign education or experience, and he carefully trained some foreigners who would one day be useful. He sent several His son went abroad for education. It seems that he is constantly pursuing the integration of old and new, and believes that this mixture is most suitable for China's national conditions." ⊙The women in Tianjing City of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom gave the outside world a breath of fresh air.At that time, some foreigners saw them riding horses or walking on the road, and they were all amazed.They said: "This is a new and unprecedented phenomenon that reminds us of life at home. It will be a blessing if this revolution breaks the hitherto practice of keeping women out of their boudoirs. " ⊙On June 14, 1908, Thomas Millard published a special article in the "New York Times" entitled "Interview with Yuan Shikai, the Strongman of the Qing Dynasty". He commented on Yuan and said: "Of all the officials in the Qing Dynasty, he He was the first to earnestly study the methods of organization, strategy and tactics of foreign armies, and he was also the first to strongly advocate the need to modernize the army. He demonstrated a talent for reorganizing and directing the Korean army, and shortly before the Sino-Japanese War, he also lived in Seoul as an official of the Qing Dynasty. He participated in this war, which can be described as a heavy loss for the Qing people, however, his reputation and prestige did not suffer much damage .It shows that Yuan is a man of exceptional intelligence." ⊙On December 18, 1864, the "New York Times" published an article titled "The Qing Army Breaks through the Heavenly King's Mansion, and the Loyal King Li Xiucheng Captured Without a Hand", which mentioned Hong Xiuquan's Heavenly King's Seal: "The Heavenly King's Seal—a total of three They were all found and now in the hands of Zeng Guofan. One of them was made of pure gold and weighed about 30 pounds." ⊙ On October 24, 1860, the Sino-British Treaty of Beijing was signed.The British representative is Lord Elgin, and the Chinese representative is Prince Gong Yixin.After entering, Elgin went straight to the signing table on the left and sat down, then motioned for Prince Gong to sit on the right.This is according to the Chinese custom that "left" is greater than "right", and Britain wants to overwhelm China in this regard.According to the French records, the two sides had a dispute over who should be seated first. After "a long negotiation, it was decided that the prince and the ambassador should be seated at the same time."When the "New York Times" reported on this, the title was simply called "Insulting Prince Kung". ⊙On February 12, 1875, the New York Times and the Chicago Daily Tribune published a very short report on the front page at the same time, with only 14 English words in the text: "Telegrams from China indicate that Civil war in this country will be inevitable." The next day, the two newspapers published a report in a prominent position, saying that although Prince Chun's son (Guangxu) had been chosen as his successor, Tongzhi Empress Arut She is pregnant, and if she can give birth to a prince, the battle for the throne will become fiercer.The report also said: It was rumored that the queen had committed suicide, but it could not be confirmed. ⊙The "Chicago Daily Tribune" published an article entitled "Britain and China" after receiving the news of Tongzhi's death.The article believes that Emperor Tongzhi ruled a huge population of more than 300 million, far exceeding the 280 million population of the British Empire (including all colonies). The combined population of the two countries is equal to more than half of the total human population. This is unprecedented in human history. Things, China and the UK are indisputably the largest countries in the world.