WAS LIHUNG CHANG A BIGAMIST?

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 17, Issue 7, 27 January 1903, Page 2

WAS LIHUNG CHANG A BIGAMIST?

The one romantic complication in the life of the late Machiavelli of China, Li Hung Chang, is amusing or tragic according as one may choose to look at it. Li, early in his distinguished career took a wife. Luring the Taiping rebellion his wife had to fly to the interior for safety, where she lived for many months without communicating with her husband. The Chinese statesman thinking his wife had perished with the other victims in the massacre, enlisted the sympathies of the Emperor who ordered a magnificent funeral. The empty coffin was followed to the grave with all pomp and ceremony of state by Li Hung Chang and representatives of flic Emperor. After a period of mourning Li Hung Chang took unto himself another wife and settled down again to domestic felicity. Then the first wife appeared. She had narrowly escaped the massacre, and had been living with her family. Mrs. Chany No. I took exception to Mrs. Chang No. H and wished to be re-instated as principle wife, for the law of China does not allow polygamy. lii Hung Chang was in a great stew. In despair he applied to the Emperor. The Emperor said Mrs. Chung No. I had been accorded n State funeral ; therefore to all intents and purposes she was dead and he advised his Minister to ignore her which he did. As women are treated as mere chattels in China the first wife did not demur, but went back to her family among whom she died.