But As The Strongest Position Can Be Turned And Avoided, And As The Chinese, Like All Asiatics, Become Demoralized When Their Rear Is Threatened, It Cannot Be Denied That, Considerable Progress As The Chinese Have Made In The Military Art, They Have Not Yet Mastered Some Of Its Rudiments.

All that can be said is that the war between France and China was calculated to teach the advisability of caution in fixing a quarrel upon China.

Under some special difficulties from the character of the war and with divided councils at Pekin, the Chinese still gave a very good account of themselves against one of the greatest powers of Europe.

During the progress of this struggle a coup d'etat was effected at Pekin of which at the time it was impossible to measure the whole significance. In July, 1884, the Chinese world was startled by the sudden fall and disgrace of Prince Kung, who had been the most powerful man in China since the Treaty of Pekin. A decree of the empress-regent appeared dismissing him from all his posts and consigning him to an obscurity from which after nine years he has not yet succeeded in emerging. The causes of his fall are not clear, but they were probably of several distinct kinds. While he was the leader of the peace party and the advocate of a prompt arrangement with France, he was also an opponent of Prince Chun's desire to have a share in the practical administration of the state, or, at least, an obstacle in the way of its realization.

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