The capture of Pekin is obviously the desire of the
Japanese commonalty. They are said to be wild at the idea of peace, and on Sunday a fanatic " patriot " gave vent to his feelings by shooting at Li Hang Chang. The bullet entered the face, and is still embedded in the bones at the base of the nose. Although all accounts are favourable, the wound is most serious, and we should not be surprised to hear that the Chinese Ambassador was incapacitated. The Govern- ment of the Mikado is deeply vexed, and will doubtless punish the murderer in intent ; but the incident reveals both popular feeling as to peace and the savage belief in force which underlies the Japanese gentleness. The delay in the nego- tiations caused by the outrage is, of course, favourable to the war party, which has already secured a peremptory refusal of any armistice during negotiations.
