当中国的命运处于最危险时期，一个由女人领导的政府，能与先进的西方列强对抗而不亡国，奇迹。一个女人执政期间，能让那些里通外国，勾结洋人制造动乱 ，妄图颠覆政府的窃国贼们尽折腰，不是男人的才智,是现实。

中国传统文化既儒家文化，一个女人执政是让“大男人”受不了的。写历史的把一些与慈禧不相干的恶行，也加在慈禧的身上是不公平的，也是不健康的。历史是一面镜子，真实的历史是一面干净的镜子。

1906年4月18日，美国旧金山市发生了里氏八点三级的大地震，大地震震惊了世界，旧金山是华人在美国最大的聚集地。慈禧下令中国政府特拨十万两白银作为捐款。另外再拨四万两白银，发给受灾的华人使用。当时美国的新闻报道说：“不少华人流下了感激的眼泪。”中国政府的此举，也令美国政府大为感动。同年11月，中国各地粮食歉收，受灾严重。第二年一月，在老罗斯福的号召下，美国为中国灾民捐赠了一笔巨款。慈禧也是可以牵着美国人走的。女人的美德也是要宏扬的。

http://www.sfmuseum.org/1906/china1.html

AMERICAN LEGATION,
PEKING, CHINA

No. 296
April 26, 1906
R.

To the Honorable

Elihu Root,
Secretary of State,
Washington, D.C.
S i r :

I have the honor to inform you that while at the Railway station on the evening of Monday the 23rd to bid good-bye to Baron von Mumm, the newly appointed German Ambassador to Japan, I was informed by the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Na-t'ung, that Her Majesty the Empress Dowager had that day ordered the Foreign Office to remit to me 100,000 taels as a personal contribution to the relief of the San Francisco sufferers by the earthquake and fire.
Her Majesty had at the same time ordered 40,000 taels sent to the Chinese Minister in Washington for the relief of the Chinese residents.

His excellency added that the contribution of Her Majesty would be handed me on the following morning.

On Tuesday morning an Under Secretary of the Wai-wu Pu brought me a note from the Prince of Ch'ing, a translation of which I enclose and handed me a 100,000 taels Treasury note.
I informed him that I had wired to you Her Majesty's intention, and while requesting him to convey to His Highness Prince Ch'ing the expression of my very high appreciation for Her Majesty's gracious sympathy, I said that I would call on the Minister for Foreign affairs as soon as I receive a reply to my telegram.

On receipt of your cablegram I wrote to the Prince of Ch'ing paraphrasing your instruction, and also asked His Excellency Na-t'ung to receive me yesterday afternoon, when I handed him the note to the Prince of Ch'ing and the bill for Tls. 100,000.

I explained to him the position of our Government in the matter and assured him that our gratitude was profound, and that Her Majesty's prompt and generous aid in this national calamity would be appreciated by all our people.

I finally made him thoroughly understand that it was not a slight put upon Her Majesty but that the President had decided that it was best to refuse all the numerous offers of aid from abroad which had been made.

He said that he would report the matter to Their Majesties and explain to them the reason for our declining foreign aid.

I confirm as follows my cablegram to you on this matter and acknowledge the receive of your telegram in reply to mine of the 23rd instant:

I have the honor to be, Sir,
Your obedient servant,

(signed) W.W. Rockhill
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Enclosure No. 1 in Despatch No. 296
(Translation)

Prince of Ch'ing to Mr. Rockhill.
Foreign Office, April 23, 1906

Your Excellency:

I have the honor to inform Your Excellency that I have this 30th Day of the Third Moon (April 25, 1906) received Her Imperial Majesty's Edict, as follows:

"WE have received the commands of Her Imperial Majesty, Tzu-hai etc., etc., Empress Dowager, saying:- "The city of San Francisco, in the United States, has suffered a very serious earthquake shock, and this Court is filled with compassion.
"Let One Hundred Thousand Taels be appropriated from the Imperial treasury and sent by the Board of Foreign Affairs to the American Minister in Peking, to be by him at once transmitted by draft to the afflicted city for the relief of distress and as a mark of friendship between the two countries."

"Respect this."

My Board having now received One Hundred Thousand K'up'ing Taels from the Board of Revenue, I have the honor to send the same to Your Excellency, that you may immediately transmit the same, and that you may telegraph Your Excellency's Government in notification of this action.

I trust that you will kindly make acknowledgment, by which I shall be obliged.

I avail myself of the occasion etc. etc. etc.

Cards of Prince and Ministers enclosed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Transcribed from the holdings of the Museum of the City of San Francisco

Empress Dowager Cixi
Empress Dowager Tzu-hsi, or in pinyin Cixi (November 29, 1835 - November 15, 1908) was a powerful and charismatic figure who was the de facto ruler of Ch'ing (Qing) China in the late 19th and early 20th century.
She did her best to cope with the difficulties of the era but  the Western powers continued to take advantage of the country's relatively low level of technological development.

A widow of the Xianfeng Emperor, she was regent for most of the period from 1861 until her death, sharing power with the Dowager Empress Cian until the latter's death in 1881.

While seeking China's "self-strengthening" through strictly-controlled industrial and military growth.

In 1900 her tolerance of Boxer armed action against foreigners in northern China contributed to western invasion and China's humiliating defeat. She died the day after the Guangxu Emperor.

External links
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/4016/about.html
http://womenshistory.about.com/library/bio/blbio_cixi.htm?terms=cixi
http://www.royalty.nu/Asia/China/TzuHsi.html
http://www.kings.edu/womens_history/tzuhsi.htmln