The Press. — London, England, 1853-09-03 00:00:00

SEPTEMBER 3, 1853. cent fertile provinces of the two Knitting& But though slow their advance was sure. Having excellent discipline in their ranks, while thee* of the imperialists presented nothing but a chaos,—opposing valour to the most arrant cowardice, and common 'tense and honesty to the most dis graeufal mixture of folly anal pecuhttion,--the rebels were invariably victors in every encounter, and welcomed as deliverers in every district which they approached. As deliverers, indeed, they presented themselves in more than words. The spirit of the "race " was appcaltsl to MO excited with admirable skill. Proclaiming war to the knife against the Mantehoua, and exterminating that hated nee with indiscriminate brutality, the leaders of the revolt offered to the Chinese safety, freedom, anal a compa rative exemption from the burdensome imposts hitherto exacted by the imperial taxgatherers, and for which they sulkit ea a light eout tibution towards carrying on the ar. ilefore long a new and powerful weapon was allayed b) the revoltem against the t lovernment. They hail appealed to the spirit of nationality. and they now added an appeal to the spirit of religion. Their selection of a faith shawl: ham widely anal—until this proof was atforded—untats peetedly the seed sown by the Christian missionaries Of various sects and through succeasive getteratiams bad taken root in the " Chinese mind." Whether any of the chiefs themselves had been pupils of the Ettropout mis sionaries we have no proof to show, ti gh the fact has Weil asserted. But, at all events, the new 'leen-haat' they have industriously disseminated contain the genn of Christianity, as the quotations front their "sacred pant phleta," already given in our columns, sufficiently testify. It was, however, necessary for their purpose that the po pular reverence, when excited toward the new faith, should Is' at once concentrated nom' Inane central point. Such was accordingly provided. tinder the name Tien-te mysterious personage was presented alike to the faithful as an inspired prophet anal ruler—the " Son of God," and " Elder Brother," as he is called in the Trimetrical Claw ale—anti to the loyal as a genuine heir and successor of the ancient dynasty of the Mings. Thus doubly armed, the career of the insurgents became one of uncheekml prosperity. They have never sustained a revere(' or re treated a step. Even now, as WI , have said, in I.:who'd their ultimate triumph is looked upon RS secure. The rebellion is termed a revolution, and estimated as of higher consequence than any that has hitherto occurred, even in revolntioenry Europe. Already we seem to see the Ming dynasty installed in power, and tho vast popula tion of China convertod to Christianity, inoculated with arts anal sciences, literature, manufacturea, and a commer cial system after the English pattern, and fast becoming the best friends teal most lucrative customers England ever poaseNtasl. Upon this theory we have already confessed our incom petence to offer any opinion. We have, however, sundry doubts respecting one of the principal elements—if it might not, indeed, he termed the keystone of the hypo thesis—nannely, the existence of the supposed prophet anal ruler, Tiopte. Through the narrative of MM. Callerey anal Yvan this prophet appears occasionally as an individuality. Niy persamd aspect and mental character arc portrayed, and we find him described as a man of middle age, slender, anal marked with the smallpox; exceedingly re served in demeanour, but possessing great political aagte city, R wonderful superiority of mind, with extraordinary activity and energy. It is related of hint that he some times received envoys, treating them with extreme affithi lity, and diateoursing to them with a severe air and in most diantitied language. Nay, his portrait is said to have been taken and disseminated in thousands of copies throughout the empire, a facsimile being presented in the frontispiece to the volume. Yet, after all these apparent proofs of personality, there are reasons to believe that Tien•te is nothing but a myth. Certain it is that the only visible leaders of the " revolution" are five chiefs, or primes, entitled reaq'ectively the NI irthem, the Southern, the Eastent, and the Western Prince, with the ficad Prince l'ateitiean,r, RS the that'llr superior of them till. it is also not less certain that 'newts , himself has disappeared from the scene. He is said tat be deceased, anal that Tae-Ping, his son, reigns in his stead, to whom, accordingly, have been transferred all his attributes anal titles, ineltuling that of "'True Sovereign of all Nations In the World," to which Sir 4 leorge Bonham has felt himself compelled to ott'..r a funnel repudiation. But Tien-te was descrlhea by the French authors as being in the prime of life, an age hardly cansiqent with that of his supposed son, who is said to be twenty-three. According to the same authori ties, also, Titlete first made his appearance in ISM, while the official letters. written in May last by the "Prince of the East" to Sir O. Benham, are dated in the " third year of the reign of Tne-Ping." Some of the insurgent chiefs are said by the ('liner 1 lembl to have confessed that the existence of Tietete was merely ideal--an invention, useful at the time, and carrying weight among the ignorant classes of THE PRESS. tho Chinear. And, although thty in Ih.. nn►nr .01"1.11e:. l'ing,and date their despatches by his reign, the " Prinees have alren:ly isited a programme mipecting the future government and proposed division of the emmtry by and :inning themselves, hi a Welt the imperial mithorit) us• SUlllett a very shadowy aspect. As far as ocular testimony goes, moreover, it seems that Tae-l'ing continues to be shrontled in stomplete 1 . poll tine spot. or ut all events in those localities to which Europeans vouliltilitabt St,t.t.:4S, tilt' state and progress of ton. ivvidution were, until van lately, even molt mysterious (him in England itself. After longest tttttt blering in the distanee, the conflagration at length broke out on the verge of the visible benzin' by the successive captures of Amoy, Nan king. and Chin-keang•foit. The latter city is one of the 1111165 1111pOrtillit 114111164, whether commercially or politically estimated, in the whole empire. It lies "ablaut half mile front the south bank of the I . ang-tsi. kiang, and is sumo ttttt led by high and solid walls, four miles in eireitit. with hills in the rear of considerable extent. It iv hen• that the Grand Canal, waning from the south and m inting close under the city walls, firms a junction with the river. From its peculiar position, Chiteiteang-foss is tin , key to the whole of China—provisions and specie supplies for the capit4 being always conveyed along the enr o l route." Wltritell of this IlliVISICtt of the insurgents, who might be expected to attack the Ktiglish settlement, and whose intentions it was at all events most important to iitteerialill, Sir Givrge Bouleutt, the British plenipotentiary, left Hong-Kong for Shangitait in Matruh last. lie flaunt the English residents there in much excitement, but ne way dispirited by the approach of peril. Wit are pleased, though not surprised, to find how prompt null vigorous were their proceedings under the entergeney. Obtaining the sanction of the Consul and the advice Of Fish bourne, senior navel officer in the port, the English mer chants formed themselves into n corps of volunteer 4, and raised fortifications which gave the settlement fall security from any sudden attack. Tiw Imperialist officials at the some tinte were pestering the British authorities with various estydements, designed to indite() them to lend some aetive assistance towaols " sweeping Off the detestable set of re bels" front his Celestial Majesty's dominion**. Sir 0. Bonham offieially assured the Chinese " Tatintaii" that the British intended to maintain the strietest impartiality between the parties ; and afterwards, with a wise foresight of future eventualities, resolved to proceed himself to Nan king, In order to einiummiente this determination directly to the insurgent chiefs, who might otherwise have tier counted the English among the favourers of the Tartar dynasty, according to the tenor of some dextrously worded Imperial proclamations which went issued about this time. lie embarked in the Hertnex, and steamed up the Yang-tree River. On passing Chitekeang•fiso the vessel was fired at frallt the insurgent batteries, but did not return the fire, believing that tt was a mistake. Arrival at Nan. king, Mr. Interpreter:U.l4ms went ashore, and held sundry CollVelltittiolll4 with the chiefs : interview between them antl the Plenipotentiary was also planned, lint did not come off, being prevented partly by the weather and partly by apprehensions of Celestial etiquette. A multi tude of visitors, however, of every rank (Tombs' the ate .1- while she remained at Nanking, imul to all of these, says Sir George Bonham, " i caused to be conveyed a full ex planation of the motives that hail promptAtil the visit, sad an it%StlirilllCt . that our part wits altogether a neutral one." Courteous hitters were exehangial—after a few preliminary misunderstandings had been explained away—with the chiefs, and the Hermes steamed heck to Shanghai., being fired upon again, through another mistake, rectified by farther explanations, on mpassing Chitekeang-foo. The incidents of this visit Inv narrated, with all itr reawma and results, in a series of official papers lately printed by order of the House of Commons. These papers coltish' all account of the only occlusion on which British funetionaries have come into contact, er even approached within sight of the Chinese revolution. Fmm the nuthentie details thus furnished we have gathered many of the facts, nth] many eormetions of former " which we have presented to our routers in the fore Bing article. As for the result of Sir I ieorge's expedition, we fear that it will hardly fulfil his antiripations. Inc intelligence of a later date titan his despatches to I turd Clarendon we loath that a " mereettary force," eonslsting of a mixed sgntulmu of English, Ameriefut, mot Portinmese ships, hail been hired by the Imperialists, awl soiled, with their European crews, to aid in in attempt to recover the impertent town or Chin-kelutgleo. An attack was made on that place, in the Tartars, who constituted the land forces, held aloof, and left the contest to the " red devils," who, on their side, retreated iluseniniously, after receiving a few shuts and expenslitrt their own un tttttt nition in a h a rmless can nonade. Tlx itaatlent Witi discreditable in every respect, awl may bare serious Cu insolowneeit. The chi ne *, h ave hardly learnt to distinguish between the various nations of 413 Europeans who honour them with their visits, awl certainly (4.llllirehella the emistilittiolud *lumina which °blip an envoy to proclaim striet itetitndity on the !tart of his sovereign, und yet forbid his interference with tin' subjects who ehoose to engage its hired iteceasarit•s in the tituirrel. am.:ression of these eowiirdly Ibruvoea limy prove It serious obstacle to the friendly antl oommercial ititercosinte which we have pronsised mirselver is to spring out of the revolution wilco seeomplishea. The unit consequence has het% to elicit from the l'riitees a letter Ailing the stittgertivii " OM, sine* , the two loath.* aro now engaged In warfare. the going to 1110 111 i is Met'olllitiatied WWI 11104111\ellielleN; 111111.111.11jilli; fnlw Ult• 0141,40 or Wi,urs, ee 011 , b111.1 deign %nil II few 'Mouths, moil we have thenntglily lieNtre)ell the . I . lollrq, When. 'pedlar, the stilleet% of your liononeablo nation eenl.l 171 Ind eome %about belnit Involved In the trleka of them. false Tart.tre. Would It nut, In your eetitnotlook Ilsit, he prefer, If, on the other hand, the rovolution id i hi Not succeed, we apprehend that boom the 111antelsiet Emperor little hopo of favour to Europeans CAll ►wolf is evidently liMtAteititt'a NO intimately with the. preaching ut European mitotionariea, a n d the disseinitisti 0000 of European itleas—to say nothing of <ntmiwtakallle tokens of European sympathy—that 'lieu Voting, when once nun• firmly seated tin the throne of his IttlecAtOtt4, must illi'Vitall.l) look upon ill() 1%4 ittlattllistlo6 as 11114 t 111.1114.01. lu either case, notch akilful treatment, and memo lurk, will 1e• requisite to enable Mt even to retail. our present pomition , on tiny tlitinelly foot Mg, in the Flowery Land. 'HIE 10116 RANT IN AIISTIIALIA. s ecc i: lo , l ‘ l l "i nt ik from Australia disclose t 4) US state Of soeiety whose mingled traits of happiness and stiffering,of progress and mavagery,deepen rattier than change as time passes on. 'the colony, by every biter despateli, appears more flourishing ; but the mai% iduals who ciallpOse it are eltpilatal to sitarist:. vicissitudes, and dturtwttaised by a more disgraceful brutality. Wealth and want run ever into wider extremes ; and the distinction 'let woo' various classes is perhaps even more strongly marked than in h:ng. land itself, with this cliffen.nee, that superiority in condition and riches depends far more upon the animal then the intellectual (amities. Mere sunset* his' strength is the great desideratum, to be aceom. parried, if possible, by a total ignorance o f, or inditferenec to, the refinements of feeling, the defies ties of sentiment, the pride, dignity, and oven—we must old—the titanium honesty, which are the qualifications demanded from almost every class, save the very lowest, in our eivilimeil state. Fittest with theme gifts, positive and negative, the emigrant to Australia is suro to make his fortune. Unfitted, he is nearly equally sure to starvt)--at least until suffering shall have so worn down his native pride and gentlemanly feelings us to induce him to accept the most menial service which offers him a chance of daily bread. but us, as a warning to stunt', and by way of information to all, depict the first expe riences of it "new arrival " at the colony, as we find them described in some of the most recent letters from the spot itself : Ms destiny is Port Phillip. After a long revive up Ow bay, the ship attrition; off a cluster of wooden houses and Is 1W stores, the beach in triad of them strewn with &vivito.; billies Roil refuse, ealle.il Williamstown. The bind MCI, of t h e 111101. ply only for extorti )))) ate 'mil fancy prices, eithoilateil 4111 111I' illixict) of the tsitssetiger to go.t itshisre Owl the means 4lf Iolllslsill. AN time persons out of t. 4.11 ellllll4lt pay the demand, or will nut submit to what appears to their as yet happy hiesperienese to be reibis.ry, they wait ooto biiard, for two 41r 11111'44 hears perhaps, till one 4.1 f the Melbourne steamo.cs limits.% its circuit of bay and brings up alongside the ship for tiers. With a toll frei"lal Nile starts for the inspiall of the muddy Yams, and glides lip between flit mid scrubby hunks, passing the week sit an iron ste.striihisitt, rusting to in the shallow wider, a few vessels biking in ballast, eta i an 4411- (li:it in *unreel-in lying oat his l'ack by it gum-tree, watching the 14414119 M ready to pismire sin thee evasive skippers, who at times alistrart portions of the Australian continent without paying for a !keno.. Ilis4hi.r up, the Yana, not very aide anywhere., narrows rapidly, and beconics 4•Vi• acidly ti as Mall for the Ironic that, as yet, has no other Ili•re slid then. the netting carcase sit an 511 or Isms. on tits• water's edge 'N16111104 the air for a considerable ilistuttee, and, SS de' 11ew conti.r begins to sight the city of Melbourne, at the very iturnevest rut of the river, there is a succession of wooden slaitgliterhouse•s, multing• lotuses, and other similar stublishinents, sumaittiled Isy iiisle.seribidile filth, of it most patched, rickety, 1013 inaliesioift esaistrution, stud yet its full activity. In the yards of the mloingliter-ltionses pigs are rcvelling among the gu llsuige, dragging shied large lengths ofentrails, or ilev log theta in a reamer that makes the stranger no woolly vow to abstain from' dalry•feel' pork flaring leis en. tiro soliairo iii the eiilotty. Through this part of the river he hail better shut his eyes, and nose., too, if romviiiie, mid reserve himself for the littoling•place, where his real Von. Ws will begin, espevially if he has intsuspaetingly brought July luggage with him on his first josurney up. There ale two landing.plitecis, nod the alcitiners stop at the worst, called tole's Wharf. Aii elioriniato mantra of truffle has certainly been thrown suelibilly upon this spot ; last, cane %Ailing the revs. . derived Crow it by the proprietors, something might have been done to redeem it from toeing, as it is, u diagracu and scandal to the city. Hoods are