The Sun.
London, England, 1862-04-28 00:00:00

MR. PARKES ON CHINA.

At the soiree given at the town residence of the
Hon. Arthur Kinnaird, on. Friday night, Mr. Consul
Parkes gave a general outline of the present state
of affairs in China, more especially of the character
of the rebel Taepings. Mr. Parkes first rapidly
traced the story of foreign relations with the Chinese
empire until the last two Chinese wars, but espe-
cially the last. It had been absolutely necessary,
he observed, to impress on the Chinese, by such a
stern process or teaching, the fact that they were
only one of the numerous families of mankind on
the face of the earth, all of which should treat
one another with mutual respect, and none
arrogate above the rest an absolute and exclu-
sive superiority. He then proceeded to speak of
the character, acts, and religious belief of the
Chinese rebels, the Taepings. The history of that
rebellion was not, he remarked, anything unusual
in Chinese history. Successive rebellions had
shaken the Chinese empire even in the course of
the present century—in 1813 and in 1826; indeed,
one of the Chinese viceroys had once observed to
him that such sanguinary convulsions should rather
be hailed with satisfaction, otherwise the population
of China would increase far too rapidly. For a long
time, when the Taeping insurrection was raging in
the distant provinces of the Empire, very vague
and confused ideas were formed of its real nature.
The rebels were believed to be a sect of Chinese
Christians, and their successes were looked
forward to with hope, as implying the
speedy triumph of the gospel. Such views
were not confined to England. They had
been shared by the English residents in China.
But after their latest successes, which had brought
them more in contact with foreigners, and had en-
abled the latter to cbtain accurate details of their
previous progress, the ideas before entertained of
their being Chinese crusaders must be wholly given
up. They must be judged by their fruits. England
could scarcely wish them success, for, wherever they
passed, they absolutely depopulated the country,
and if England was to have any trade with China
that trade could not flourish if the Chinese were to
disappear. Great end populous provinces—cities
with a million of inhabitants—presented nothing
but misery and squalor and desolation since the
invasion of these locusts. In some cases there had
been wholesale massacres ; in others, all
amongst the population who could migrate had
fled before the approach of the Taepings. This
proved two things—first, that the Taepings had
not the sympathy of the Chinese people, that they
were not hailed by the Chinese as their liberators
from an iron oppression ; and, second, that the
Chinese Government was far too weak to protect
its subjects. This was, indeed, the great fault—the
capital defect of the Chinese Government. It was
a bad Government, not so much because it was a
cruel, as because it was a feeble Government.
It was unable to perform, with any degree
of satisfaction to itself or others, the first
and most elementary functions of a Go-
vernment—the protection of life and property—
which the subject has a right to expect in any
State, Of the Christianity of the Taepings, about
which so much had been said, Consul Parkes gave
some curious details. The head of the rebels had
issued what might be termed the official confession
of faith, which all his followers were to profess
and believe, and whoever should teach anything
contrary to the same was to be subjected to the
severest penalties. In this official confession of
faith it was declared that the present head of
the rebellion completed the revolution of Christ,
as Christ had completed the orginal work
of God ; that the whole power of Heaven
was divided amongst, not a Trinity, but a four-
fold deity ; that the Divine chief of the present
rebellion is to conquer, not China alone, but the
whole world. Consul Parkes remarked that if the
Taepings should triumph, our relations with them
would in all likelihood be attended with greater
difficulties than were those with the old Govern-
ment; for though you may have much trouble with
a despotic government claiming to reign in virtue
of a right divine, and tracing its origin from on high,
you are likely to have still more trouble in your
diplomatic relations with a ruler who declares that
he is God himself. At any rate, as matters now stood
the wai' proved a serious interruption to trade,
and he did not think, from what they had hitherto
seen of the Taepings, that any government which
they could form would tend to promote an ex-
tended European intercourse, or assist in the diffu-
sion of pure Christianity. The Taepings were
brigands. The Taeping revolution was an immense
and organised brigandage, and it was supplied from
those forests which hold a place in Chinese history
akin to that of the Black Forest in Central Europe;
for they had always beau the classical forests of
Chinese banditti.— Manchester Guardian.

Some Prussian naval officers have during the
week been in communication with the Admiralty, with a
view of purchasing a certain number of our sailing men-of-
war. " There will be no difficulty on the subject, says the
Army and Navy Gazette, " as we have a large fleet from
which they will be able to pick and choose."
MARGATE.—THE NEW RAILWAY.—It has been
decided that the direct line in process of execution from
Horne Bay shall, in its course to Broadstairs and Rams-
gate, cross the South-Eastern line between Margate station
and Tivoli-bridge, at an elevation of 16ft. above the present
line ; and wo understand that, although no site has yet
been adopted for the erection of the new station, the pro-
posal that it should be made at or near Vicarage-place,
meets with most favour by those officially concerned. The
new line will cross the Garlinge-road close by the north
side of the company's temporary stables, now being erected
near Rankhorn, and pass between Galling° and the sea
coast,—Dever Chronic 4,