The Sun.
London, England, 1853-08-26 00:00:00

of MING, whose existence after being long in-
volved in obscurity is now tolerably well ascer- I
tained to be purely and simply supposititious !
Whether TIEN-TB ever was in the land of the
living is a matter of some uncertainty—at any
rate it is at this moment notorious that he
no longer breathes, even supposing him to
be other than a creature of the imagi-
nation. Of the reality of the existence of
TAE`ING-WANo there is, however, no such in-
oertitude. Indeed, we are informed even as to
his age, the colour of his hair, and the shade of
his complexion. He is known to be a tall sun-
burnt hero, a little above forty, and yet with both
hair and beard somewhat grizzled. His followers
are led by four Generals, or " Kings," as they
are styled—chieftains claiming regal dignity, and
yet proud of being regarded as his lieutenants.
According to MM. YVAN and CALLERY,
these four " Kings " are scarcely less remarkable
than their leader, the great ME-PING-WANG.
brie, the Fast King, or Toung-Wang, is a slight
personage, we are told, of some five-and-thirty
years, his features disfigured by the brand of the
small-pox, his name HIANG-TSIOU-TSING. Another,
the West King, or Si-Wang, a sort of Asiatic
MURAT, handsome and chivalrous, is known by the
name of' SIAO-TCHA-KOURI. The North
captainhKing, orof
Pe-Wang, appears before us as gauntfive-and-twenty, one WEI-TCHING. While the
South King, or
Nan-Wang, a learned scholar
some thirty-two years old, is presented to us as,
one FOUNG-HIEN-SAN, a chief of a singularly youth-
ful appearance. With these generals or kings act-
ing as his lieutenants, TAE-PING-WANG, the Great
King Pacificator, or Prince of Universal Peace,
has accomplished the marvels we ourselves have
already more than once related. He has pro-
claimed his authority in the most arrogant and
blasphemous terms imaginable, calling himself the
True LORD, the master of the whole world, and the
second Son of GOD, declaring that he has conversed
with the Divinity in Heaven, and that his words
are the utterances of a new and celestial revela-
tion. He has inscribed the name of CHRIST upon
his standards, and has scattered lavishly along the
paths of his victories thousands of copies (trans-
lations into the Chinese vernacular) of the Old
Bible and the New Testament. He has engaged
among his forces the wild ferocity of the Miao-
tzes, a race of savage and daring mountaineers.
He has in three years, dating from the August
of 1850, to this present August of 1853, ad-
vanced so far in his triumphant march from
Kouang-si and Kouang-tong, that he has al-
ready captured Nankin, while he threatens
the seizure of Pekin, and overshadows the
fortunes of the reigning Emperor, HIEN-
FouNG, by a series of gigantic and marvellous vic-
tories. Victories so wonderful in their scope and
rapidity, that they have already placed one-half
of the Celestial Empire at the foot of an unaided
adventurer. Such, once more, are some among
those astounding occurrences which are bringing
four hundred millions of already half-civilised
Asiatics within the influence of the divine and
elevating allurements of Christianity.

It would be fortunate indeed for the commu-
nity if the salutary example afforded by JOHN
MACGREGOR, the energetic, consistent, and effi-
cient Member for Glasgow, in appearing before
his constituents at the termination of the session,
for the purpose of rendering an account of his
stewardship, were followed by every independent
representative of an independent constituency.
Still better would it be, if other Honourable Gentle-
men could appeal with equal confidence to their
past conduct, as the most unanswerable and con-
clusive testimony of the ability, fidelity, and zeal
with which they have performed the arduous and
important duties confided to their charge. There
would in such case be but little use in shortening

the duration of the representation, or resorting
to Triennial Parliaments. The cordial and heart-
felt satisfaction exhibited by all classes—the non-
electors as well as those entrusted with the
franchise —the rapturous and enthusiastic ap-
plause with which the man of their choice
was greeted on his appearance, and also
at the close of his singularly lucid and elo-
quent address, prove beyond the possibility of
doubt that the former selection would again be
ratified and confirmed if circumstances rendered
another appeal necessary, either to the country,
or to the voters of the City of Glasgow. It is,
indeed, delightful to witness the existence of such
genuine cordiality, such complete good under-
standing subsisting between the electors and the
elected—a cordiality equally honourable to both
parties, and showing that each is worthy of the
other—that Jon MACGREGOR has well and truly
merited the suffrages of such a constituency—that
Glasgow is deserving of such a representative as
JOHN MACGREGOR. We trust that the bonds of
union thus subsisting may be even more firmly
cemented during each successive year, and that
they may subsist until the Hon,. Gentleman shall
refire to the enjoyment of the otium cum dignitate
which services, such as those which he has already
rendered, and which may reasonably be antici-
pated at his hands, will eminently entitle him.
It must be borne in mind, that JOHN MAC-
GREGOR entered upon his Parliamentary career
from a point at which the great majority of his
Right Hon. and Hon. brethren would be well
contented to relinquish theirs. He held a highly
important and lucrative office—a permanent office

—Which rendered him independent of Ministerial
changes. As Secretary of the Board of Trade, he
had won golden opinions from men of all parties,
and Tory as well as Whig recognised the exceed-
ing value of his services. These services were
fully appreciated by Sir ROBERT PEEL, who grate-
fully acknowledged the aid afforded by JOHN
MACGREGOR in framing the liberal tariffs which
first displayed the free-trade tendencies of, that en-
lightened Minister, and who would gladly have
removed him to a higher sphere, where, as one of
the Administration, he might have entered on the
stormy arena of political life. But, although
JOHN MACGREGOR spared no exertions to carry
out the liberal views of the then Prime Minister,
he steadily refused to listen to the overtures that
were made, or to yield to the glittering tempta-
tions to which he was exposed. In heart and soul
he was a reformer—a fiscal, financial, and Parlia-
mentary reformer—a reformer of the most ad-
vanced school, and he would not, by the accept-
ance of office, give the sanction of his nameto a Go-
vernment whose opinions were not as yei in accord-
ance with his own. The great statesman now unhap-
pily lost to the nation—while regretting his deci-
sion, respected his scruples and bestowed his dis-
interested approbation on the useful labours of his
high-minded and honest opponent.
Free Trade was then accomplished—the giant

monopoly broken down—the iniquitous bread-tax

for ever abolished. But almost simultaneously
the Minister by whom it was conceded, who had
so eminently merited the thanks and gratitude of
the community—whose name was uttered with
heartfelt benedictions in the humble cottages of
the Poor and lowly—fell from placechcseeaadlnetdr. poofLwomerrds,
which hietlll:ll:ELft ee.thlyigsamciiifinicsetclryonsut
j united with country,al-
1v
Witioesteeelintauryme,had been indissolubly
preceding aualrttelrie really liberal measures of the
head of the Cab
that it was no longtehr
; and
mwr.asmApclaGcßeEdGoaßt
saw
e
enecessary for him to with-
hheoldeuhiusldaidgifvreoma
cause of liberalism,eifi
Minister whom hegEme,ral support to the
nominated to the c'uld. himself have
h
power of selection lay in his hands,°Moe
Gentleman
himself as a candidate for there, He offered
the largest municipal constituency intearatien of
Kingdom, and his canvas was eminently United
ful. In so doing, the Honourable sue"'
made uo inconsiderable sacrifice.
J entering
into political life lie would have divested the
office which he filled of its character of perma-
nency,
and rendered necessary his resignation on
the accession to office of a Ministry of whose
painciples he disapproTed. No person, however,
for a moment imagined that a seat in the House
of Commons would have been deemed inconsistent
with the Secretaryship of the Board of Trade,
and the intimation of Lord JouN RUSSELL to
that effect excited great and general. astonish
ment. Tolni MACGREGOR would not, how-