The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-12 00:00:00

CHINA.

The intelligence of the rebellion and disturbances
by this mail is of a more interesting and exciting
nature than we have been able to communicate for
some time past, giving the progress of the rebels
north, an attack on Shanghai, and recapture. of
Amoy.
Our advices from Shanghai are to the 20th inst.
The reinforcements of the Imperial naval force,
noticed in our last, induced the Imperialists to
make a general attack on the city with the com-
bined forces on the 10th inst. They succeeded in
capturing two of the rebel fleet, purchased from
foreigners, and several junks, but were vigorously
repelled by the rebels on the land side and with
great loss.
Being unsuccessful in their land attack and un-
able to capture the batteries on shore, the crews of
the Imperial junks landed up the river, and com-
menced pillaging the neighbourhood and setting
fire to the houses, which led to the destruction of
a considerable portion of the south-eastern suburbs.
Much valuable property and treasure was seized
and carried off, after which the force retired-, and
since no important attack has been made.
•A disagreeable collision, however, has taken
place between the Imperial troops and the guard
and volunteer corps. Late on the evening of the
14th 400 to 500 Impe,rial troops entered the British
settlement to intercept some guns about to be con-
veyed, it was said, to the rebels, and were disco-
vered by the guard of her Majesty's ship Spartan,
which, with the volunteer corps, who promptl y
assembled, drove them out. Two of the Imperial
troops were killed, and several wounded.
Her Britannic Majesty's Consul complained to
the criminal judge and commander of the forces.
A reply was received in explanation, which has not
been published mentioning the circumstance, but
stating that the troops were repulsed by a party of
rebels dressed as foreigners, and that they did not
fire, fearful that some real foreigners might be shot
or hurt. This is perfect Chinese diplomacy. This
affair places the settlement in a somewhat critical
position, and has led to a notification from her
Britannic Majesty's Consul to the British commu-
nity, dated the 17th inst. The insurgents in the
city are said to be short of provisions, and, as no
sympathy is shown towards them by the rebels,
some crisis similar to that of Amoy may be antici-
pated ; and, if Shanghai be retaken, fearful ven-
geance will be dealt out to the men in the city.
Canton keeps quiet, but a large force has been
sent to Tong-Koon, not far distant, where vigorous
resistance has been shown to the Government,
which will have some difficulty in quelling the dis-
turbance. The accounts of the insurgents to the
south-west mention that the capital of Hopih had
been retaken by them, with great slaughter, and
the district disturbed, and that the rebels were
investing the capital of Oonam, which resisted
their efforts before.

(From the Weekly Dispatch.)
It is said of a man blind from his birth that he
conceived of the colour scarlet that it was like the
sound of a trumpet. Henceforth, for perhaps many
years, these sights and sounds must, to this nation's
senses, be suggestive of each other. We must
never see scarlet but to think of the trumpet-call
to arms ; we must hear the bugle-horn, not any
more for the concert or the chase, but as the rally
of our red-coats. "To your nts, 0 Israel !"
Discussion was lawful and was wise, so long as
honourable negotiation was possible. It is trea-
son, after action has been decided upon, and our
honour and our power are committed to the cause
of the weak, clothed in justice, against the strong,
clad in mail. We must be all of one heart and one
mind. Neither the pipe-clay German Emperor nor
the MuScovite burglar must be left a "loop or peg
to hang a doubt on," from any vacillation in our
spirit, or distraction in our councils. We must,
Like the Pontic sea,
Know no retiring ebb, but hold due course
On to the Propontic or the Hellespont.
Those who most eagerly desire place, and most ear-
nestly deprecate hostilities, will find it to their ac-
count to dismiss their dissent, and forswear their
nonconformity, and make their hearts beat in
timely unison with the general pulse. We must
have no half-faced fellowship. There must be no
"recreant limbs" to "hang a calf-skin" on. Hence-
forth let the Peace Society prove its objects by
holding its peace. Let Mr. Cobden, for whose
able counsel we have been thankful so long as
it was of use, and for whose moral courage and
great abilities we will ever retain a genuine re-
verence, learn to know when he is beaten, and
take the cudgel with the thankful meekness of a
calico,martyr. We have doubted and hesitated,
as long as there was room to doubt, or reason for.
hesitation. But there is no apology for either,
when this people are at last, as they are no*,
fully' committed to the final issue of Pull
pull baker." We must not any longer wait upon
the motions of our Government. The spontaneous
couclamation of a great people must demand of
their leaders to be led on to the terrible execution
of a providential justice. The whole power of
England must drive every blow home. No more
little wars for us. Ours now must be—"
" He that is not
war, that makes ambition virtue.
against the exalted equity, oewfreiathcifrvthineer
for us is against us—is agains • t his country—is
retribution.
If, th© fate fall
The big
ascald. om 1:1Of
should remain but
If, at the end of yea:sr:B:db
with instant
two crowned heads in, EitrePe)
upon those who temp
at
once
not dit to the autocracy, and did
peremptoriness, withstand face. King
Leopold may find that fusion means confusion. We
have counted the cost. We are in the centre of
the commerce of Europe. There is not a continen-
third-rate town, that has not
r money,cari goods,capital,
claims,
or debts in it. We
Etanlgsheaspho
shall lose more than anybody else in this melee,
simply because we own more than anybody else.
commerce will be interrupted—the calculations of
enterprise baffled—the . securities of industry
shaken—trade rendered illegitimate and irregular
—production checked—and progress arrested.
Our vast outlying provinces will call for stricter
defences, and require more extended protection
against surprise or aggression. Our gigantic colonial
trade will be interrupted in the very access of its
miraculous development--our merchantmen will be
threatened with letters of marque, and the profits
of our cargoes swallowed up in insurance. To
crown all, the great landmarks of European power
and authority will be obliterated—new states and
constitutions will disturb all the settled securities
of intercommunion, and our lives will have run
down to their last ebbing sands, amidst the
troublings of the wicked, before the full establish-
, ment of a new order of things shall have enabled
mankind to shuffle off the mortal coil of nervous
anxiety, and to live—each man under his own vine
RE-CAPTURE OF AMOY, AND EXECUTION and fig-tree, with none to make him afraid. But
OF 1,000 OF THE REBELS. iat the worst the picture has its obverse. Let our
From Amoy the most melancholy accounts have readers take the map, and cast their eye over the
been received, involving an amount of bloodshed' scene of the present struggle. Russia, has no out-
that is calculated to strike terror into the hardest lets but the Black Sea and the Baltic. The Dar-
heart, and with any other people than Chinese danelles are the key to the former—the latter is
would induce a reaction and a cry of vengeance on frozen sr great part of the year ; and the outlet by
the authors of such fearful outrages as those now they Sound, the Oattegut and the 'Bkajgdrack, is
enacting at Amoy and in its neighbourhood. The j easily blockaded. Our fleets will knock the Rus-

Trade is looking more encouraging at Canton,
and, but for the state of political matters, would
go on improving.
Exchange has fallen to ss. 1.d., and at Shanghai
to 6s. 3d.
The import of bullion from all quarters since
May may be estimated at about $8,000,000 value.
The mail of the 24th of September arrived on
the 12th inst. ; the Bth of October mail keeps out.
The tidings of the northern insurgents is impor-
tant. The Pekin Gazettes were received at Shang-
hai down to the 10th, and some say to the 11th of
October. We forward particulars from the _North
China Herald. We mentioned in our last that
Tae-Ping's northern army had taken Peng-Yang in
Shan-see, and had passed eastward of 111111g-tUllg•
We have no news of its having proceeded on the
main road to Pekin, and crossed one of the moun-
tain passes close to a portion of the great wall, and
passed into the Pe-the-le province, and being
within reach of the city Chin-ting, about 30 miles
from the provincial capital, Paou-ting, which is
about 200 miles from Pekin, towards which they
were pushing on. The Imperial force was to the
southward of them.
At Ningpo all was quiet on the 15th inst., and
at Foochow, on the 19th inst., good order Was
maintained, and continued preparations made for
the defence of the city.