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

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LONDON, FRIDAY, AUGUST 26, 1853.

A considerable time has elapsed since we first
drew the attention of our readers to the many ex-
traordinary circumstances connected with the great
Chinese revolution. During the interval which has
followed those introductory observations, we have
repeatedly taken occasion to impress upon the
public the really wonderful importance of events,
the value of which we conceive to have been for
a long while unaccountably overlooked. Literally,
we believe, that we were thus about the first to
direct any particular notice to the import and
significance of this grand Asiatic movement—a
movement at once social, political, and religious in
its character—one affecting the destinies of nearly
400,000,000 of the human family—a rising
prolfessedly, at least, in favour of a vast
and simultaneous extension of civilisation and
Christianity. Occasionally, moreover, there
have arrived in this country, despatches
from China descriptive of the course taken
by the insurgents, of the successes achieved
by them over the Imperial forces, and of different
exploits and incidents by which the momentous
struggle has been latterly illustrated. Gradually,
too, we have been gratified to observe an increas-
ing interest in these remarkable occurrences among
the majority of our contemporaries. It has con-
sequently happened that the first vague rumours
of a disturbance of some kind or another in the
throng of the Chinese population have been fol-
lowed up by inquiry after inquiry until we have
contrived at length, by aid of a little perseverance
and tact, to collect together a mass of valuable
and
reliable information. Our researches (it wet e
unjust, of course, to omit the acknowledgment)
have been aided to a great extent by accounts .
Coming to us from various quarters. There
have been, for
Pekin—the
example, the Imperial documents
published at
prociamation insurrectionary tracts
and
the official record of Sir
GEORGE BOXIIAM's
mission to Nankin--the curious
details furnished by
st,ythanedinterpre-
r. ManttApagoawei
interpre-
ter, a man of considerable
prersactive work*
intelli-
gence—but, above all, the
printed
during the course of the
year at Paris,
ingenious inter-
from the jointly produced ayult,,Tirt
CALLERY.
woven narrative of MM.
volume,ta
A translation of the last-mentioned
under the able and competent
gr. JOHN OXENFORD, is already, wo editorship of
to observe, on the eve of making its appearance.
re
This volume will be the more welcome to the e
com-
munity from the fact of its unquestionable a,uthen- ,
ticity. Dr. YvAN, as physician,, and M. CALLERY,
as interpreter to the French Embassy in China,
besides being men of undoubted veracity, scholars
distinguished by no superficial acquirements, and
authors of extended, and one of them in particular
(Dr. YvAN) of b estalished, reputation—possess in
the circumstance of their official character a sub-
stantial guarantee of their credibility. From these
numeroussources, it is practicale, even now, to cull
a sufficiency of facts to render the mystery of the
present movement among the Chinese to some
extent comprehensible. It is in this manner,
consequently, that we have been enabled already
to present our readers with a diversity of par-
ticulars relating to the rebellion, conducted and
inspired, if not actually originated, by the Great
King Pacificator, the Prince of Universal Peace,
HOUND-sinow-TSIUEN,
fanatical followers, TAE-
orp,
iaNaG_hwe A isN c..called by his
It has been asserted, as the readers of MM.
Yvax and CALLERcomYmalernecaedi very
the revolution well know, that
August of 1850 exactly three far back as the
years ago—began
in the name of one TIEN-TE, a Prince of the house

depuis son o
_M. Callery erigine
Yvjan.us-
"
* c( L'lnsurrection en Chine : -----------t
qu' h, la prise de Nankin." Par M
Paris, 1853.
t " The Insurrection in China : with Notices of its
Christianity, Creeds, and Proclamations.' Dr.
Yvan, Physician ; and M. Callery, Interpreter33l'
French Embassy in China. With a Supplementary° Athe
count of the most Recent' Events. Edited by J 13 a --c-
-0 ri xen.
ford, Smith, Elder, and Co. London, 1853.

of MING, whose existence after being long in-
volved in obscurity is now tolerably well ascer-
tained to be purely and simply supposititious !
Whether TIEN-TE ever was in the land of the
living is a matter of some uncertainty—at any
rate it 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-PING-WANG there is, however, no such in-
certitude. 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 TAB-Prrra-WANG.
Jne, the East 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-KOLTEI. The North King, or
Pe-Wang, appears before us as a gaunt captain of
five-and-twenty,'
one WEI-TCIIING. While the
South King,
or Nan-Wang, a learned scholar
some thirty-two years old, is presented to us as,
a chief of a singularly youth-
these generals or kings act-
ingofunle
,aFpOpiTeNarG:r SwANitl
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
secend 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 winch 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 JonN 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
retire to the enjoyment of the otiwm, 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 schcol, and he would not, by the accept-
ance of office, give the sanction of his nameto a Go-
vernment whose opinions were not as yet in accord-
ance with his own. The groat qtatisvz man now unhap-
pily lost to the nation—while regretting his deci-
Ision, 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
5.,.° eminently merited the' hanks and gratitude of
which he had.
re community—whose name was uttered with
ileartfelt "
the poor benedictionsana in the humble cottages of
lowly_—fell from place and power,
country. freely sacrificed on the altar of his
JOHN IttssEja, whose ig Ministry succeeded. Lord
name had been indissolubly
united with all the
really liberal measures of the
preceding quarter
head of the Cabinet! was placed at the
could give a general o:offillemesteilief
MACGREGOR saw
that it was no longer necessary Mr'
cause for him to with-
liberalism, as
hold his- aid from the
have
he
'United
Minister whom lie would 111;,_1?°It to the
nominated to the high
Reifoff thee
rower of selection lay in his hands,
himself as a candidate for the represelitatic: of
the largest municipal constituency in
Kingdom, and his canvas was eminently success-
ful. In so doing, the Honourable Gentlemaß
made no inconsiderable sacrifice. By entering
into political life he would have divested the
ar perma-
office which he filled of its char
c his re re of
signation on
nency, and rendered necessary
"
the 'accession to office of a Ministry of whose
principles he disapproved. 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 JOHN RUSSELL to
that effect excited great and general astonish-
ment. JOHN MACGREGOR would not, how-1

ever, desert the men of Glasgow. He would
not abandon those who had promised him
their unpurchased and unpurchafeable suffrages,
but rather relinquished the desirable situation
which would have been considered an ample re-
ward for efficient Parliamentary services during
many successive years. He received, in one re-
spect, the just reward of his manly and disin-
terested conduct. The citizens of Glasgow placed
him triumphantly at the head of the poll, and he
took his seat in the popular branch of the Legi-
slature as Representative for the largest town
constituency in the British dominions. Since
then his proceedings have been patent to the
world, and we believe that none of those by whom
he was chosen would have wished any alteration.
In attendance he was not merely diligent, but
apparently indefatigable. No temptation could
induce JOHN MACGREGOR to desert his post. His
place was never vacant on any important occa-
sion. His votes, too, could never be objected to.
We defy
any person to point out a single division
on which he was to be found in the wrong lobby.
But these advantages were not all that flowed from
the connection between himself and his constitu-
ents. He met them every year to explain his own
conduct and to hear the expression of their wants
and wishes ; and some of the most lucid papers
on financial and other political subjects have been
identified with the name of the Representative of
the citizens of Glasgow. The address of the Hon.
Gentleman (which will be found in another part
of this day's impression) will be found worthy of
a place with those to which we have so frequently
directed the public attention. It is indeed an
admirable resume not only of the events of the
bygone session, but of all the proceedings since
the summary removal of " the English Minister"
led to the overthrow of the RUSSELL Government.
The changes that have since occurred are depicted
with a master-hand, and the financial subjects are
treated in a peculiarly lucid manner. We heartily
commend it to the consideration of our readers.
It will be found eminently deserving of a careful
and attentive perusal.

COURT CIRCULAR.

OSBORNE, AUG. 25,

Her Majesty and his Royal Highness Prince Albert,
with Count Alexander Mensdorff, attended by the Hon.
Beatrice Byng and the Hon. A. Gordon, drove over to
Black Gang Chine yesterday afternoon.
Viscount Hardinge has arrived on a visit to her
Majesty.

The Turkish Minister transacted business at the
Foreign-office yesterday.
Dispatches were received at the Colonial-office from
the Governor of Gibraltar yesterday.