The Sun.
London, England, 1857-06-10 00:00:00

of the actual state of the Chinese rebellion. In-
deed, the have almost forgotten it during our
own greater wars nearer home, and in our own
quarrel with the Cantonese. It should be re-
membered that this vast empire consists of eighteen
provinces, on an average, almost equal in size to
Great Britain, a fact which sufficiently accounts
for its population being eighteen times larger
than ours, without its containing more inhabitants
to the square mile. Its entire width is intersected
by one of the largest rivers in the world, on which
stands the ancient capital Nankin. The province
and city of Canton, to which Europeans were con-
fined till after the late war, is in the extreme
south, and Pekin, the present Manchoo capital, is
in the extreme north of this vast empire; some 17
degrees of latitude intervene—about the same dis-
tance as from Madrid to Aberdeen and farther.
In so vast and populous an empire, administered
by eighteen governors, over ten times which might
serve for as many kingdoms, it is not to be won-
dered at that insurrections occur ; and the fact is,
that under an absolute and centralisedadministra-
tion like that of China, there, are as in France or
Austria, no means of redress but insurrection.
Mal-administration at Pekin, or by any of the
provincial governments can be rectified only by
resistance. Hence, though the form of govern-
ment has been unchanged for at least two thou-
sand years, yet oppressive and incorrigible bad
dynasties have been repeatedly expelled.
The late rebellion, nr more properly speaking,
insurrection against the Manchoos and their
dynasty had unquestionably a religious origin.
alma SEW TSJIIIEN, who now styles himself the
Heavenly Prince. 's a kind of second Mahomet.
His course beg ,a some mysterious visions
vouchsafed him wring a severe illne.ss. He
appears to liave been delirious, and, what is
common in delirium, to have seen vivid represen-
tations of what he had read in the Protestant
Sriptures,many years before, but forgotten. He
had so forgotten, that when a few years after the
visions the successes of the English at Canton le I
him to look at the books he had received from
them again, he was astonished to find the key to
his dreams in them.

From that time ke does not seen to have
doubted that the God worshipped by the western
barbarians, whom he now termed foreigners, had
appeared to him ; that the Protestant Scriptures
were an authoritative revelation from Heaven, and
that he was called to commence the task of a
Religious Reformer. He does not appear to have
thought of insurrection against the Goverment
till, very unwisely, attacked by it ; and a consi-
derable body of political rebels having joined him,
they commenced their work of expelling the Tar-
tars from all the cities of the empire : this appears
to have been towards the close of the year 1850.
At this time they commenced their religious-
political movement to establish a new and native
dynasty of Taeping, or Universal Peace. Nume-
rous bands of discontented men, of bandits, and
even of pirates driven on shore by our cruisers,
have joined the rebels ; but "the God worship-
pers" continue to be the strength of the whole
movement, and thousands who have thought their
moral code too strict have deserted them on that
Account. They believe in one GOD, and in JESUS
OIRIST as his SAA, not his equal ; and the Ten
Commandments are their moral code. HUNG SEW
TSIIEN is regarded as the second son of GOD, though
apparently in a much lower sense than Jzsus.,ln fact,
their knowledge of Christianity seems to be
limited to What a learned native Chinese, without
A single idea from modern civilisation, could ex-
tract from the Old and Ne w Testament, which he
had received from a native convert. He and his
`God worshippers fight with the-ardour of patriots
against the Manchoos, and, the z3al of a DAVID
against idolators.

The Tae-ping rebels rapidly forced their way
through frqm the south-east across half the Em-
pire, till they reached the Great River on the
banks of 'which they have ever since established
their head-quarters. They soon descended the
River and took possession of Nankin, and of
Chin-kelang, where the celebrated canal crosses
the Great River. There, of course, they are not
far from us at Shanghae. In the summer of 1853,
a considerable detachment from the main army
started northward through the other half of the
empire from Pekin ; they fought their way skil-
fullyTtaa
rars in
and bravely with Tartars in their front and
their rear, till they nearly reached
Pekin itself, which it is supposed they expected to
take by surptise. The EMPEROR obtained from
Mantchooria, beyond the wall, a body of Tartar
cavalry. Having nothing to cope with it, they
were temporarily checked, and turned back to send
or wait for reinforcements; occupying meantime a
good position. After the arrival of the latter,
having continued nearly a year longer in the
North, and stormed large cities in the face of
the Tartar armies and their cavalry, they finally
returned to the south of the Yellow River, and
united themselves again with the main body on
the Great River. In this position, the best pro-
bably in the Empire for their operations, in com-
mand both of the best natural and artificial navi-
gation, they appear to be firmly fixed, and to be
extending their conquests in all directions.
Our readers who wish for information cannot
do better than consult the work of Mr. T. T.
MEADOW'S, Chinese Interpreter in H. M. Civil
Service, "The Chinese and their Rebellions," to
whom we are indebted for the less-known facts
above mentioned. His work will repay well the
perusal of all who take a political and religious
interest in, the vast and little-known Empire of
which it treats.* It seems plain that the Enarz-
ROR, embarrassed by 'the great Rebellion, and
Wm; eqdRIP embarrasied by the numerous rebels
of his own province, can be in no condition to
oppose any vigorous action on the part of Euro-
peans.

* THE CIIINESE AND THEIR REBELLIONS, ♦iewed in
Connection pith their Natural Philosophy, Ethics Le-
gislation, and Administration. By T. T. Mtadows.
London : Smith, Elder, and Co., 65, Cornhill.

The Queen and Prince Albert left Buckingham
Palace, yesterday afternoon, for Windsor Castle.

Madem e Musurus had an assembly last evening, at
the residence of the Turkish Embassy, in Bryanston-

square.

Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess
D'Aumale honoured Frances Countess Waldegrave and
Mr. Harcourt, M.P., with their company at dinner at
Strawberry-hill on Sunday last.
The Earl of Dalhousie, with the Ladies Susan and
Edith Ramsay, have arrived at the Queen's Hotel,
Upper Norwood.
The Earl St. Vincent :has arrived at the Clarendon,
from Meaford Stone, Staffordshire.
Lady Antrobus's party, announced to take,place this
evening, ie for the present unavoidably postponed.
The officers of the Royal Dragoons gave their annual
dinner yesterday at Grillion's Hotel, Albemarle-street.
Major-General Marten occupied the chair. The dinner
was numerously attended.
THE MONDAY EVENING CONCERTS FOR THE PEOPLE.
These concerts having been brought to a close for the
present season, a grand concert will be given in aid of
the " guarantee fund" on Thursday evening next (to-
morrow)) at St. Martiu's•ball. Miss Dolby, Mr. Weiss,
and other distinguished artists have generously offered
their services.
WINDING-UP OF A BREAD AND FLOUR COMPANY.—The
Bread and Flour Company of Plymouth, established
recently under the new Limited Liability Act, is being
wound-.up ; and the official liquidator has found it neces-
sary to make a call of 41. per share as a first instalment
to discharge the liabilities incurred.