Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1842-08-25
For upwards of


it soft and sensitive. For upwards of
a quarter of a century after this he liv-
ed at the court of his father, Kea-King,
a man given to drunkenness and vice,
whose entire administration was an ag-
gregate of disgraceful transactions
During his reign pirates infested the
coast, and spread desolation wherever
they came. Many time did they put
to the worst the imperial fleets that
were sent against them. And this
state Of things continued till the pirates
quarrelled among themselves, and so a
hint was given to imperialists, that they
might treat with the dissatisfied among
them on easier and more persuasive
terms than those of fighting. A paci-
6cation was in the issue effected, and
one of the piratical leaders was raised
to post of honor and confidence as a
recompcnse fer having betrayed his
followers: man who had waded in
the blood OF men, women and children,
WHOM the lofty son Of heaven ought to
have protected, but could not. Taou
Kwang's advantages for learning to be
cruel and encroaching in his grand.a-
theirs reign, and how to be mean and
vicious in that of his fathers, Were
therefore of no ordinary kind.
We ought, however, to advert to a
fact, which would very much rebound
to the praise Of Taou Kwang, were not
every statement that issues from the
court Of Pekin of such a doubtful and
ambiguous character, that no wise man
would be authorised in drawing any
inference fom, much less Of founding
any measure upon it. Some time after
the pacifcation of the pirates, large
bands of daring robbers are said to
have infested the gulf Of Pi-chile, who
grew SO bold in their proceedings, that
they resolved to attack the imperial
palace and dethrone the emperor. 1t
was on this occasion that Taou Kwang
distinguished himself, and performed
such deeds as in the sequel paved his
way to the throne. What was the a.
mount of proves displayed does not
appear, and the whole affair has been
very Justly suspected as state intrigue;
for the gates.of Pekin are well guarded
by soldiers, and the imperial person is
always surrounded by body of satel
.lites sufficient to set at nought any
number of7sobbers, if they were in ear
nest about the matter. Some of the
courtiers were perhaps sick of the fee
bic administration Of Kea-King, and
called in these robbers as a sort Of cats
paw to. try the experiment, and to see
how far his removal would meet the
general appreciation. The attempt
did rot succeed, or matters were not
ripe, and SO Taou Kwang was allowed
TO flourish in the defence Of his father.
In 1920 he came to the throne; tho
the following year, 1921, was, by i'm
perial edict, commanded to stand in
the calendar as the. first of his reign
A son, according to the dignihed dog
ma of the sage, which dignifes filial
piety, ought to retire from business,
and mourn in sackoloth three years at
the death of his father. 4aou Kwang,
though Tartar, was disciple Of the
Confucian school, and was, Of course,
obliged to feign a wonderful readiness
to comply with its rigid precepts; but
the solicitations of his friends saved
him this piece of penanee and self-de-
NAL; and, SO cutting asunder the thread
of his poignant sorrows, he seized the
Heins of government in 1920, and or
dered the following to be considered
as the first fhis administration. But
hear the self-applauding suficiency
with which be prefaced this declaration.
"All the kings [severals kingdoms are
tributary to China], Tartar lords, great
statesmen, civil and military officers,
have affirmed with one voice that hea-
ven's throne must not long remain
without ali occupant. f"
The "patemal government" of Taou
Kwang, which would appear SO just
and so engaging if we were to form a
judgment Of it from the tone Of imperial
edicts, will be proved by very little an
alysis to be a combination of cruelty,
cowardice, and sanctimonious hypocrl-
| sy. Where no selfish motive impedes,
meritorious conduct is rewarded, taxes
RENTED in suffering provinces, and
many enactments and regulations OF
public utility are issued from the court
of Pelzin. The Emperor, too, as high
priest, according to very ancient con-
stitution which unites the kingly and
the sacerdotal Office in one person, Of
ten humors highly superstltlous peo-
pie by patronising them In some favor
| tie whim or other. He takes care to