The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-04-13

posed to any party utilization or association with
such men.
From the Overland Friend of China, Jan. g.
The Rebellion In China.
Anticipated Operttro,o of The Mantchou DYNASTY
the Slaughter Of Soldiers, DC, DC, DC,
The Chinese newspaper press may not be ex-
pected to furnish correct political information, if
the same is likely to be distasteful to the
ruling powers; and it is matter Of some sur
prise to find any notice at all of the progress of
the Southern rebels in the papers that are daily
hawked about for sale in Canton and other places.
Indeed, from the purport of some that have
fallen into our hands, we are inclined to think
that the publication of their stupid details must
be connived at by the imperial government, with
a view to throw contempt on the leaders of the
insurgent bands. A paper now before us (not
a respectable looking sheet, like nm English
journal, but of very small dimensions, and pur-
chased here in Hong Kong for SO small n sum
as single cash, the fourteenth part of penny,)
gives the public to understand that the rebel
leader, Tien-teh, was burnt to death during an
accidental fire in his camp, and that, thereupon,
his wife assumed the imperial tiara, sharing her
throne with two young men, her favorifes,
(whose names are duly given,) and although her
measures were distasteiul to Tien-teh's brother,
and to others, by causing the assassination of the
former, she has succeeded in fixing herself
firmly on the throne. Such nonsense rs this,
evidently written, as we have before said, with
view to throw contempt on the rebels, may have
the desired effect upon the Celestial mass but
with us it only serves to show that the govern
ment are al their wits end, and know no other
course but duplieity, to stay the torrent that is
apparently about to OverWhelm them.
In other parts of this paper, we mention the
beleaguerment of the Imperial Commissioner
Seu and suite, in the southwestern part of the
Canton province. Lately we had an opportunity
of conversing with mandarin holding the bre.
vet rank of Yuntai, an officer of the third class,
addressed " his excelency,") and endeavored to
obtain from him an opinion as to the truth of
this rumor, and what would be the result should
Seu be captured. That there was such report
he admitted; but he doubted it's perfect truth
Seu, he said, would certainly destroy himself
rather than be made prisoner. Regarding Can
ton, he thought there were too many obstacles
in the way of its being reached easily by the
rebels; but that there are a great many disaf
fected spirits in the city is well known who may
be biding their time The taking of the depart
mental city Wing-on, is generally talked Of by
the inhabitants, who know that those who took
IL, Us ucIt TOUUcTS 10, Jake I'LL L1NL LUOSe
who were captured were worth, but only por-
ton as contribution towards carrying on the
war, which they told the people would certainly
end in their absolute success; and that what
was then taken, should, by and by be RENTED
out of taxes due. This from one, who, on the
accession of the present Emperor received
further promotion as as mark of his Maesty's
regard, and whose interests by being bound up
in Yih.chu's retention Of the throne, NAV reas
onably be supposed unwilling to countenance
reports unless he fully believed that there were
good grounds for them, should certainly have
weight with those who, out Of logged deter
mination to maintain previous opinions, though
erroneous, are still doing their best to make light
of the superstition that the Southern capital is
in jeopardy. Should the rebels indeed come to
Canton, our informant added his only means of
safety would be flight to the hills.
From what has been done by the rebels
during the month now ending, so far as known
to us, we must refer our readers to the com.
pendulum of extracts from bi weekly issues.
We have two long papers, translations of
some of our Chinese correspondence, one tell
ing of the taking of the chief city of the Chin
kong district of Kwang 81, and hard fight be-
tween the impearalist troops Chose from
kweichow, principally and the rebels, and in
which we have the usual report of thousands
killed, and thousands wounded; among the
officers in The latter category, Chang king-sew
is named, who fell from his horse and famed his
left foot The city had been thoroughly ran
sacked, prisoners released, &c.
The other paper tells of the bad conduct of
the impcrialist soldiery, when en- route to the
seat OF war, and of organized bodies ofthcm set
upon and dispersed by the common people. A
friau1 of Al: i'll
the other day, at the place little below the
Dutch folly, where the provincial levies are
generally stationed on their arrival in Canton.
The soldiers who had been gambling (cheating
or being cheated), made rush to their boats
loaded long gingall, and sent its contents in
among the mob, whereby one was shot dead
and several others wounded.
| 1t is not generally known, we believe, that the
Chinese government have offered the superin-
tendent, here, Of the Peninsular and Oriental
steam navigation company, large sums per
month for the services of two steamers to aid
them in their operations against the rebel feet
on the coast. BY the report from Ningpo. as
published in the North China Herald, of the
Goth ut., it will be seen that victory was
gained by the pirates chiefly through treac lerv.
This, however, is only repetition aHoat of the
continual determinations of troops on shore
and that the days Of The Mantchou dvnnsfv are
draacing 10 close, there is not particle of reason
for doubling A body of about four thousand
imperial troops passed up the river opposite the
factories, (Canton0 during the past week. bound
| to the seal of war;
| court messenger arrived last week, with an
order from the Emperor to raise million of
tacls of silver for payment of the troops. OF.
iicals contributed 100000 of it without any
delay, leaving the remainder to be made up by
the rich families. Meetings have been held at
Tai-fut chic, daily ever since the 26th (the 9Th
instant0 to consider the rescript; but to quote
the exact words used by the Chinese in writing
us, "they, the rich people, looked at one another,
and refused to prepare the sum-"
We have heard that the district cities of Woo.
heen, on the south, and Chaou-ping on the east