The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-04-13
From the Overland Friend Of China, Jan. 8.
The Rebellion In China.

from he Opertnnd FRIEND OF China, JAM 81
The Rebellion In China.
.. Anticipated Operdlro,o Of The Mantchou Dynasty
i 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 dstasteful 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 stuI id details must
be connived at by the imperial government, with
view to throw contempt on the leaders of the
insurgent bands, A paper now before us mot
respectable looking Sheet like an English
journal, but of very small dimensions, and pur
chased here in Hong Kong for so small sum
as single cash, the fourteenth part of penny
gives the public to understand that the rebel
leader, I'en-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 lavorites
(whGse names are duly given) and although her
measures were .distasteful to 1ien.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 az this
evidently written, as we have before said, with
view to throw contempt on the re bells, may have
the desired effect upon the Celestial mass but
with us il only serves to show that the govern
ment are at their wits end and know no other
course but duplicty, to stay the torrent that is
apparently about TO overwhelm them
la other parts of this paper we mention the
beleaguerment of the Imperial Commissioner
i 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 eXcellency,") and endeavored TO
obtain from him an opinion as TO the truth OF
this rumor, aud what would be the result should
Seu be captured. That there was such a report
he admitted; but he doubted IFS perfect truth
Seu, he said, would certainly destroy himself
T 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 great many disaf
iected 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
it. did not, as mere robbers do, take all that those
r who were captured were worth, but only nor.
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, may reas.
onably be supposed unwilling TO couutenance
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 suppositon that the Southern capital is
in jeopardy. Should the rebels indeed come TO
Canton, our informant added his only means Of
safety would be fight TO the hills.
From what has been done by the rebels
during the month now ending. 80 far as known
TO us, we must refer our readers 10 the com
pendulum of extracts from bi weekly issues.
, We have two long papers, TRANSACTIONS Of
some OF our Chinese correspondence, one tell.
ing Of the taking Of the chief city Of the Chin
kong district Of kwang ST, and hard fight be-
tween he impearialist troops Chose from
Kweichow, principally and the rebels. and in
which we have the usual report of thousands
f, killed, and thousands wounded among the
: officers in the latter category. Chang. king-sew
is named, who fell from his horse and amed his
left foot. The city had been thoroughly ran.
hafheus pISOOeTS TtteaEeO, &C.
The other paper tells of the bad conduct of
the imperialiet soldiery, when en- route to the
seat of war, and Of organized bodies ofthem set
upon and dispersed by the common people. A
/ friend of ours witnessed something Of this kind
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 bad been gambling (cbeatinc
or being cheated), made rush to their boats.
loaded long gngall, and sent its contents in
among the mob whereby one was shot dead.
and several others wounded.
II IS not generally known, VIC believe. that the
Chinese government have offered the superin-
a tendeni, here, Of tie Pcninsular and O,ieniial
j steam navigation company, large sums per
Z, month for the services Of two steamers 10 aid
1 them IN their operations against the rebel fleet
on the coast by the report from Ningpo. as
:, published ~ the North China Herald Of the
!, goth ult, IL will be seen that a yiciorv was
s gained by the pirates, chiefly through treac crv
4 This, however is only repetition aHoat of the
continual determinations Of. troops on shore
b and mat The days Of The Nantctou dgnas,v are
droioing 10 close here is not particle NJ reason
\ tor doubung body Of about four thousand
{ imperial troops passed up the river opposite the
factories, (Canton,) during the past week, bound
10 the seat Of war
7 court messenger arrived last week, with an
order from the Emperor TO raise million Of
Y iaes Of silver for payment of the troops OF
b fcials contributed 100000 Of t without any
: delay, leayng the remainder 10 be made up by
The rich families. Meetings have been held al
Tai.fut chic, daily, ever since the 26lh (the 10th
} insianfD 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 10 prepare the sum"
We have heard that The district cities Of Woo
: heen, on The SOUTH and Chaou-ping on the east