The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-12-01

The spirit-Rappers in tho Celestial Empire


Shanghae, arc to the 28th Of September last VIZ
have already given the commercial intelligence
We now annex some Of tho curious details OF the
rebellion in progress in China :
THE ssREBELLION," AND TIENTEH's CONFESSION
From the China Mail, Sept. 49,
The intelligence. or rumors, about the rebellion,
Is this month even more than usually indefinite and
contradictory. One correspondent says the rebels
are unmolested in Human, where their leaders are
suppantiDg the constituted authorities in the gooi
graces Of the inhabitants, while the imperial forces
are retained In kWang. o. on the plea chat If they
leave that province the rebels will return; and this
is the explanation given why there are no engage.
ments to report But it seems, tho ''rebes" intend
to re-commence active operations when the cold
weather sets in, and permanently to establish
Themselves if they can, in the provinces of Human
and SE.chuen Their number is set do wn at 40 900,
how provided for, during their inactivity, we are
not informed; but our correspondent holds that
though they may not be speedily subdued, they
have not resources ultimately to Withstand the i'm
perial power; and We may add what another cores
pondent suggests, that their leaders have no plan
OF operation, or any higher object than to copstrain
the government to compound with them by Office
or emoluments for themselves, and immunity for
their followers. But the Chinese, whether rebels or
imperialists, do nothing rapidly.
Again, wo are told that the rebels having got
possession Of the city Of Tau-chau in Human are
about to be hemmed in there, as they were at
Yung-'Dgan in Kwapg.si and so far from there
being no imperial forces in the province, they
are sufficiently powerful to prevent the Gagged
birds from venturiDg forth to try their luck else
where
The effects of the instruction at Canton are said
to be felt in the diminished demand for goods and
supply of teas but in the same breath we are tod
that the policy of the rebels has been not to in
terere with the transit of merchandise to and from
the interior" and it is certain that the literary
examinations at Canton, to which no less than eight
thousand candidates from all quarters have come
are going on 8 as quietly if the maxims of Con.
n ha la IF tho mi
and all coming generations of Chinese
Last month We published what purported to be
the confession, before execution, of Tienteh, the
Soadisdnt heir Of the Mings and the head of the in
that, however, We have now less doubt since even
those who alege that the person sent to Picking by
Salshapgah, and whose confession we published,
was not the real Tienteh, but one OF his of,
made by prisoner called or calling himself Hung
Ia tsieun, alias Tienteh. We have heard good
deal upon this subject during the month; amongst
t other things that Dr. Bowring and Dr. Parker,
United States, and firm believers in the
power of the rebels, hold that the real Tenteh is
alive and kicking, and the rebellion fourshing as
much as ever. 1t is possible, considering the he
terogeneous mass and its numerous leaders, that tho
Chinese authorities may have taken the wrong man,
though there does not seem to us to be sufficient
proof that such is the case do we see what end
could DO served BY their practising q deception,
4.
The confession was kept back by the translator for
six weeks and not published until the order for
the mans execution appeared in the Peking Gazette,
and on minute search Of its files all the main
points of the confession Confirming as they did
things previously but not 80 explicitly reported)
are found repeated in the report of the Board Of
Punishment, which states when this man Hung Ia
tseun (Tienteh) was examined, and when con-
demned.
1t is easy enough to set up another man and call
him Tienteh after is dead; but the question is,
whether this Hung (the pun is unintentionaD was
ever the Tienteh of Kwsng 81 and not, whether
the insurgents have now such leader
The Tienteh who has been executed, we are
told, was taken to Pekin from KwaDg. 81, and for
warded by the Imperial Minister and Special Com
missioner, Saishsngah, who was then in chief COM
General nor his substitute had anything to do with
that jurisdiction, and are not likely to have taken
the trouble to foist scapegoat on the Prime Minis
ter"
From the Hong Kong Register Sept 2I.l
Tsow Ming no, Governor OF wang SO, kneeling,
presents memorial concerning various acts of as
sistance to the empire afforded by oe rtain spirs,
which have displayed their heroic energy, and res
spectfuy begs the Emperor of his sacred grace, to
grant m addition to their titles in ackno wledgment
Of the projection which they have accorded
Since our dynasty obtained possession Of the en-
pre, the majestic energy Of the god Kvan has been
displayed, and the successive emperors
have conferred excellent titles upon him, and
the whole land temples have been erect
ed to him, ard he has been honored and sacrificed
to with the utmost reverence At the present time,
whe the provincial city kwei-ln has been attacked
by the rebel villains in every time Of peculiar dan
ger, have repaired with reverence to his temple,
and burned beore him my pray ers, beseeching him
to regard the lives OF the people. On occasion,
after such service, there were dug up, at o spot
behind the temple of the Bright and Loyal tw enty-
five old guns, which had been cast in The time Of
Thav I'D o. and
were Of great servce many of the rebels were shot
to death with them.
At different times, from various spies of the rebels
which we're taken and from individuals of the pso-
pie that had been kept prisoners by them, learn
ed report which was circulated in their camp, that,
whenever they were pressing the city the hardest,
they saw . red light shining over it, and man,
mounted on horse and brandishing q sword, in
continual movement, the horse being very large,
and all bis guards ard attendants very tall, quite
different from ordinary men, so that the sight of
them struck the rebels with fear, and they we're
beaten in every engagement.
Moreover was informed that on the thirteenth
OF the third month the night being dark and rainy,
the rebels sent c0Nn, at the fourth watch upwards
of forty vessels from behind the Tseang-pe Gle
plants nose) hill, hoping, by their secrecy and
peoiton. to reach the rivers mouth, and effect .
landing under cover of the darkness. It happened,
however that their progress was stopped by vio-
IL Mt North wind, and there appeared horseman on
the surface OF tho water, making signals to the i'm
BsAial IVoPo W nufduCe WIN tne sbream, hnu
drive them back At the same time, amid the
darkness, there was suddenly displayed lantern,
with the two words "GIeat Happiness" written
upon it.
On the Goth of the third month, I reported that
the re .es had been beaten, and in my account
stated clearly that spirits had been frequently seen
displa. ing their majestic energy. said also that
when things were sestled, l would make exact in.
quiiies into such matters, and report the result
Now, cor ider that when the rebels were beaten
before the city, the troops all standing about
the embrasmes Of the wall; the horsemen. whom
the rebels brandishing his sword in the red
light, certainly the god Kwan, msuifsstng his
sacred presence fer assistance When the troops
again be-. back the rebes and destroyed their YES
ses, Of course ii could not be of themselves who
stood mounted the surface Of the water; and the
two words ~hioh the rebels sew upon the lantern,
put il beyond doubt that this IVES the spirit OF
the King Of Great Happiness For these events we
ere indebted to the anxious thoughts Of our sacred
Lord, concerned about the dangers C the city aud
people ahd Influencing the splits to display their
aid and punch the rebels.
The Surname Of TIE King Of Great Happiness was
nd n