Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-08-06
THE NEWS FROM CHINA.

steumGr
an expedition to the seat Of the rebellion.
Nankn reported to be in state of war, whilst
the whole district in anarchy and confusion. The
rebels in possession of Nankin and Chinkiang
which they strongly fortifyng and waiting
for renforcements from the south previous to advancing
upon Pekin
The nsurgent leaders haveraised the standard of Chris
tiany. correct translation of the Bible was freely
circulated amongst them and zeal amounting fana-
tcism leading them on to attempt the destruction of
the whole Tartar race whist strictly moral duties
strictly enforced and pracised throughout their own
ranks.
The commander of the Hermes had explained the neu-
trail position which the foreign Powers disposed to
hold during the struggle.
We suboin extract from the North China Herald of
the 7h of May It is hardly necessary to say that we
do not credit all its statements respecting the religious
improvement of the Insurgents
The Hermes returned to this port on the Afternoon Of
the 9TH instant with his excellency Sir George Bonham
board She has made cventfu Tip up the Yangtze
during which she lay five days at Maxim, and brings
back intelligence Of deeply interesting and even as
founding character respecting the insurgents giving us
much cause to thank her Majestys PlenYotenary for
the steps taken to obtain positive information re-
garding them.
The following particulars we give on good authority
and we hope to furnish from the more de-
tails in further issue:
The insurgents Christians of the Protestant form of
worship and antidolaors of the sctest order They ac-
knowledge one God the Heavenly Father the alIwise
all powerful and omnpresent Of the world with him
Jesus Christ the Saviour of mankind the Holy
Spirit as the last of the three persons of the Trinity Their
chief on earth is person known sTeaping the
Prince of Peace to whom kind Of divine origin and
sion is ascribcd Far however, from claiming alteration
forbids In edct the application to himself the terms
supreme holy and others hitherto constantly by
the Emperors of China but which he declines receiving on
the ground that they due to God alone.
Their moral code the insurgents call the Heavenly Rules
which, examination proved to be the
The observance Of these strictly enforcedb by the leaders
the movement chiefly Kwang tung and Kwang men, who
nrpliu Int
practical and spiritual christians deeply Influenced by the be-
lief that God always with them The hardshps they have
suffered and the dangers they have incurred
and trials OF their Heavenly Father the they
achieved are instances of his grace.
In conversation they 'bore the worldly minded by
constant recurrence to that special attention of the Almighty
of which they believe themselves be the objects With
proud humility and with tho gstenng eyes gratitude
they point back to the fact that at the beginning their
enterprise some four ago. they numbered but
two hundreds and that except for the direct help
Heavenly Father they could have done what they have
DONE"
They" said one, speaking Imperalists "snread all
KIND OF lies about u.s. They say we employ magical arts
The only kind OF magic have used prayer God In
kwang-se, when occupied Yung Gnan were sorely
pressed there then only 900 5000 u.s. We
were beset on all sides by much greater numbers
powder left and provisions all gone but our Hea
yeny Father down and showed way break out
90 put our wives and children in the middle and only
forced passage but completely beat our enemies After
short pause he added be the will of God that Prince
vereign of China; if not then we will die here"
The man who used this language of courageous fidelity
extreme, in Cad
up elderly little person, who made odd
in his yellow and red hood but he think the thoughts
ana speak the speech of hero Is and ka him have
succeeded IN inusing their sentiments of and
morality to no slight extent considering the materials ope
rated upon into the minds Of their adhern One
was youth OF nineteen who acted of the guides
party h rode into Nankin and who again again.
along foot begged and bcsough Mr. Interpreter Mea
dows If he came back from Shanghai to bring him double
s0ord but also exhorted that gentleman refrain
smoking from drunkenness, and other vices with simple
earnestness at amusing and admirable This lad, the
Unfn H.
and himself no bad scholar had left his fathers house the
age of seventeen and travelled days join
gent camp before Kwen prompted by adventurous sp
rit to share in conquerng the rivers and mountains the
expression by which the holy warriors of Tapping designate
their enterprise.
THAT there ambitious selfdeeevers shrewd mposters
and calculating hypocrtes among them in plenty doubt
not also doubt not that numbers join and win continue
in their ranks influenced exclusively by motives as worldly
and gnobe those which guide conduct of SO many pro-
Tossing Christians of the West But among the leaders
ognators Of the movement there signs
good leaven, which we trust and earnestly wish may u
matey spread throughout the whole One convincing
proof Of the sincerity of the ruling mind is while fight
ing to free their country from foreign yoke and anxious
obtain adherent they nevertheless throw great difficulties in
the way Of rapid increase Of numbers by insisting on the
general adoption Of and revealed religion lcarrt from
'barbarians.
"Whe they have materially derived their religious beliefs
from the writings II not in the direct teachings
foreign Protestant missionaries they appeared be
y ignorantof foreign nations Canton known them
as the seat of aforcgn commerce. but Shanghai (which
had indeed into Importance during the years they
known to several of their leading gratifying
learn that under these circumstances the existence
mon religious belief dposes them regard their foreign
brethren with frank iendness which past experience
ders it difficult to comprehend in Chinese but which
earnestly trust every effort viii be made cultivate and
tabsh in their minds 1t would to speak nothing else
do more for commercial interests sheud the insurgents
succeed than hundreds ofshps and regiments.
we understand that during long ride Of ten or twelve
miles into the city of Nankn and back along what Mt
present be called ono Of the streets of large camp Mr. Mea
dows did not hear Of those abusive and derogaory cpl
hets applied TO himself companions which have always
been 90 literally bestowed passing foreigners by the heahn
Chinese There also the fullest evidence that the OBJ
scene expressions with which the latter garnsh oil their con-
yersaons prohibited and almost banished from the LAM
guage OF the Christians.
I've have time or space coy su2re present. We
have thought il advisable dwell in the first instance main
" on the most striking and feature OF this move
men its religious and puritanica elements feature now
placed beyond all doubt which the previous conceptions
omany foreigners will regard with the greatest
astonisbment If not ncredulty any body of Chinese We
hope hereafter to be enabled to give some account oil the
origin military organization actual position, and probable
future movements Of the insurgents They hold Nankn,
(ermcd by them Teenkng Capital Chin kang,
and fnngchow, and for the present busy engaged in
strengthening and increasing the orthcations OF these cities
On the return of the Hermes from Nankin, and while
passing Ching kianfoo the Hermes fired upon from
two forts garrsoned by the rebels and after receiving
four five round shot in her rigging and HULL she open
cd fire, which quickly Quoted the forts and Immediately
afterwards she visited by officer OF rank, VINO
apologzed for what he said mistake arising from
the fact OF there being squarergged vessels below
Kinng, which had two occasions attacked ,ne
insurgents and that the Hermes supposed 10 De CON
nected with them These are all the particulars whicn
have yet transpired.
Though the rebels have been hitherto successful the
lmperiasts do not to despair for they are put
chasing number of foreign vessels several OF Wnich o
been up the river before the Bombay let among
thea 20 ova kanx oIvb