Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-11-05
PROGRESS OF THE REVOLUTION IN CHINA.
CORRESPONDENTS or ruG JOURNAL or COMMERCE..

CORRESPONDENCE OF THE JOURNAL OF COMMERCE..
CANTON, AUGUST 20, 1853
We have no new feature of striking Importance to
point out in the progress of the nsurrection 1t may
not be uninerestng after this lapse Of time to review
the various events which have taken place since the date
of our last special letter this subject Dist May and
to glance at its present position and prospects.
The anticpatons Of the Of the revolutionary
party in which then ventured to indulge have since
been amply verified, and there seems no reason to
doubt that the end of the Tartar dynasty is at hand On
every side its adherents have suffered defeat and the
rebel army remains quietly in possession of Marking
kangfoo, while strong body Of its forces is RAJ
pidy making its way northward to the Capita. Our in
formation of late is gained chiefly from the Pekin Ga
zettes and from the procaatons of the Emperor and
his ofhcers which OF course would place the imperial
cause in favorable light as possible But from the
former learn the important intelligent Of the loss Of
Fung Yang large city of -hwu lying to the north
west q Marking and OF the further unimpeded advance
OF the insurgents toward the Yellow river and from the
latter we infer the barrennes of the treasury the
apathy OF the people, and the desperate straights to
which the Government is reduced To raise money every
devise which can be contrved has been to sub
scrpons have been called for in different provinces and
literary and political honors have been promised as re-
wards to those who contribute largely New have
been laid especially in Pekn itself and the injudicous
vigor with which they have been levied has turned the
affections OF the inhabitants from the Government SO
that that city is likely to fall easy prey when the
bells appear before it.
After Intellectual attack on Chin kiangfoo the I'M
perial fleet on the Yank zkang gradually melted away
and the Tartar land forces in that vicinity defeated in
every engagement may be looked upon disorganzed
and poweress In many places near the coast fighting
has been and is going At Foochowfoo the trade is
much inerered with, and the has itself only been
preserved by the unusual energy and determination of
the Governor Annoy has fallen and two attempts of the
Mandarins to retake it have been frustrated with loss
At last dates the rebels more powerful than
but not possessing the confidence of influential and
wealthy inhabitants, they have been unable to form
trustworthy government, and for time the
business of the port has been completely stopped The
struggle still goes in Kwang and the disturbances in
the oolong districts are likely TO interfere with the supply
OF that description of tea
With regard to the religious element of this movement
we are convinced that has been misunderstood
and exaggerated. That the leader Hang
Taepng wang has received the benefit of Scriptu
raj education doubt but that the pure Chris
anlty OF the New Testament is practsed by himself
his followers do not believe We allude to this por
ton of the subject simply for the consideration of its u
innate bearing upon the result of the conflict and
lean to the opinion that is likely attend
the more worldly creed well informed writer in the
China ad newspaper in its issue of 30h June and 18th
August brings strong and it may be conclusive proof
that this instruction is the work Of the widely
Tract Society, of which Hang is chief and
plains the various rules and customs in among the
rebels by reference to its institutions This society has
Its agents in every part of the empire and doubtless gains
large accessions TO the 1t has been, believe
particularly active in this neghborhood and this brings
us to consideration Of the position of Canton.
September October has been for a long time named
as the period when change might be expected here but
it viii probably be entirely dependant the date of the
fall Of Pekin This have to look for within
one or two months and upon the receipt of the
general rising of the disafected is unlikely There
about four thousand Tartar troops in the city, but
suspect the authorities will yield without fighting Or at
tempt to escape by fight They will have place OF re-
fuge, however, and will doubtless lose their lives The
question then arises Can will business be carried on
under these crcumstances The answef IS purely con-
jectura but inclined 10 believe, reasoning from
the analogy of Annoy that cessation for longer
shorter season If the subveron of the Gov
ernmen however be effected not by effort of the peo-
pie but by strong force from the insurgent army the
latter may have power enough at to establish
officers and to Inspire the necessary confidence in the
minds Of the bankers and merchants
We must say, moreover that nothing whatever here
present. save the scarcity Of money indicates that any
fear Of disturbance is entertained by the Chinese with
whom come in contact.