Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-09-10

We have received Chinese papers to the 23d
June The Hong Kong Overland Register of June
23d is mostly filled with notices of the Rebels"
their books, DC. AS to their present position the
editor says:
The main body Of the rebel army lying still at
Nankng supposed have retired into quarters
and nothing is done against them they do nothing
We have before stated that nacon has always proved
the ban of rebellion or imposture-that not to
10 be lost. We cannot however bring these Chinese TO
the of European experience and therefore perhaps
the opposite results may take place from this mac
ton from what would take place if it the inacton
Of rebellion by Western nation. Vaccination from
precedent is here quite at fault Wherever instruction
breaks out it is successful when leaves its ground the
old masters occupy It, Who the rebels and how much
ground do they actually holds The rebels body of
naen who have marched from Kwangse; the most liberal
allowance does not advance the numbers of their army
beyond 10000, and the numbers, including ukewarm
friends is not rated at much than 100 600 They
hold spot of ground except that which they stand
and though from the apathy Of the people and the
adice OF their opponents they acquire every thing they
attack yet when they leave the place the Mandarns
back, and things fail into their usual course"
A large portion Of his sheet is devoted to a COM
Inunication, of which he remarks
q In present issue we give long and deliberately
written letter with which have been favor
ed The writer's who has maturey considered the SUBJ
lse on which ne has 50 clearly and csyery commented
the people gained from a long course of reading his
opinion on the rebels and the rebellion we consider
valuable will be readily that hi. sympathes go
along with those who wagng war with the Tar
r G9yernment Tor he praises every thing that be
considered good in their doctrines and movements and
apologies for every thing that may looked upon as
rupt IN the one and cruel in the other"
The writer Of the comm uncation then states his
design:
Having been favored with complete set of the pub
LEGATIONS which obtained from the rebels and which
declare the points of their religious belief and the prin
cpies Of their propose giving
you in this letter. the impressions which have pro-
duced on my own mind by the perusal Of them l shall
try first to describe what these people regiousy
Having done that may inquire how they have got their
religious knowledge; how their rebellion and religion
consist what the probabilities of their success and
what may anticipate would be the attitude which in
the event Of success they would foreign
nations
The points commeLdable in their books are pre-
sentcd in the following citations from the letters
They proclaim God, whose names jehovah to be the
Creator of heaven and earth, and all things; that
He is spirit omnipotent omnscient and onnpresent
that lie workeh all in ALL and is the agent in every ben
ehcial phenomenon sustaining and nourishng His uni
versal family.
They base their belief of it the teaching of Old
Testament and on the most ancient books and practice
Of China and in both we'll That the most ancient
Chinese must have known the true God few who admit
the Bible will be disposed to deny. That they did so
their own books sufficiently testify, and indeed God has
all along been known and worshipped by this people, only
the worship Of Him has been associated With that of
either beings The corruption Of pure monotkeism dates
from en- early period We hnd greatly prevalent in the
three dynasties to which the rebels make their appeal
but they anticipate this bar to their argument and adj
NIT that early the twenty-sxth century before
Christ, in the time of the Emperor Shaou -haou the
impish devil got into his tolls, and led them to
worship other beings besides God The consequence of
this was that during the three dynases 3D. c. 2204 220
there was some confused assocatpg Of evil spirits with
the Supreme Being.
The second good thing in the religion of the rebels
Is their cordial adoption of the Ten Commandments
their moral law A concise but sufficiently accurate
statement and Of these given of their
publications and in fact all their inculcatons duty
for the most part little than repetition of them
with slight variations.
thing the view they take of the Ten Com
andments for which previous knowledge of Chinese
notions ana not prepare their rating the Importance
OF the Seventh Commandment before the Fifth The first
ness
The direct violation of the Seventh Commandment is
punished IN their army with DEATH aud it is remarkable
also that they consider opium smoking as coming within
ITS scope Lewd glances Of the eye, lewd of
the heart, smoking opium, and singing eWd songs are
all violations of this rule of heaven
"A third good thing is the distinct recognition of
future state-the belief Of heaven the dwelling
place Of the good and hell place appointed for the
bad" -
That these doctrines exert practical influence
on the insurgents, the writer thinks the rules Of
their camp to be an indication:
The three first of their rules for their host when on
csmped the followng You must reverently honor
the orders Of heaven you thoroughly learn the
Ten Commandments, the do1ology the forms for morn
ing and evening worship and for saying grace also
all the proclamatons and instructions that may be is
sued you must exercises your hearts to good you
not smoke opium drink wine; you be just and
hrmonious you must not hide the faults Of another
Through feelings Of Kindness according with those in an
inferior position, and being dsobedent your officers
lie states also the following:
These men have separated themselves thoroughly and
widely from all the gous systems that obtain in China
They equally removed from the apathy of the edu-
Gated classes and the doary Of the Budhists and the
Taouists To the former they oppose the Of
new and lively faith in God in whom they believe that
all men live and move and have their being The latter
they mock and urge the slaves of the devil Supersti-
ton has lost its terrors for them, and idols
blocks Of wood and stone be hacked and hewed nnd
broken IN pieces wherever they find them wish had
been IN the Her'qe when she neared Silver Island on
her way 70 Marking The of the river have been
told was strewed with the wrecks Of the idols Of which
the island but little before had been full and Buddhns
twenty feet high and more ounderng about awak
enng strange thoughts IN the uua lated Chinese that saw
them. Then, these rebels esteem the Ten Command
ents rs highly rs do and they beyond the pre-.
sent life rs distinctly the conditions heaven and hell
They benumbed by specuations that do not
reach beyond the little span Of e represent death as
the end Of conscious independent existence They are no
Ghosts Add further to this that they have speak
scripture the word Of God and not ashamed
acknowledge their and remedy them, when they
think that they have offended against the Divine honor
Let all these considerations be placed the side
and though there be the greyous imperfecons and g
norance aud gross corrupons Of the truth md visions
ana revelations in which is light to be weighed against