Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1853-09-17
Later from the Chinese.


! gave you an account OF tue revolu'
tionary party which started some
weeks since in tho southern part OF
China, but was then in possession OF
Marking. Since .hat time the Brit
ish steamer Hcrmes, with Sir George
Bonham and suite, has beon up to
Marking to learn something definite
concerning this revolutionary party,
as only partial and unsatisfactory &C.
counts could be obtained on the coast.
1t will doubtless DO gratifying to the
Christian world to learn that they
found these people worshipping the
true God, though they are not, as
might naturally be expected, Invested
of all their errors. Suffice it to say,
however, they have dailyprayers, ask
q blessing before meals, take the ten
commandments as their moral code,
are rigid ,cetotalcrs, prohibiting smo-
king as well as drinking spirits, aud
punish adultery with death. They
have discarded all necromancy, and
cxpungcd 'helucky and unlucky days
from their calendar as useless trash.
They seek light from higher source,
as their Chief, whose real name is
Hpng-sew.tscucn, PROCESSES to have
occasional communications from henv-
eli. 1t is but justice to him to state,
however, that he claims no right to
alter or ahridge the Scriptures; but
seems to hold them up as the rule Of
fui,h and practice for his followers
They seem fully persuaded that they
ere specially called to overthrow id"l-
airy, with the corrupt government
now in existence. and TO establish q
Christian government in the land
They profess friendship for foreign
ers, and speak Of tho whole human
family as ono brotherhood. In the
event Of their coming to Shanghai,
they say they will give the foreigners
three days notice in order that they
may protect themselves against rob
bers, &c. Commodore Perry relics
so much on their good faith, tha. as
soon as the Hermes returned, he star
ted of on the Japan expedition, leav'
ing only tho plymouth to protect the
Americans in case Of danger. This
the Americans protested against, but
to no purpose. The people do moi
fear tho army SO much rs the plum
dorers and banditti that always prowl
about at such times, especially in hea'
then countries. Butte the point
The rcvolu,ionists are now in posses
sion of Marking, Chin.kiang and the
town opposite Chin.kiang, where the
Grand Canal enters the Yangtz.ki-
ang on the northern side. Thus they
have perfect command Of the great
,horoughfare to Picking. These pla'
ccs they arc strongly terrifying, while
the government makes but feeble
resistance. The chief Mandarin al
Shanghai has bought some foreign
vessels, and hired foreigners to take
charge of them. These he has sen,
up the river, and they have made sew
eral attacks on Chiu.kiang; but with,
out any effect, as they were not sup
ported by q land force.
If any Of these foreign hirclings
should fall into the hands Of the rov.
dictionary party, thcy will fare rather
badly presume, and meet with little
sympathy here.
After tho return of the Hermcs
the Rev. Mr.. Taylor, Of the Mesho.
dist Mission, embraced the oppor.u'
nifty to so up the river in ship.pro'
visioner's boat, which was sent up to
carry articles to the foreign vessels ir
the Chinese employ. He wentas ia'
as Silver Island, two miles below
Chin-kiang, and could get no further
as the boatmen became alarmed al
their proximity to the enemy. He al
SO might have been in danger, rs he
came directly from tho foreign heot
and the revolutionists might very nat
urally conclude that he was a spy
At Silver Island he found the magnif
icent temples empty. Tho gods had
been cas-, down, broken to pieces
trodden in tho mud, and many of them
thrown into tho river. Tho furniture
and decorations Of tho temples sha'
red tho same fatc. AS the forlorr