Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-12-17
INTERESTING FROM CHINA.
FROM THE AUGUSTA (eHo.) SENTINEL.

NE have been favored with the suboined extracts from
private letter. written by highly intelligent gentleman
in China to his friend in this State which may be
very interesting those of readers who take in
terest in the affairs of the Celestas The received
from China is often very contradictory and unreable it
is therefore quite relief to have at command
thing entitled to credence and such, readers
sured, those extracts The, letter bears date
SHANGHAI, August II, 1855
Well you want to hear something of the rebellion. 1t
will be successful and the present dynasty will be driven
from the Empire either this fall next The
Of the people take part in the war there
public feeling manifested far az have been able TO
perceive understand from the observations Of others
1t is war OF the rulers and the preendersthe "ins
and the the people feel that they will derive
any particular advantage from the defeat OF
either faction The FORMS etiquette andstupdity Of
arrogant mbece, and semi-civzei court will, in my
opinion, be preserved they have been for than
two thousand years. though admit that thore is pos
bity of change for the better which Of alarm
has been sufficient to extract from the ruling powers
Like oil corrupt and old dynastios the rogning in
China will not see in opposition to its will and
price, and it has pursued its line of policy until
active revolution conronts it with mpunity and the
Of the people remain passive spectators awaiting the
suit and apparently not much interested in the pro-
gress of the war rs The rebels far superior
the mperalsts in energy, discipline, and courage They
understand something Of the science Of military
engineering, for at Chinkangoo they have made regu
lar enronched camp with batteries planted the water
line to derepd 1t agnst naval attack while the inland
covered by abas and roap de enough to satisfy
the verest Martinez who served in Europe and
most distinguished for having all done the minutest
intent in particular" The rebels have O
since last year. Their movement from Kwangsi upon
Marking was prompt and almost without resistance to
it, Wherever they fought they conquered They levied
contributions upon cities and districts until they amassed
fine military chest, and have been able to pay their sol
dery promptly at higher wages than given by the
Emperor who is distressed for funds There prin-
cpe the affair." thousands of the imperial troops
sometimes desert in body to the rebels. Three theu-
sand marched to the rebels from Heangs army at
Marking on the 18th of July.
The rebels have contempt for the imperalst troops
This is manifest from the fact that while the rebel chief
remains at Nankin with small force, beleaguered by
Heangs army he has detached column of 20 900
to the north and column of 10 900 to the south,
directly in the face of his enemy and both succeeding
in accomplishing what they went to perform The column
the north has occupied the line Of the Yellow river
while that to the south is gathering the newrce crop
except what they deem requisite for the subsistence of
the resident population in each locality and this surplus
they will ship to Nankn by boats after awhile. AT pre-
they ship but keep the rGnary under guard Of their
detachment in the country where the rice is being gather
ed Meanwhile famine doing its dreadful work in the
northern provinces especially in Shantung waSe people
are said die in the fields from starvation. Rice is
selling at Pekn at l2 for 1889 pounds, "a picul
and the population of the capital is said to be discomfort
ed and turbulent under the of want This is the
result of the occupation of Chnkiangfoo by the rebels
for that off the communication between the south
and north by the Grand Canal, st the point where the
canal the Yangtsze river do not think the line
of the Yellow river will be maintained by the rebels, be-
the turbulent stream very frequently overfows the
country for many miles inland and would probably cut
off column from its connexion with the reserve and
with its extensions. The news has reached me of
the fall of Sinchoo and Keyeite the Yellow river, and
of the investment of Kaung but garrisons left
in the places taken the conclusion of mind is that the
column moved along the Yellow river west to Shens pro-
vince, where depot of arms and munitions will be form
ed and probably column Of attack will be set in motion
along the great causeway, with Pekin for its des
4 81, fhn 1t
the Grand Canal from Chingkang-foo
The Emperor is said to have called in the Mongol Tar
from beyond the Great WALL and to have force of
100 600 at Pekin. This do not believe mean
to the amount of the force but Mongol Tarars can
only be efficient cavalry, and the rebels only good
spearsmen, for of them know much about the
Of firearms. 1t is very amusing to parade of the
corps stationed here l saw fifteen hundred Of them
paraded occasions, and my sincere conviction is
that hundred American infantry would have whipped
them with the greatest imaginable. have doubt
an army of 80, 900 Americans, we'll appointed. would
march from Canton to Pekin without reverse.
The provinces Of Shensi and Shans high and roll
ing intersected by many of the afuens Of the Yellow
river Shensi lies in the delta Of the Yellow river and
the Wei Ia this province the rebel chief win organize
strong cavary>force for operations in the NORTH and
should be surprised if he should delay movement
Pekn until spring for the suffering Of the people during
the coming winter when all their communication with the
south will have ceased, may save him the trouble of
formal invasion by anmatng the body of the people to
open revolt against power which does not protect
i
fan the brow Of conquerng emperor, entering only to
receive Grafton instead Of the hardy sodiery whose
fields remain to be fought and But, my dear sir,
it is very difficult to know what general means in truth
to do when he keeps bis counsels think Hung
tsan -tsuen 1.-THE rebel chief does.
Bye-the.bye let explant to you what few here
know Hung .tsan-suen is the name of the man. "Taip-
ing wan is the Of his reign, and Tenteh" is the
motto his private seal. You will hear Of Tenteh, and
that the army Of enteh did and so and that Taip-
ingwan will do and So &c. People who write thus
don't know what they talking about and have not
learned the of the leader Of the rebellion
have been present hear gentlemen describe the assass
nation Of 7eneh and others have said they knew him
had seen him. &C. Tenteh, in Chinese, means Heaven
ly Virtue" and TAPPING Prince of Peace
or Reign Of Peace" Heen flung the style of the
present dynasty universal abundance, "the
reign of plenty" while the family Of the is
Yec-ten." These definitions will enable you under
stand when you read what would otherwise tend only
confuse you.
The Missionaries will spread all Christendom the
idea that the rebels are Christians That is however
all farce Their leaders believe doubt in Creator
of heaven and EARTH and that He is TO be worshpped
with "lowly penitent, and contre heart, which is
greatly in advance beyond the base doatry which bows
the knee to craven and molten images But Of the fall
Of man. the mission Of Jesus the atonement the plan Of
salvation, the philosophy of Christianity and the
Trinity they have no idea than they have Of the
organization of the systems Of the "mlky way" The
Missionaries do tell Of their poygamy, Of their offer
ings of sacrifices and bowls of rice and chickens God
and other things they do after tho old OF the Is
raelites The religion Of the TAPPING wan" is a
merry which is a mixture Of Mahommedanism Judaism
Christianity and Pagnnism that is very absurd but may
be best suited for the Chinese mind at present He
it only for nonce while his army, which is constantly
recruited the highways and byways, neither know
care about any system My opinion is there FIVE