The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1853-07-07
A Movement in China.

A Movement in China.
Few have an idea that Revolution is now
in progress in Asia, which, in the number
of forces engaged and the gigantic results
aimed at, is equal in Importance to the great
est European wars of this century. The
Revolutionary army have marched from the
mountainous country behind Canton, fol
lowing the line or coast in north-easterly
direction some tuelre hundred miles, to the
Ineighborhood Of Nankin. They have skirt
ed the province of Kwantung, the seat oi
the old enemies of the Tartar kings, ant
marched through the Kiang-si and the south.
eastern part of Nyanhwui, the famous green
tea district. These provinces are among
the wealthiest and most prosperous in Chi
na-containing more inhabitants, probably
than all Europe combined. They have as
sauted and taken number Of cities-an
cient capitals-equal in population to Ber
lin or Vienna. Battles have been fought
and bloody assaults made like those OF the
Napoleonic campaigns. At the latest dates
the rebels were beyond Nankin, on the di
rect march along the line of the Grand Ca
nal, towards the old Capitol of China.
If their progress was not delayed by the
investment Of Nankin, they We're then with
in fifteen days march of the Imperial City
The country which separates them-Shan
tung province ofthe size of New England
though with population some three mil
lions greater than the United States-is ea
sy of access, i'll defended and provisionec
with rich supplies. Before this time, iftheir
present success against the royal troops has
been at all equal to their past, they have
invested Pekin-a city, from its strong de-
fences, likely to detain them longer thar
any other large city of inner China. Pri
vate accounts represent the cities on the
coast as in the utmost alarm-business in.
terrupted, and fear everywhere as of great
impending calamities. The Imperial Gov
ernment evidently feels itself reduced to thu
last straits. The old law prohibiting th'
sale of opium, which they have upheld to
years against all foreign interference, ha
been abolished to please the people,. Thei
armies have been driven back, step by step
Application has been made for help to ha
ted foreign Governments. And we have
from private hand the news of most mu
niticent offer made by the royal authorities
to some of the American merchant shipping
at Shanghai for aid in the approaching as
sanlt OF Nankin. The old Tartar dynasty
established, against many assaults, since thu
invasion of the Manchu chief in l644, j:
plainly tottering.
OF the causes of this great movement
very little can be said with confidence. Il
has been known to individuals in this coun
try for some five or six years, that grant
conspiracy against the General Goycrnmen
was in progress among the so-called "Trlat
Society," Its first outbreaks were in 1850
and it has since been slowly spreading, espe
cially in the provinces near Nankin, where
! the Tartar Princes never have found vii
! ling obedience. The great objects profess
ed, are the overthrow OF foreign dynasty
as the abolition of the corrupt priesthood
An idea works very slowly in China, bu
surely. The sensual lives and the corrup
tons Of the Bhuddist priests, are revolving 7
a people who revere the pure instruction
of Conlucius, as we do those of Christi
The taxes and exactions of the Governmen
have fallen more and more heavily on THE
nation since these foreign wars. The re
turned emigrants, too, from California, thes'
last years, must have brought back som'
word of Eastern Liberty.
All these have worked on the popula
mind, Love of plunder, adventure, ant
ambition have without doubt, swellet
the movement. The proclamatons thu;
far issued by the Revolutionists, are so OBJ
scured by Chinese wordiness, that little cal
be made of them. Still they indicate
great movement, and most rancorous ha
tired of the Tartar King,-"that devlisf
| imp and "Manchu slave" as our translation
gives it.
They indicate too-what is sconfirmed by
private information-tha Europeans ar,
associated with the leaders of the outbreak
No follower of either Lantez or Contuciu'
would ever have referred to the mosaic datt
of the creations or to the one incarnation II
Christ, as do these appeals.
| Ii it be true as asserted, that Chinese
officer, converted to Christianity and dis
ciple of DR.. Roberts, is one OF the rebe
chiefs, and that several French officers O
experience are assisting him, We may anti
cipate q more systematic management o
the campaign that the Chinese wars have
usually shown. All accounts represent the
progress Of the invaders as well received b,
the common people. Though marching
through the richest provinces of the empire
the country OF wheat. rice, cotton, suga
and tea--they have made no pillage, and thf
interior exports to the coast still continue
They proclaim, too, that all peaceful inhab
itants shall be unharmed in property or per
son, with the exception only of the priests
and ''those fiendish policemen
The burdens from the rebel armies, says
private correspondent, are found no heav'
ier on the people than the old exactlons o
the Government. What the result OF this
great Revolution will be, is as difficult tt
predict as it was to accurately explain its
origin. A war in China is not to be judget
on the same principles with a war in Eu
rope. Nankin might be bombarded ant
| fifty thousand men slaughtered, and the i'm
mense western provinces would hardly know
of the facts. There is little communication
between different provinces. Then the
Chinese nature is torpid one--not quch
to kndle to great ideas--no long continued
evils have eaten into the people. There
has been no crushing weight OF an aristo,
cratic class; no oppressive state of prest'
hood. The principle wrongs have been the
want of any improvement, rather than the
burden of any expressions. A few of the
leading minds may feel the impulse OF the
the age, and long to rouse the nations from
their intolerable sluggshness; but it is doubt.
ful whether the masses will long appreciate
this. Still the nation, which yet cherish.
es with almost an idolatry the teachings o.
the pure and humane Confucius, and which
has supported so many centuries, at least.