The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-06-02

The Chinese Rebellion.
The Bombay correspondent of the London Tine
furnishes The following sketch of the rebellion il
China:
| ssThe rebellion commeucsd at the southern or
confined to the province Of Kwangsee, a marshy
and notoriously unhealthy portion OF the empire
The Insurgents occupied this time in extending
their base, rather than by attempting any for
ward progress to tho northward, but continued
| to defeat or win over all the attachments of i'm
periai troops that were necessarily despatched
against them. This stnte of things continued &c
long that the European residents at Canton go
tired of crying wolf and began to believe thai
the rebellion was nothing more than Chinese
edition of the United States Florida war. This
was the prevailing impression at Hong Kong an
til about nine months ago, when the insurgents
issued a proclamation stating that, having now
destroyed the armies cent against them, and
thereby cleared their way TO the capital, they
were about to make combined advance on Pc
king, and they have accordingly advanced north
wards, simultaneously, along line several hun
dred miles in extent, until they are at length esta
bished on the great river Yang tse- Kiang, which,
running generally from east to west, divides China
proper into two nearly equal portions, of which
they now occupy the southernrnost, with the ex
ception of narrow strip of seaboard. AS the
course of this river 10 rather from the south of west
the left Of the line of the insurgents came in contact
with it flrst and at point about 800 miles above
Nanklng. In the Emperor's proclamation, of
which gave an abstract in my last, it was men
toned that Seu had been ordered, with the main
body of the Emperor's army, to advance up this
river against the rebels army, that was advanc-
ing down it. Seu met the enemy, wac defeated,
and retreated on Yo.Tchow, great city situated
on the lake Tung ting Hou, where 1t adjoins the
Yang Use Kiang, about $50 miles above Marking
Seu abandoned the town on the eneIny's approach
without fighting, for which act of cowardice he
was degraded; but the report that he had com.
mitted suicide in consequence appears incorrect
From Yo-chow the rebels advanced $50 miles fur
Their down the river and took Han. yang, a city
said to be 'the commercial emporium Of China
Then they advanced to Woochung, on the same
river, the capital of the province Of Hoopah, and
besieged it; this town also has fallen into their
hands after short resistance; meanwhile the right
wing Of the insurgents advancing against
Marking, which there is every reason for believ-
ing they are by this time in possession of.
"The left wing of the insurgents at Woochung
(he cal ital of Hoopah) is above 400 miles distant
from their right wing at Marking, and from tn
proclamations in the Picking Gazetie and the mea.
sures of resistance ordered fappears evident that
the rebels are expected to advance northwards on
the capital by two lines leading directly from these
places. Woochung is about $50 miles south of
Peking, and Marking about 100, (measured along
the course of The great canal The Governor Ge-
neral of the two Kiangs (the province bisected by
the central portion of the canal) has been ordered
to attack and oppose the right wing of the reocs
now before Marking, and an army is being COL
lected at Sinyang, town in the province Of Ho.
nan, about l20 miles Immediately north of Woo
chung to attempt the recapture of the latter town
and to bar the further progress of the left wing of
the rebels to the northwards. On this army est
the last hopes of the present dynasty. 1t is said
to be composed of Tartar levies from the north,
better troops than the average of the Chinese
army; but the character given to these levies by
the Inhabitants of the province of Honan, whom
nav to 80 49,,
able. Their rapacity, it is stated in memorial to
the throne, is beyond all bounds. ITO u.s. say the
Honanese, 'they are as tgers-to the rebels as
rats. Seu, in his memorial deprecatins tie royal
anger at his failure, ascrhea the rebels successes
to their Ingenuity in springng mines and to
their great ferocty. it Is said of the sIaugh-
ter in the neghhorhood of Woochung that The
stencil from the unburied go great that the
inhabitants of the city have been forced to evacuate
their dwellings, and it was feared there would be
general pestiience. Piracies of daily occur
rence, and the coasting trade is much interrupted
The Chinese authorities are too weak or too cow
ardly to put them down. One of their adnairaIs
has just been degraded for alleging bad weather
as reason for not proceeding to attack pratica
fleet in hs neighberhood. Some of these pirates
contrary to their general custom, having had the
audacity to NEEDLE with some British ships, the
Hermes was sent out to give an account of them,
and after short resistance sunk two and captured
three others. As yet, the most remar kable COM
mercial result of the recent rapid progress of the
rebels ia very large increase in the value of gold,
as being more easily carried away and concealed
than silver in such troubled times. The legaliza-
ton of the trade in opium may possibly be attend
ed with very serious results to India. 1t has been
remarked that the financial position of the compa-
ny's government is 80 anomalous that TO make its
income meet its ex, enditure it is dependent on
two circumstances-frst, that the Chinese should
persist In eating opium; and secondly, that the
emperor should prohibit the home prod uction or
importation Of the drug. The Canton and Shang-
hal correspondents of the China merchants Of Bonn
bay appear. however, to doubt whether the Chi
nese government will be able to enforce at 90 dis
tant port as Canton $4,000 miles from pekng by
sea, and not much nearer by land) an edict which
would curtai SO considerable the perquistes of the
mandarins of the coast province
The following letter appears in the Times of the
10th ultimo:
"HoNG KoNe, March %.
'tThe mail of the oath of January arrived on The
18th instant md that of the 9Th of January the
10th instant. An outward mail leaves to- day.
Advices from England of the Sth of February are
hourly expected.
"We regret to have to report several cases Of
death among the detachment of her majestys 59th
regiment, lately arrived The patients now in
hospital are gradually improving. The illness,
dysentery, ia supposed to have been caused by
the water taken in at Timor. The garrison other
wise has been healthy
''The intelligence we communicated last mail,
the llth instant, regarding the rebellion in the
north, was fully confirmed on the receipt of advices
of the I'D from Shanghai on the 18th instant. and,
as we expected. her majesty's plenipoten tiary,
Sir George Honham, left this for Shanghai on the
18th instant in her majesty's steamer Hermes,
then under orders to proceed to the straits, but
detained for this special service II appears that
application had been made by the Viceroy of Soo-
chau to the English consul at Shanghai TO co. op
crate against the rebel force for the protection of
Marking. The rapid advance of the rebels had
spread CONSERVATION and alarm through that capi-
tei and other wealthy cities, and the imperial Off
Gals seemed entirely paraIyzed and pcwerless.
Our latest adyices, of the goth, from Shanghai re-
port the rebel force investing Marking. which it
was expected would fall and it is further stated
that delegates had been sent from Soochau 10 the
rebel leaders. offering large cum to secure that
wealthy city from molesta,ion and plunder.
There are also reports that portion of The rebel
force bad proceeded north The native bankers
and wealthy people were removing their families
and treasure into the country, and goods had
been sent from Soochau to Shanghai for safety.
cat Shanghai there was general panic; bank
era and merchants houses were shut up, and an
entire stoppage to trade. Money 30 scarce that
the duties of exports had to be arranged by CIV
ing security in bills and other property to the