The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1854-10-07
2i20
CAina.

that country, and judging for himself of the
condition of the imperial and rebel parties.
In some papers at home he has been censured
for not fraternizing with the rebels. The
same charge was made against Mr.. Hum
phrey Marshall, but in each case it appears
to have been with little cause.
On arriving at Nankin in the Susquehan-
ma, Captain Buchanan, attended by smaller
steamer, the Confucius, under the command
OF Lieutenant Brown, Mr.. McLane received
very characteristic letter, in these terms
When a man has anything to say, let
him say it clearly when a man has any
thing to do, let him do it right This is an
ancient maxim. Now, your ship has come in
to our happy waters without letting the OBJ
ject be known, please state it, so that | may
inform my superiors, and the soldiers on
both sides be restrained from firing &C., &c.
Mr.. McLane refused to communicate
with an inferior officer, and Captain Buchan-
an became the correspondent. During their
stay in those waters, however, the Chinese
people f1ocked around the steamers, and were
very anxious to learn how many men inside
1t required to turn the wheels of the mon
s,er steamer, the Susquehanna. A distin-
guished Chinese general dined on board and
officers from the ships went ashore and were
treated with great kindness.
From Nankin, on the 29th of May, the
vessels steamed seventy miles further up the
river to the city of Wuhu, walled city,
with population of half a million. Mr..
McLane was informed that the water was
deep enough for the Susquehanna to 90 four
or five hundred miles further up the river,
the banks of which Were under the rule of
the rebels, but as he had been further than
any American man-of-war had ever been
before, he was satisfied, and returned to
Shanghai. The river is estimated to be three
thousand miles long, and we are now salts
ned that large ship can 60 one thousand
miles from the sea on its bosom with safety
1t drains the richest silk and tea districts in
the empire, and through it and its tributaries
one hundred million of Chinese can be reach
ed, many of whom already use our products.
While at Nankin Mr.. McLane received
full expose of the religious ideas of the
rebels. Much sympathy has been felt for the
success of the rebellion, because it was be-
heved that it would result in the establish
ment of Christianity amongst that numerous
and ancient people but a knowledge of the
facts only adds its confirmation to the dan
ger of propagating the Gospel by imperial
armies, or successful rebelions against ex-
listing dynasties. To the ten command
ments they add two more, one against smok-
ing and another against drinking and if the
rebellion should be successful, and the Chi
nese should become familiar with our views
of the origin of the Decalog1e, they will
religiously believe that Moses received these
elventh and twelfth commandments from
Deity, and with them they will be as sacred
as the rest. In the books issuing from their
superior officers is to be found, recounted
with great accuracy, the history of the world
and the church, as is known to US through
the Old Testament. Some of their books,
written by their inferior officers, are of a
very low character, often dealing in the most
ridiculous enigmas, and decending to low
rbaldry. AS Shakespeare revivifies the long
forgotten scenes of English history in play,
SO these men attempt to reproduce the an
cient Christian church. They speak and
believe in the wrath of God visited on the
Egyptians, as also on the Jews. These are
the professions of their leaders; the masses
know nothing more than this, that once
they had idols to worship, and now they
have none, yet they get along just as we'll.
One of the missionaries who accompanied
Mr.. McLane to Nankin was sent on shore
10 talk to an officer; after he had expressed
our general religious views to him, the Off
Ger replied that his foreign brother knew we'll