Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-03-09
abe Daily Spy.
THURSDAY, MARCH ., 1854.


circular =:
DEAR S1R,-I have just fallen in with
Canton man, who was for some time follow
er of Tapping Wang, and who left Marking
in August last. His account may be consd-
cred trustworthy, because it corresponds i'll its
main points with what we know of the state
of things there and it is important, inasmuch
as it reveals certain facts with which we We're
not before acquainted. The mans state
ments were delivered with an air Of candor,
which carried with them conviction of his
sincerity,
When questioned as to the religion of the
insurgents, he answered with an air of
reverence, that they worshipped God,
(Shang-te). When asked when they did it,
he replied, every day, and previous to every
meal. He was then requested to repeat some
thing of what they said when he chanted
the doxology, as it is found in the Book ofRe-
ligious Precepts of Tapping Wang, in such
tone and manner as showed that he was IA
miliar with it. AS he had referred to their
daily meals he was asked whether they had
sufficient to eat Abundance, he replied
And whether they had enough to wear To
which he answered, that they had plenty of
clothing. He was then asked, how long he
had been with them he said, that he had fol-
lowed them from Canton, and that his hair
had grown three or four inches long How
came it, then, he was asked, as he had enough
to eat and to wear, with good instruction, and
a prospect of going to Heaven when he died,
that he came to leave them. Oh, he replied,
a man could not smoke common tobacco, and
by no means opium; a man could not gam
bic, nor drink, nor indulge his lust, nor quar-
rel, nor steal, and if one did but rail at a.
mother he got a bambooing. 1t was suggest
ed that by urging these as the reasons for leav-
ing, he exposed himself to the suspicion that
he was fond Of all these bad practices, and
thereby laid himself open to just ridicule and
reproach. On hearing this, he appeared rath-
er ashamed, and seemed willing, if he could,
to retract his expressions. He was then asked,
whether he got any pay: to which he replied,
not cash no pay being dealt out to the troops
from one month end to the other. He was
also asked whether he was allowed to enjoy
the society of his wife? to which he replied in
the negative; adding that the women in Nam
king We're all kept in a particular quarter of
the city, where there We're whole streets of
them, but that no men were allowed to APP
| proach, under pain of death.
On a subsequent occasion, he was asked
| whether such person as Tae-piug Wang ae-
I tually existed, or whether he was dead, and
his image carried about, as some had reported.
! He said, that he had no doubt that Tapping
/ Wang was an actual living man that he fire.
| ouepflv went about IN q chair bnt 90 sbroud-
! ed in deem folds of silk. that the common peo-
nile could not get n Glance al him The bigb-
est officers, however, saw him every night,
when they went to consult about affairs of
state, and to receive his orders. He was asked
whether he had ever heard thai Tae-ping
Wang had been up to heaven; to which he
=
and fully believed AMONG his followers Re.
eurrino to the subieet of the soldiers receivino
no nav. he was asked whether anv Of them
possessed any nronertv of their own r.
which he renlied. none whatever. and 4
moro tban five dollars are found in the nosses.
sion of any man be is Immediately bon1booad
for not bavipg riven Il NJ, 1,ra,;;onsJ1- All
moneys innodiatelv thew wera acouired
were instantly 10 be handed over to The oen-
eral treasury. and any person secretly hoard
inc wealth. is suspected of reasonable prnc-
| tees. Was there much. then. in the general
treasurvs Oh abundance beans 1,non beans
! of untold silver. which were all reserved for
CARRYING out the great cause. As no person
was allowed to have anv nrivate resources. how
did they manage, it was asked, when they
wanted ANYTHING nice for food: There was
no need for that, he said. as the centurion of
every company bought what was necessary for
the mess, and when it was nut on the tables
thew shared every one alike. the dish of the
highest officer being in no way different from
that of the meanest soldier.
He was then asked. why the men were
separated from the women. and when such
separations took place He said. that during
ali their progress from Kwangsi. the women
fought by the side of the men. and conducted
themselves as bravely; but when they arrived
at Marking, they were separated, because
there was no more need for them to engage III
warfare They were therefore kept apart. had
their various duties TO perform. and were en-
gagged for great part Of the time in learning,
every band of twenty-five women having an
instructress over them. As for the men, they
Were told it was their business to fight and to
work for the present; and when the empire
was gained, they might enjoy their wives
But how, it was asked, is each one to ird his
own, when the war is over, among such
multitude:
He replied, every man and woman is regis
tered, and there will not be the slightest diff
Guilty in restoring to every man his rightful
partner. He was asked whether there were
any secret society men among Tapping
Wang's followers, specifying the Teen-te
HWY, San-hoh Awuy, Seaou-taou HWY,
and others when he Immediately and distinct
ly replied, that there were none, for Tapping
Wang put them to death. How did he know
that Tapping Wang acted thus by the secret
society men? He replied, that in the month
of May of the present year, he killed three
hundred of them. (This accounts for the
omission of all reference to the Tecn-te HWY
in the revised edition OF Tapping Wang's
books, which were brought down by Dr. Fay
Tor from Chinkiang. 1t is possible that he
found them an unmanageable set, as their