The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1854-02-03

| oHlGIS OF THE CHINA REBELLION
Rev. Nj Tonyson Yates, an American Ran.
tst Missionary at Shanghai, has sent bom,
lhe following accoun: Of what he believes to
De the true origin Of the present movement
in China: A'
SHANGHAI, 22d Sept, 1853.
iheFe are at present stopping in our mis-
SON. TWO lads, whose identity is not known,
except 10 our mission. One, boy of fifteen.
is the son OF the Southern King the other
d 'ad OF eighteen or twenty, who was on the
last Sabbath received into our Church bv
baptism, is the nephew and adopted son Of
the Southern King Zone Of the four prea,
leaders OF the rebellion in China )--From
these young men, (the elder of whom is we'll
acquainted with ali the circumstances that
led to the first hostile demonstrations) we
nave been able to get correct information,
touching the origin Of the rebellion.
From these young men, we learn that
Hung Suchuen, (at present known as Tai
ping Wang having embraced the Christian
religion, destroyed every sign Of idola,ry
about his house and school room, (for he was
teacher of high school,) and gave much
attention to publishing the Gospe Desei.
pies OF the new doctrine multiplied rapidly.
Soon, this Innovation upon the ancient
CUSTOMS, attracted the attention Of the au-
thoritisi of Quang See, (for it was in this
interior province, Ear removed from foreign
influence, that this new thing started-)
"The authorities in question attempted to
crush the new religion by persecution, but it
only attraction attention to it. Finding that
the new sect was dlily and rapidly increasing,
they (the civil and military authorities) be.
headed two Of the disciples, thinking tha.
this rigid measure would suppress this dsor-
derly body. But SO far from this effect, thsy
(the Christians who had increased ty this
time to quite considerable number) took up
arms in defence of their religion land called
upon God to aid and defend them.
"The imperialsts in an engagement with
them, were routed, with great loss. The
Christian army increased rapidly, till they
were able to withstand any force that might
be brought against them. The Christian
army was now fairly committed They well
knew that they must be delivered from tho
bondage OF the imper al yoke, both civil and
religious, or death was certain. They formed
the design of subverting the government:
with the cintenton Of establishing in its stead
a liberal and Christian government.
They Issued tracts and circulars, lin which
they attacked the abuses and corruptions of
the civil authorities and the religious teachers,
&c, They destroyed idols and circulated por-
tions of the Scriptures and religious tracts,
and preached to the peoplea ,urer religion.
All this, strangeto say, secured them the
favor Of the people, and their thousand was
soon multiplied. Thus Hung Su Chuen COM
menced about three years ago..-Snce then,
he has fought many battles.
Elm every place he exposes the corruptions
of the mandarins and priests, destroys idols,
circuaes the Scriptures and religious tracts,
(many of which were OF his own production,
in which, orcourse, there are many errors1
and breaches the Gospe. His main army is
now before Pekin. Considering all the cir
cumstances Of the present rebellion in China,
viewed either in civil or religious point Of
view, it is without a parallel in the history Of
the world"