The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-09-10
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THE CHINESE IN WAR

''' VIM" '''"'"oes =" hey I'D mo mystery
of their cnpahility Of sustaining con(ic,
Ton their own soiD with Britain, which pre.
sent !hem 10 tho world in military poin,
of view, in which, VIC feel very sure, few in
this country were prepared to expect to sec
them - Washington Star.
CHINA, June 10, 1867.
10 the Editor of tic Ne'o York Daily Times ::
One Of tho most mischievous errors com.
mitted by the press Of the United States,
is in the scIf-complacent ignorance with
which it speaks Of the warikc means and
abilities Of the Chinese. A Chinese fort is
spoken Of us though it were a mud wall to
DC kicked down, Il war junk rs though it
woro rs fragile as Chinese lantern. and
| the Chinese are considered us capable Of
little other warfare than that of "makinn
faces" or beating gongs and 'tom TOMS"
~ part of this misconception undoubted
y arises from the vulgar contempt which
one people has for another of different
usagcs, and part from extreme and pro-
found Ignorance of the Chinese. Those
who have the longest and most familiar ex-
perlencc with them arc compelled TO admit
how little they know; and if we outsiders
indulge the idea that amy Of our letter learn
cd, book-taught notions of the Chinese arc
correct, we may be sure we arc setting in
the shadow of dclusion.
The contempt we entertain for the Chi
ncse is returned with interest by thcm and
| do not think that we can determine with
truth that theirs is more unreasonable than
ours.
The London times opened lis eyes will
aston,shmcnt-fo as a "'rLunJcrcr" il
must have eyes-at Admiral Seymour's de-
scrIptlon Of the Barrier Forts, taken by the
United States naval forces. Instead of
meeting the popular contcmptuous notion
OF Chinese fort, "thcse," it claims, care
the fortrcsses Of a Sebastorol." A war
junk is heavy mass Of timber, carrying a
large armament, as many as twenty heavy
guns; and these junks can bc gathered to-
gcther by hundreds, forming very formida-
bio fleets. Tho long familiarity of the
Chinese with gunpowdcr, and skill in pyro-
technics, their resources and facilities for
casting the heaviest guns in immense num-
bcrs. ought to have opened our eyes to their
war like abilities, and the bloody nature of
their contest with each other, their habitual
disregard of life, should lavc disbursed lis
of our doubts of their personal courage.
Such erroneous notions have led to great
mistakes in this war, and yet, with the pro-
pensity which unthinking people have to
stereotype ideas whici, ;.so put into their
heads by others, we iud letter writers re.
pcating tho same false notions, in the face
Of facts.
When the Engisl, first attacked Canton
it was thought a few shots would bring the
Governor to terms, and few shells empty
the city. The Governor and people stood
the shooting and shclling through the fall
and winter, the breach Of Tic wall, the sack
Of the palace, and finally expelled the Eng
lisli and all foreigners from the city and its
ncighborhood. In their various devices to
blow up the English steamer, they exhibited
both skill and courage. Tho men in charge
Of the machines knew that success must
involve the sacrifice Of their lives, and some
did lose their lives in the attempt. They
retook fort which had been captured by
the English. They have maintained cap
ital and steady fire from these forts under
the heaviest and most skiIlful shelling of
their antagonists. They have also shown
skill as gunners, and made too many accu-
rate shots to permit their being attributed
to accident. In the fire upon so small an
object as the Portsmouth gig, the shot fell
around the boat and among the oars. In
the next fire upon small boat one shot cut
of the head, Of the leadman. When the
Portsmouth came up to her spring and lost
her broadside bearing upon the fort, one
shot was fired exactly iuto her stern. In
the first firing of the forts upon the Ports
mouth the guns seemed to be trained accu-
ratey on the forc-and-aft range of the ship,
but fortunately or providontislly, they were
trained little too high. otherwise the first
discharge Of round shot and grape would
have swept the poop. So persistent was
their fire that little more skill in tho ele-
vation of their runs. or q better dcvica for
managing it, would have sunk the Ports.
mouth. And yet the first intention was to
attack the forts with that slip alone, until
it was suggested by ono who knew some
thing OF the forts that they might be more
than ono ship could manage.
Whilst cndcayor to c3rrect some of the
errors relative to the Chinese in war, do
not mean TO say they are equal to the Wes-
tern nations in warlike character and resour-
ces, or that there can be any doubt rs to