Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1857-04-22
EBENsBURG, APRIL D, 1867.

and not only these, bus other thousands also
I. Thus day after day the victims were arrested
and made to suffer. Even little children
were not spared. Heaps on heaps the corp
ses accumulated for nearly three months
| this dreadful work was in progress, and wa
| then arrested in very singular manner.
| When the Eastern Kings plot was revealed
| to the Celestial King, the latter summoned tc
Nanking the Assistant King" Shih Takhai
as well as the Northern King, Wei. The as
sistant King, however, refused to obey the
summons, he being friendly to the Eastern
King, Yang. AS he did not make his ap.
pearance, it was supposed he had taken um-
l-eso aud Joined tire i,uperialists. Events
proved, however, that the surmise was with
out foundation. He gathered his adherents,
and sent to the Celestial King demand for
Wei's head, on pain of an attack upon Nan
king and its destruction. The demand was
complied with The head of the Northern
King was taken off, placed in a box, de-
spatched tothe camp of the Assistant King,
and there. with many other heads, was hnfg
up and exposed to the public gaze" These
events occurred in November last. The way
being thus prepared, for some of Wei's cap.
tains had also been beheaded at the demand
of the Assistant King, the latter marched to
Nanking, about the beginning o. December.
The adherents of Yang and Wei we're ofeourse
immediately prescribed, among them were
DIR. Brdgman's informants, who fed to save
themselves from the exccutioner.
We can now comprehend why, in the last
few months, the insurgents have made SO lit
tie progress, compared with earlier periods.
They have been engaged with feuds among
themselves, of a sufficiently tragic character
Hung Siutsinen the Celestial King, was known
to be alive as late as the 18th of December
but was in concealment and Shih Takhai.
the Assistant Kin-, was at the latest advices
in possession OF Nanking, and apparent SUI
preme chief of the insurgent force. The prop
erty of Yang and his party had been confs-
Gated, and his palace reduced to ruins. DIR.
Bridgman says that ''it seems to have beon
intended that no memorial should be left of
him or his estate. and that every relative and
friend, and follower, should be exterminated
and their houses and goods destroyed 1t
was also reported to DR.. Bridgman that the
far famed porcelain tower of Marking, in ar
chitecture the pride of the Upper Kingdom
had teen levelled to the ground Its demo-
lition appears to have been connected with
the averthrow of the Northern King eft was
blown up because there were some great guus
in it" Sf{h Takhai is represented as acting
the part of Dictator. Provisions and muni-
tions of war we're plentiful at Nanking. and
though it is supposed that, as the consequence
of this Jealousy plotting and treachery thirty
thousand persons were killed, the numbers of
the insurgent forces were not sensibly dimin-
ished.
Of tho relative positions and strength of
the lmperialists and insurgents, it is difficult
to form an opinion. DR.. Bridgman represents
that of the thirteen prefectures of Kiangsi,
nine arc hoid by the insurgents, with nearly
tbs whole province Of Nghanhwii, large coun-
tries of the river, and many forts along its
banks and their courage, readiness to fight
&c far surpass those of the Imperialists =
DR.. Bridgman, however, has such an evident
bias in their. that his opinions and inferences
must be received with some mistrust He
even admits. at the close of his letter, that
when his nformants left Nanking. plot was
on foot against the life of Hung, the Celestial
King; and that soon after they left the city,
g much loud cannonading was heard in that
direction" Men who can practice sucll whole
sale treachery end slaughter among them
selves. are not, one would think, likely to
prove permanently formidable foes, and it is
difficult to suppose that their rule can be
blessing to any people. To claim for such
men knowledge of, or belief in, Christi
anity. and its civilizing. humane precepts, is
only to bring the christian religion into con-
tempt.