Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-06-13
China and the Chtnrse-rhe Ravages Of
War and Character of the Rebels.

War and Character OF the Rebels.
The London Times has accounts Of a
British expedition, consisting of several
steamers, up the Yang-tse-Kiang, in the
month of March. A portion of the trip
was through a district of country held by
the rebels, who manifested a strong desire
to secure the good will of their visitors.
The writer says they do not in any way
encourage trade, except in firearms, gun
powder and steamers, all ofwhich they are
anxious 10 purchase. They profess a will
ingness to trade, but il is thought merely
to obtain the favor of foreigners. They
live on loot, and so long as they can loot
they will neither work nor trade. They
infict great destruction upon the places
they capture. They call Nankin, which is
in their possession, Tienkin, or Heavenly
Capital. Their internal condition at this
point was found to be much better than
was anticipated. OF them and the con
dition of the city, the writer says;
"1hey are extremely well dressed and
well fed. The population of Nankin, en-
tirely official, no shops or any thing uucon-
nected with the army or Administration
are Icing admitted within the gates, | esti-
mate at under twenty thousand. OF this
number very few are soldiers the greater
rart are captives and slaves from all parts
of the country These are the hewers of
wood and drawers of water, and able
bodied men are looked TO as valuable prizes.
They are either pressed into the army OF
kept as coolies in Nankin. They get no.
Ray at all only their food. There is o
wonderful number of good-looking young
women in the place, all exceedingly well
dressed in SoochOw silk. Those are also
captives of war from Soochow and other
places; and amusing advertisements are
met with on the subject of stray women.
The city Of Nankin, as well as the suburbs,
the fine old tombs of the Ming Emperors,
and the famous porcelain Pagoda are ut
terly destroyed. The walls are very high.
twenty-one miles in circuit, but the once
. wide and w~ell-paved streets are now
merely roads leading through heaps of
bricks. The palace of the Wangs stand
conspicuous among the ruins these are
new, the old yamuns and temples and the
whole Tartar City having been destroyed.
A few houses line the road here and there.
but not in my opinion supplying accomo-
dation for more than twenty thousand
people
The Tienwang has a large palace, with
IDIEt IuluItu ltll1lt ulleuu1ntS anu SlNtN-
eight wives. He is never seen by any but
the Kings, and his person is held sacred.
He is the master spirit of the rebellion.
There are ten or eleven Kings in all, but
only two in Nankin. Not one of these can
speak the Mandarin dialect, and none of
them have had an education above a cOolie
except Tienwang. They employ linguists,
who read and write for them. The arma-
ment Of the rebels is contemplate, and
their superiority to the Imperial troops de-
mOnstrates the utter prostration of the
Government. They hold all the country
around Nankin. They hold also Nganking,
but were surrounded by a powerful Impe-
rial force, and in great straits for food
An army was marching to their relief and
q battle was soon expected. The writer
speaks very unfayorably of the rebel move
ment. He says;
81 have no hope of any good ever coming
of this rebel movement. No decent China
man will have any thing to do with it.
They do nothing but burn, murder, and
destroy they hardly profess any thing be-
yOnd that. They are detested by all the
country people, and even those in the city
who are not of 'the brethren hate them.
They have held Nankin eight years, and
there is not a symptom Of rebuilding it.
Trade and industry are prohibited their
land taxes are three times heavier than
these of the Imperialists; they adopt no
measures TO soothe and conciliate the peo-
pie, nor do they act in any way as if they
had a permanent interest in the soil. They
don't care about the ordinary slow and sure
sources of revenue. They look TO plumber,
and plumber alone, for a subsistence; and
| must say | can not see any elements of
stability about them, nor any thing which
can claim our sympathy"
The city Of Kewkiang, which the British
contemplate opening as q port of trade
under the new treaty with China, is q mass
of ruins. The rebels left it three years
ago, but confidence has not been sufficiently
restored to induce its reconstruction. New
buildings have been put up in the suburbs,
however. 1t is located near the green tea
district, and having been formerly n great
place for native trade, it is believed will
revive if opened to foreign commerce
Rice and very fine cotton are produced in
the adjacent country.
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