The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-02-17
The Tae-Ping KeSss md ohri'fisnity
An China.

sionary efforts than is now to be founu IL
China. There never, perhaps. was a people
more ready for embracing the doctrines of
Christianity than the numerous insurgents who
have enlisted under the banner Of Tae-Ping-
Wang, the selfstyied rebel Emperor, whose
headquarters arc in The old capital OF the Ming
| dynasty -Nankin-a city of such Importance
that 1t bears the same relation to Pekin-the
Chinese metropolis-that Moscow does to ST.
| Petersburg.
! II is interesting TO trace the rise and pro-
| gress Of this modern revolution in the person
| Of its leader, who, born in 1878, was, few
years ago, p0oB schoolteacher in rice pro-
| vince near Canton. In q country like China,
where the manners and customs of the people
| may almost be said to be stereotyped, and the
son is rarely permitted to rise above the social
rank of the father, it is extraordinary that Tae-
| Ping-Wang whose original name appears to have
| been Phuh, but afterwards changed to several
| others should have so far succeeded in his as
sumption Of the reins Of power as to accumu-
late an army of men, numbering tens Of thou
| sands, by which he captured numerous towns
and cities, and among them the city where he
is now domiciled and over which he exercises
supreme control We are told that he became
entranced for forty days, and imagined himself
carried up to heaven, where he had visions of
his future mission, and became inspired to the
performance Of his appointed task. This how
ever, is as wild legend as any of those cur
rent among the Hndoos or Mahommedans
But the followers of Tae-Ping believe it, and, as
ii is the real basis of the religion they profess
| II possesses some importance.
Acting upon the instructions supposed to
have been given him in heaven Tae- Ping
Wang, with sword in one hand and the seal
Of Christ in the other, went forth like one mad.
But he assured the people that he was not mad,
and urged them, with tears in his eyes, to join
lam in the service OF the cold Man above" al
the same time telling them that by worship
pirg their idols they were in fellowship with
Satan, and that the Father had commanded
| that all men should turn and follow him, pay
ing him tribute and reverence as Emperor of
China. This modest statement convinced those
around him that his was q confirmed case OF
frenzy. He still continued his school, and
rapidly acquired the reputation of being rant
ing, raying teacher. AT length, after convert
ing three Of his neighbors by means of some re-
ligious tracts that he had discovered, and which
probably had their source in the workings Of
the Jesuit missionaries in China for the pre-
vious three centuries, he set ont rs a preacher,
intent upon the regeneration of China. era
dually new converts focked TO him. although
his own destitute condition was not calculated
10 attract the multitude; for during the first
year Of his prosclytizing tour he and his follow
eis subsisted chiefly upon wild fruit, aims and
i modicum of footing. From the year 1871
the number OF converts was largely on the in
crease. They resolved themselves into armed
bands. praying preaching. plundering. and, if
necessary, fighting. wherever they went.
II is one Of the favoritc maNims Of the rebel
Emperor that Us the Tartars captured China
by force, he and his followers have perfect
night to do exactly The same thing il they can,
| and he sums up his argument by saying,
| There is, therefore no difference between us
! who levy contributions on the towns and vii
| lagos we have taken and the officials sent from
| pellin to collect the taxes" Although The Tae
| rings entirely prohibit the of opium and
tobacco among themselves, they have shown
their moral elasticity by offering TO sustain the
| English opium trade with the unconverted in
iabtants Of China, with view, Of course, to
secure the friendship Of the British nations and
| il would be hard 10 name anything they would
| not do provided il tended to the advancement
Of their worldly interests We have said
| there is wide field for the exercise
| of.missonary labor in China: but we are dis.
posed to believe that the fruits Of that labor
viii be rcaped by the Romah, and not by the
Protestant Church. The Roman Catholic
religion. with its forms and ceremonies.
appeals strongly TO the imagination Of the
people OF the East whereas that of the
Troicstas4s is cold and uncalcuIated TO draw
forth their sympathies sufficiently to thcir
becoming converts. And although the religion
| Of the Tae-l'iHgs may be considered half
| Christian. it will, we think, only be developed
| and perfected under the benevolent auspices
cf the Church Of Rome. In the success Of
| Xavier and his fellow missionaries in the six
| teenth century in Japan. when Catholicism
| gained so great hold upon the popular mind
| we have an instance Of the subtle and potent
| influence Of The Gomsh faith over the Drien-
I tails and the day may come when the entire
| East VIII bow to its fascination and the seat
| OF the rapacy will be no longer in The
| Vatican. or even Italy. but in some por-
| ton OF the far Orient. We anticipate great
| results from the spread Of this revolution in
China. II will, as long as il exists. be safety
valve and protection to the Western Powers
| in their relations with the empire under the
Tartar dynasty, and II will eventually either
overrun all China or lead to many concessions
| in behalf OF liberty, free trade and free iusti-
ta'ions on the part Of the government at rcSin.
SECESSION A. viewed THGouGH FoREIGN SrEc-
\ ~, - No onsctfon az IN tho rconouitinu of