, 1870-03-20
CHINA AND THE CHINESE
Tho TAPPING Rebellion

"
Tho TAPPING Rebellion
From tAs Bas.oa Adr<1shtT.
rrofeesas Albert s. Hctmrs delivered bis
fourth lcc$uts on China and tho ChIne6e 10 the
Lowell Instituta On Saturday eyenin8, g1Nl9
aketch Of tie history Of the counUJ an
especial and remarkably interesting feature OK
this lecture Esa "a arconnt Of tho iGPsns u
and thernfo1o it is Reproduced here.
Thc history Of this rebellion l. 50 ontircly tha
history OF its originator that shAA glso \
abort sketch Of his Life
In little country village soo1t th5ty mlles
northeast Of Canton was BON; N do13, lung
Seu Teeueu, beyoungest son Of apoofAaoot1.
Having ea1ly eyinced IN unusual xptness 1at
study, hs was kept at school At the exponse OF
his relAtiyes, who, ~ is frequently the case,
united to give him their support A7v71g sao.
cessfult5 passed. the examination =. thu d1st13ef
city, Le went 70 Cauton to oltain higher do
gree, but was unsuccessful During tins journey
he 1cceiye cd some Gious tracts from n asssst-
nut OF one of our missionaries. H4F1n8 ap
pliod for tha degrees again u 1851, ha VS. SAL
Unsuccessful. md bis ehae1in =. i,inng Y 1sousn
he hid yiEoEs, and these ho aftcrWatd be-
Neved werr referred to in the Sacred scriptures
which he also obtained from our missionaries;
He Therefore declared himself inspired, and,
one Of his companions falling mo the Same
f4nat cisn, they resolved 70 conmenco fenEa-
GUS REFORM Fr.t, loscTer, to get better iae1
Of the Eible, be went to Canton, but remained
there only i short time. From their n7tlv-
village he ard Ills companion, both 30 poor tn.
they were obliged to journey in most humble
manner, set out eastward and came to tn.
province Of Ewnngn, where their absurd tesch
ings were 80 fAvorably listened to that IN lSa5
they had 2, GOO converts
In 1s4o, ffty-eisht pirAtisal junks we1o de-
sttpyed b a EHtsh naval force in . by nea
the boundary between CHM and Cochin
CHM, hut tho c9cws mostly cscapea On ahnre,
and cams into the region where the new sect
had appeared. Bceides these pisztos there was
another clzEs Of people, known to tho Chinese
IS "Hakk.s1" or SuangcEs, because they aIa
descendants Of colonies that have moved il
Hslka. 1t that ! g1eat stras arose between
tle Hakkae and the Puntis, CT descendants Of
tho original onne1a Of the soil, and the Hak-
kas, protesting to believe in tho new faith,
claimed protection. Up to this time Hung's
only idea appears 70 have been TO commences
religious reform, but now his followers came
into direct collision with tho .govetnment,, and
the movement became 4 rebellion Hung blas-
Ihemously declared himself tho Son OF God,
and Jesus he styled our elder bzothef. He
spwially chosen by Heaven to overthrow tho
MancLn dynasty, which had held his country
under foreign yoke for two hundred years.
Ii October, 1850, he sent out summons to all
Ills congregations to assemble, and immediate
ly al the robbers and those who we're hostile
10 the government docked to his standard Of
revolt With that peeuli1x tnfatuAton to which
the phlogznatic nature Of the Clinaulau re-
bounds when it does once yield to strong i'm
pulse, the1s came fum Ill sides the old and
young, the rich AID poor, and even graduates
eli Fl S eas ssssas d asEEses eeS En-
As the Chinese system Of government does
Eot, As matter Of fact, AFFORD its people any
reaccAblo means Of checking The tyranny Of
their rulers, secret societies have been formed,
and one, Known 10 foreigners as the Triad So
ciety, has for its object the overthrow Of the
MAnchus. was aEsured by those who were
On intimate rclahons with the rebels during
their prosperity, tlat most Of the leaders Of it
Eere members Of this society, md that they
Owed much Of their remarkable soccess to its
minute Ia,nifcationa oEe1 ths whole empire.
Hung assumed tue title Of Heavenly Prince,
| and be styled his rebellion the Great Teaca Re-
beilion. Those who had assisted him in pro-
mitigating hib doctrines we're honored with the
| title OF Princes, and it Wzs announced "a their
| duty to assist him IN e1te1Ininating tbs idolA-
t1ouA and usurping MArchns. The Imperial
| Government, alarmed at this powerful npris-
| ing, ordered its Primo Minister to the dald, but
| when he arrived the TAipinGs were safely in
trenche<, and the 1mperiAlists therefore with
| drew to eale distance ac1oes q river, and
| quietly looked on to eae the rebcls dispense.
| Hung's force had now become 30 powerful
] that other chiefs desired to join the God-wox-
shippers, ~ Hung's followers styled them
selves, and among others came two f.
male rebel chiets, each with two. thou
sand followers. Hung Was not only M eal'
siasrn, but he was strict disciplinarian, and
under, TODD well the Art Of organizing an effec-
tive army from such raw recruits. His plan
was tlAt kue7l, OF corps, should be under one
Major Genera, and divided into FIVE divisions.
THZrr IjN%f XAtt-
eral, aud divided into I've regiments, and each
regiment should number 525 oficera and men,
! be under Colone1, md divided into five COM
panies, and each company should be com
manded by one Captain aud four 1ieutensnts
Tho ra1k Of the serseants nas indicated by
and that Of the p1iyates b. characters signify:
1t this time Nungs army numbered from
10000 to 5000. Soon after he began to I'D
vance northward, taking the smaller cities OF
his WAY to kweiln. This, "a l had an oppot
tu1ity Of seeing, is a very strongly fortified
city, its walls being made OF large blocks oi
limestone, instead OF bricks
After delaying for month, he raised tht
siege and proceeded in northeasterly direo
tion to the headwaters Of the Slang, taGing
number Of smaller cities in that region. Thence
he went straight to ChAngbha, the capital O
the Province OF Human, aud besieged TIN
city uusuccessfully for eighty dAys- DIrint
! this time several determined efforts we1e mad
to storm II, and II ono TINS tho defenders los
fo1ty-four ofRcets, including two Generals o
high rink ChAngshA being situated on riyat
tho Taipings began their farther progress
boate, The most favorable manner in whic|
| they could advance, as many hsd been sou
roye1s. Crossing tho Tungting Lake, the
came to An Important c3ty At its junction VT
tho Imper:alists before they appEuachee
Thence they proceeded down the iangtse t
Hanyang, I city near the mouth of the HG
River, and occupied that city and tho adjoiI
ing great commercial town Of Hankow. Gross
ing ihe river, they invested Wuchang, Wiaic
Is tho residence Of tho viceroy Of Human m
Hupeh, and therefore most important an
strongly fortified city.
TNe1ty days after, this city vas taken t
storm, and the Vieeroy, who escaped alive, "
beheadcd fo1 not successfully defending Ii
capital. At these three cities the TIpings :.
them to carry along the Immense quantity {
provisions md treasure which h3d fallen int
their hands. Hers Hung had built for b
special uso great boat with Prov made to rel
resent the head and the stern to represent t
tail OF the mythical dragon.
Their progress down the Yangtse to Eanin,
distance BY the level Of from 400to 500 mile
Va. performed 20 leisurely and uninterrupted
that it Was rather grand t1iunphal voyat
than an invasion into IN enemys coul
try. Arriving at the Poyang Lake, they tos
kiukisng. and soon after Eanking and al q
cities from one to two dASn' journey on eth
bank; and from all these they obtained II
nenee quantities Of provisions and none
either by direct levy or as ransom.
On tie hth uf March, 1858, they appeared
Naukipg, and in eleven days succeeded
| sprineing mine under the northern angle
its wall, which opened breach from twenty
thirty yalds long. storminB this, they G
lie. .el the outer OF Chinese city, which is no
aud was then, only fields aud uncultvat.
li1le, Just like the surrounding country outE'
Of The walls The inner city, which is the on
inhabited part al the present time, is separAt.
lscm the outer city 6y a wall This was
ferded ~ 1000 or i, 900 able-bodied men, N
contained = population Of from $50
to $4,000 souls, al MAnehus, the We
people wlom tho leader Of the 1aipings h
sworn to destroy: They knew we'll the
The l1et, they threw down their arms in terr
and imrlorcd merry BY crying, 'spare my III
Trircct Spare my Life, P1ncs" But tht
yuteous supphcafons were answered with Il
keen edge OF relentless steel I've kiu
them" mid the rebel leaders to the EnBli
Consul, 1--WE killed them al, even to the infa
in it's mothers srms. We left no sprout
take root. Their bodies were flung into t
Yaugtne-"
The Taipings next took Chekiang, = city
the first rank, near the juncture Of the L
pc1iA Canal and the Yanstse, and three 9th
large citiea in the immediate vicinity. T
ahle-bodied men were pressed into the 1aipiI
army, and the old men, women And childr
were taken u ho9tssea 10 EAnGng, Viii
Hung now pronounced as the residence Of
court, and, therefore, 10 be only called t
Heavenly Capital.
Tho coast yet remained loyal to the Impe
l 11istR and n yerv Nfrorp Heet prr1srrd fa /