The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-10-24
TWENTY THOUSAND KILLED.
The MOhammedan Rebellion i'm China
Washed Out i'm Blood.


From the New York Tribune.1
When the dreadful story of the mas
sacre of 10000 people in the Chinese
city of Tall (Tali-fu) reached the outer
world, some months ago, there was a
general expression of incredulity. 1t
seemed hardly possible that such vast
destruction of life had been accom-
plished, even among the tiger-hke and
vengeful tribes which inhabit the
southwestern frontiers of the Chinese
Empire. But later details of the bloody
collapse of the Mohammedan rebellion
in Yunnan confirm the dreadful tidings.
Is Tali-fu so far away from the focal
points of Western civilization that the
butchery of its entire population rouses
not even languid interest? Modern
history gives no record of any such
mOnstrous sacrifice of human life for
the number slain, according to the most
trustworthy accounts, is more than 49,,
900 people. The piteous tale may never
be told to us in full, but we are slowly
and obscurely learning enough to assure
us that the Mohammedan rebellion in
Yunnan has, after eighteen years of
fuctuating vigor, gone out in blood.
The Mohammedans of the province of
Yunnan have maintained their religious
faith for many centuries. In 1855, they
were strong enough to defy the Impe-
rial Government, drive out the repre-
sentatives of the Emperor and establish
a quasi authority of their own. In 1856,
the central authority of their new en-
pire was vested in Sultan Suleiman, as
he was called, and the capital was fixed
at Tali-fu, now made mournfully famous.
The Chinese Government, then dis
tracted and harassed by other REBEL
ions which threatened the integrity of
the Empire, as well as by alarming for
eign complications, was forced to leave
the Mohammedans of Yunnan to their
own devices. Finally, relieved from
more imminent perils, the Imperial
Government sent strong force against
the Panthays, as the Yunnan rebels are
sometimes inaccurately called; and,
last February, an army of 200, 900 Chi
nese, after siege of several months, cap
tured the city of Tall. The "Sultan"
is said to have surrendered himself on
condition that the people should be
spared. Poisoning his wives and chill
dren (of which we make no doubt he had
an abundance), he entered his palanquin
and was borne to the camp of the vic
tOrious besiegers. When the curtains
of his equipage were drawn, he was
found dead He had swallowed a fatal
draught before leaving his capital. The
populace of Tali-fu were given over to
the sword. Momien, the next impor-
tant city of the rebellious province,
subsequently shared the same fate
which befel the seat of the hapless
Suleiman.
Of all the habitable regions of the
globe, we probably know least of the
area which is described by a recent
writer as inclosed in the segment of a
circle, with radii formed by the mighty
streams that issue from a common cen
ter at the eastern extremity of the
Himalayas. On the outer rim of this
vast sweep lies Yunnan, one of the
eighteen provinces of China, with a
territory of more than 1000 square
miles and n population of 5000, 900
souls boasting rich cities old as the
reign of Kublali Khan F.; drained by the
great streams of the Kekong, the Sal
wen and the affluents of the noble
Irrawaddy, and stored with gems, gold,
copper and textile fabrics. Its chief
cities, Tali-fu and Yunnan-fu, were the
seats OF k1ngQOmS Wnen Ine UfeaG hnan,
in 1858, conquered Yunnan (the Carajan
of Morco Polo) and annexed that wealthy
region to the Mongol Empire. Shut
out from the rest of China by the pre-
cipitous range of cloudy mountains and
trading westward and soutn-westward
by streams flowing into Anam, Siam,
Laos and Burmah, this vast province
has never seemed an integral part of
the Middle Kingdam it belongs to that
early home of the human race into
which historians, ethnologists and geog-
raphers eagerly desire to penetrate.
Like dismal echo out of some terrible
prison-house, comes only the sound of
violence and agony. 1t is woful sight
which dimly greets us as we raise for a
moment the cloudy vail which covers
this unknown land.