The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1911-12-08

ors was IN 1861, and for seven years there
waged a civil war in the Middle Kingdom that
Tar exceeded In bioodshed the conflict between
the North and the South in the United States
And it is an interesting coincidence that
these two national uphea sals were in progress
at the same time and both inspired by the
same sentiment. love of country; while in a
sun more striking manner did this mighty Chi
nese protest become a counterpart of the
american revolution in it's avowed purnoso to
claim its country for itself and Danish forever
beyond the confines of the empire the hated
Manchu usurper.
That the victory of Washington and his Iowa,
hosts was not duplicated by the Chinese revo.
uuuon,sts at that time was due to the fact
enat their efforts were impeded, interfered with
and finally successfully resisted bv that s,..
power whose unjust domination of thee
American States eventually resulted in the
immortal Declaration of Independence
And yet how much is known of the history .,
the Tai Ping Kwok," the Tai Ping Rebe,i;oo
or The Great Kingdom of Peace?"
The cable and the wireless have So bro,.h+
the ends Of the earth together that TODAY we
read In the morning paper what has transnired
IN the evening on the other side of the earth
But in those days. China was a land buried
In mystery, practically unknown and unox.
plored and whose political and economic conSi-
tons attracted but little attention from the
outside world, and so far as We are concerned
We were too deeply engrossed in our own gt-
gantic struggle to maintain the unity of our
own states, to give a thought to what was
transpiring across the Pacific.
The history Of the Tai Ping rebellion is one
of intense interest and full Of tragedy. pathos
and romance, but is merely referred to here
as being the first cohesive effort made by the
Chinese to regain the government of their own
land and free themselves from the thraldom
of a foreign rule.
Their efforts were unsuccessful. The move
ment was born in the spirit of enthusiastic pa-
triotism but it ended in total riot and demorali-
zatfon.
It's leader. Hung Hsieu Chuen, first raised
the cry. Down with the Manchus" and his en-
thusiasm was Infectious.
The Chinese turned to him as a divinely ap-
pointed saviour Of their land, and he, being
more or less of a visionary type, believed him.
self to be inspired and commissioned by Heav-
en- to accomplish this herculean task.
He had received q certain amOut of Chris
tian training and 1t Is an astonishing fact that
the whole movement was primarily based on
Christian principles. But that his religious
zeal exceeded his good judgment and sound rea-
SON Is indicated by the fact that while he re-
ferred to Christ as the Elder Brother. he i'm
piously termed himself the Younger Brother"
thus placing himself on an equality with Divin-
ity.
Notwithstanding this and other faults Of
Judgment his cause appealed to the great mass
OF the people,, thousands hocked to his vic
torious banners and his war against the Man
chu government was a series Of uninterrupted
triumphant achievements.
City after city fell before his patriotic as
sault and Wuchang. Hankow and Han Yang