The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1912-03-20

Noormachu, into whose great II igno-
rant mind first entered the apparently
impossible idea of conquering the Chi
nese empire, deserves place In history
with Alexander, Caesar and Napoleon.
In the thirteenth century some refu-
gees from northern China fed into
Manchuria, where they took, or, rather,
assumed the name Of the Niuche.
There was no nation; they were SIM
ply/innumerable small clans or tribes
or families.
Noormachu Appears.
One Of these little clans was that
which subsequently gave birth to Moor
machu. 1t occupied small district on
a stream about thirty miles east of
Mukden.
How insignificant this little kingdom
was may be seen from the chronicles
which tell Of the victory Of Norma
chu's grandfather, the emperor" Jing-
dsoo, over his enemies. This emperor
ruled an empire which, says the Rev.
John Ross in his history of the Man
chus, consisted Of "six little hamlets of
probably q dozen or two families each
surrounded by wall and called a
city" To the west was a man called
FShwosaina, who, with his nine power
full sons, was "the scourge of the west"
This terrible rebel was joined by Jia-
hoo and his seven sons, and this army
of eighteen terrorized the whole re-
gion.
But" says Ross, following the chron-
icles, "the emperor Jingdsoo was wise,
and his eldest son, Lidun, was brave"
Lidun mustered all the forces of the
Kingdom, marched against the enemy
and compelled victory over the eighteen
robbers.
"This victory secured them five noun
tain passes and 200 Ii of territory. This
battle. so carefully related by their
historians, who trace the rise Of their
kingdom to it, is the best evidence as
to the original size of the Manchu king
dom and the resources of their six
'cities."
His little wars with the neighboring
clans resulted in the formation of a
military confederacy. for none could
stand before Noormachu. Finally, in
1918, he had dared to invade the great
empire to the south and discovered,
probably to his intense establishment
as did the Goths in Italy, that he was
annihilated.
Wherein Ming Dynasty Was Weak.
Agrowing weakness of the Ming dy-
nasty. which had occupied the throne
for more than 200 years, was, Of
!, course, responsible. The government
Mas so busy dealing with riots and re-
bcllions In its own baiiiwick that 1t
thought no more Of an outbreak on
tho northern frontier than we now
would of local strike in the state of
Washington. Yet within twenty-six
years after Noormachu crossed the
Chinese frontier his grandson was
made emperor in Picking.
There was q wide awake general on
the Manchurian frontier named Ting
bi. who saw the dangers of the Man
chu incursion and had by his own I'M
aided efforts saved Liaotung province
from them. But he was soon removed,
and Yuen Ying Tai, man of letters,
Hwho." says one historian, "had never
heard shot fired nor seen the flight of
the Manchu arrows" was sent to take
y his place and defend the extensive bor-
der.
Noormachu had not intended to make
an attack until he heard Of this sub
stitution, but when he found that
Tingbi was no longer to oppose him
he took the field in 1921 and won his
first great victory.
Meanwhile the south Of China was
afiame with revolt. and the efforts OF
the government were spent there and
not on the northern border.
In 1927 Chung Cheng. the last of the
Chinese emperors. assembled the throne,
and two years afterward came the
most formidable OF all the Manchu in
vasions. This time the Manchus APP
reared before the walls of Picking.
". For several months the Tartars wan
lored around the walls Of Picking. new
- attempting TO assail the city. harry
NJ TIE country round about and. one