CHINA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 112, 26 March 1862, Page 5

CHINA.

■THREATENING ATTITUDE OF REBELS.

BIUTIEII TROOPS GONE NORTHWARD. We.take the following from the Colombo Overland Observer of the S7th ot February :—■ LATENT FKOM CHINA. .In consequence of the threatening attitude of the rebels at Shanghai, H.M.S. Pearl has left for that port, conveying Major-General Sir J. Mitchell, with 100 men of the tt'Jth Regiment and some artillery. Arrived —Steanfer, Emeu, from Hong Kong Ist, Singapore 7th, and Penaug 10th February. In China matters are still threatening. By latest news from the north it appears that groat doubts are entertained as to the safety of Shanghai. The rebels -apparently encouraged by the capture of Ningpo, it is generally believed are now moving in the direction of Shanghai, having driven back the feeble force of Imperial soldiers that was sent to check their advance. f The intelligence, from Japan refers to the opening I of Yedo to foreign trade. No news from Peking. Matters at Shaughai are much about the same. Nothing of importance from the other ports. From Hong Kong Ist, through Galle Kith Feb. ' Per Steamer Emeu. Shanghai threatened by a large rebel force, and business almost totally suspended. A reference to our files received this morning, shows that the gravity of the crisis at Shanghai is rather under than overrated. The English and French had announced that they had "taken possession " of the city, and declared that any attack on it would be regarded as an act of war against them. • Next mail, therefore, may bring us important news —nothing less than the intimation that the Allies have taken the first step in that intervention which can alone arrest the progress of a war, the sole purpose of which seems to be the wanton destruction of property and life. We feel perfectly satisfied that in the end this intervention, however undesirable it may be deemed, will be forced on the European powers. If England and France feel justified in remonstrating with the North American Government for the destruction of a. port, much more, surely are they bound, in their capacity of a police of the nations, to stay the ruin and depopulation of an empire which embraces a third of the human nice. Weappend a few extracts from the Overland China Mail .—

It is now officially published that we have " taken possession of Shanghai," so that the rebels to whom this has been made known, will understand that, in attacking Shanghai, they make.war against the allies. We quote what we believe to be a perfectly reliable piece of information in the following paragraph from the Shanghai Daily Shipping and Commercial. News, of 23rd January. A proclamation in Chinese was posted over the city and settlement yesterday, by the Consuls of England and France, in reply to a message received by them from two rebel chiefs, named Liou and Ho, who intimated their intention of attacking Shanghai. The purport of the above-mentioned proclamation is to inform the said rebel chiefs, or other parties whom it may concern, that the city and settlement, with their suburbs, including Woosung, are at present in possession of the allied troops, and any persons attacking the same will do so at their peril. We ? are glad to see such decisive action on the parts of the representatives of our armed treaty powers; and we have no doubt but that the rebel spies who infest our streets will have conveyed the intelligence to the enemy's camp beofre this. Should the insurgents dare to'advance in th"c face of this, we hope that our gallant troops will give them a warm reception. Ample time has elapsed since Admiral Hope first conveyed our views to the Insurgent chiefs at JS rankin for the English Government to sanction and confirm the position, even supposing that Sir James Hope acted originally on his own responsibility. The interval, in fact, between the first and the second visits of the admiral to that city was much more than sufficient for the fullest correspondence between himself and the Foreign Minister; so that the event, of a war with the i-ebel3, consequent on their defying our occupation of Shanghai, is an event for which the Cabinets of England and France are perfectly prepared." ■■■■•• ■ ■■' ■ . The anticipated act of war has not yet been committed, and. if the rebels are wise, it never will be. The following extracts from the North China t.erald indicate what movements are being made by them in the vicinity of Shanghai:— In a communication from our shipping reporter at Woosuug, lie verifies his statement as to the atroci ties committed by the Taiping rebels at Kaug-wang, by referring to the party he accompanied. He adds, '• that another band of rebels appeared on the opposite side of Woosung yesterday morning. They are, however, a little more inereifnl than the others*, and appear not to be molesting the country people to any great extent, beyond making them give up anything of value in their possession ; but such is the panic produced by these people, that women and children rush to the water and prefer being drowned rather than fall into their hands. Directly the Custom house people, with the. Shanghai Times reporter and myself, saw the rebels, wo took our Boats as near to them as possible to try and save some of the wretched inhabitants who had escaped into the water and were drowniug. Had we been a little sooner we might perlmps have saved several, but ■as it is, we could only pick up a woman and her child alive." Later news was to the following effect :—

The rebels were yesterday reported. as occupying Ko-ka Hong, a large township of about 10,000 inhabitants, situated about two miles inland from the battery on the south side of the river, between this and Woosung. Heavy firing was heard in that direction last night between ten and,eleven p.m. The rebels are also said to have returned to the town of Koon -Wap, between this and Woosung.

■ JTBMS PROM REBELDOM. - , (From the Baltimore Patriot.) . The other day, we had an opportunity of conversing with several persons just arrived from the interior of the Southern States, some of whom left rather than take the oath of allegiance to the new Confederacy, and others because their business -was broken up by reason of adhering to their ancient allegiance. One of these parties from Richmond, informs us that there was still a fierce enthusiasm seeming to pervade the Secessionists all through the South, women and children, as well as the men : that they have a complete confidence in their ability to maintain their position ; that there were, to his personal knowledge, many Union men in Richmond, and in Norfolk especially ; that the Counties of Eastern -Virginia, as well as the towns, were swarming with soldiers; that almost every man wore a uniform, and was attached to some military organisation, that the troops were in many cases ragged, and in very few gasps xiliiforined; and their clothes were "hpmgsjiun, dyed with the walnut b.ark, of sojiie" similar substance, to secure fibmethin'g'like uniformity of color among those.of the same company; that they were very badly off for shoes, and had very few blankets, still fewer tents, and were all armed only in certain--places, as in Manassas and in parts of Tennessee, each man having brought his squirrel gun or fo.wliiig piece, with such fixtures as he could provide at home. The Tredegar Iron Works were said to be turning out one large gun a day. The armories were busy, and as guns were much needed, as fast as they could be manufactured they were sent to the troops. Among the operatives and mechanics especially the Union feeling was strong; but no one could dn.ro. to give expression to it. The Union menj however, knew each other, and were oniects'of suspicion to those who 'ruled and those' v^n'o upheld them/ The knowledge' 'flint 'i\ mnn'siill adherlid to the Union was. sufficient tp; deprive him of employment and' takjj a\yriy custom from his store. 'S^any Union men who could get away had left, hut the great mass, pf course, pqiild not get off; and they were' awaiting jn hope the arrival of the Federal armies to release them from the oppression which was ex<*cised over them. Thefnion men would undoubtedly join the United States flag as soon (is it could be displayed among them. Thousands would flock to it who now were silenoed, and who were actually forced to boar arms agninst it. What was the actual relative strength of the parties there it was impossible to say. No test could be had no election held under present circumstances in these Stntca would afford any evidence, even if it were possible to run a Union candidate. None such could showiiimself,' nor would it be safe for any voter to vote for such.1' The Dis-unionists well know this, as well as the fact that there are thousands of Union men and their fear of allowing these Union men to find out their own strength, causes them to forbid and-crush out any attempt at a demonstration. The Secessionists were in many plnces in the intei-ior, beginning to be enthely sick of the state of atfah.s _ In North Carolina, where one of the parties with which we conversed had been staying months, wheat wns worth in a country store about 85 to 00 cents a bushel, and the stprekeeper told a flirmer, in his hearing that shortly it would be a bushel of wheat for a pound of coffee. Gold and silver never seen—bank notes of the different States and" Confederate" money of the denomination of five dollars and upwards—all change consisted of "shinplasters" and corporation promises to pay five and, ten cents (when five dollars was prrsented) ire .Virginia money. " . ■ In the Western antl'mounUinous Region ot North Carolina, and especially ill Unwn men dared still to gather together," and speak out, except iii those"'sjiots 'which' were', closely Occupied by Jeff Davis's millions. ' ' In Northern Alabama, top, abpivfr Hunteyi(le, mid in North" Easterji Mississippi, a.s well a.s among the largest planters along the rivei", the Onion feeling was rife aii(t strong; andhehad heard one man say at a " gathering" that "if he could only see the old stars and stripes he would cry for joy." One account gave 13,000 soldiers in and around Norfolk, and 110,000 at and about Manassas. Another account stated the quarter-master at Norfolk served out 38,000 rations daily. -.It was quite impossible to know anything exactly of position or number. The Confederates did not allow the newspapers to' publish anything. The movements on our side were known almost immediately atltichmond—how, unless through secret traitors and spies an Government officers, he could not tell—and a perfect confidence was felt that they had secured and would maintain their independence.