CHINA.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1490, 18 January 1861, Page 3

CHINA.

CAPTURE OF PEKIN BY THE ENG-

LISH AND FRENCH ALLIES,

FLIGHT OF THE EMPEROR. We copy the following irom the Sydney Empire : —

From China we learn that the Emperor had fled, aud that the allies were in command of his capital. Their rear is secured by the occupation of Tien Tsin, and by the presence of the English and French fleets at the Peiho. There seems to be now no doubt tbat Plenipotenlaries will secure the formal exeoution of a satisfactory treaty ; but it is scarcely probable that, after their experience of Chinese duplicity, they will rest contented without the exaction of some material guarantees. Their presence at Pekin must, at all events, have the effect of disabusing the mind of the Emperor of those flattering pictures of his power which are said to have provoked him into braving the, " barbarians ;" and although a few heads will probably fall for this when he returns to Pekin, the chances are that they will have deserved to fall. It cannot but be gratifying to the friends of humanity that the excesses which must have followed the bombardment and storming of a city like Pekin, have, for the present, been averted. The troops had tasted the luxury of plunder at oue of the Emperor's palaces, and their appetites for rapine would not&have been easily -appeased if they had been let loose upon the oity. W e[Sydney Herald] take a few interesting extracts from a Shanghai cotemporary, (the North China Herald), of a recent date.

That journal says , — By accounts received from our correspondent, we learn that there has been a serious split in the rebel camp ( Tai ping), that the troops which had advanced against Shanghai refused to a man to obey the orders given them to make another advance-movement in that direction. Tbis resistance had led to the execution of several officers by the command of the Chung Wang. Another descent ou Shanghai was seriously on the tapis, in faot the iusurgents advanced and actually retook Sung iKiang, which place having been already gutted, could offer no attraction for looting or commissariat purposes. Things at Soochow don't look well for the lengthened stay of the rebels. While Chuug Wang was near Shanghai, a rioh imperialist had hired an army of mercenaries, aud actually succeeded in getting into Soochowi but, being deserted by his followers, had to beat a retreat. Hard fighting has since been going on in the suburbs. Provisions are getting scarce, so we shall probably hear soon of the evacuation of the city, and advance in force ou Hangchow and Ningo. In faot, rumours have reached us of an advance from Cbapoo on Ningpo, by many armed boats. It is a very curious fact that but very little injury has been done to the crops around Shanghai by the insurgents. Graves and uncultivated places seem always to have been selected to assemble on and hoist their flags. Where their dead are buried it is hard to say ; they have probably carried the most of them faraway. Such carcasses as were seen near the city wall were lelt there because the fire was 100 hot for their friends to remove them ; but their legs and hands were chopped off, in order to get away the valuables with which Changmaos like to adorn their persons. At Zee-ka-wei, beyond making the church in a mess, they have done but little damage. They scribbled any amount of abusive jokes about foreigners on whatever paper was to be found, and seemed delighted to call themselves Changmaos. It was at Za-ka-wei, a mile further on, that the Italian priest and some children were murdered; the vagabonds refused oopper cash, and demanded a larger sum in silver than tbe unfortunate priest could give them, and they thereupon committed the horrible deed, which is quite enough to stamp the whole expedition with infamy. The villagers have long stories about raping and kidnapping committed everywhere ; but as almost every soul from the surrounding villages were safely in Shanghai, we don't believe their stories. It is amusing to see the dilligent way in which the soldiers of the heavenly dynasty have broken open every door in the various villages in their search after mammon. There must be some instinct among these gentry where to find hidden wealth, for to foreign eyes the houses are mere mud hovels without anything worth carrying a yard in any of them.*

At a meeting of tho Royal Asiatic Society, held at Shanghai on the 28th of August, a paper was read by the Rev. J. Edkins, giving an account of a recent visit, made by himseif and four other missionaries, to the insurgents now occupying Soochow. It appears that they started from Shangahi on tbe evening of July 30th, aud returned early on the morning of August 5th — two days having been spent at Soochow. No attempt was made to stop their progress. Beyond Ye-ki-tun, no imperialist force was found to interfere with the movements of the insurgents. At Luoh kia pang, a mnrkot town about forty English miles from Shanghai, they reached a floating bridge constructed by the rebels, on whioh they pass between Sungkeaug and Soochow. At Kwenshan they found the suburbs, through whioh they passed, to be a solitude of burnt and plundered houses. They were happy, however to see that all dead bodies had been removed, and that the people were beginning, to, go aniong the insurgents fearlessly. On their arrival at Sooohowy they were at

first refused admission iuto the city; but when tbey showed the letters, which tbey had receive)! a few days f before from the j Chuug Wang aud the Kaug Wang, in-, vitiug Messrs. Edkins and John to j Sooohow,' to confer with the latter as an j old Christian convert and friend, on matters of religion, (the letter contained not a word of politics), they were admitted. During their stay in Sooohow they had good opportunities of observing the present state of affairs there, to jgain valuable and reliable information ou various points of great interest, to suggest plans for the correction of theological errors and the wider dissemination of religious principles, and to encourage the Kan Wang in his endeavors to promote the cause of truth and civilization. By the Kang Wang the missionaries were received very cordially on, two occasions, and were led to entertain great hopes of his exercising a good influence on the future movements of the insurgents. At the first interview — " He expressed his full sympathy with foreign doctrines, not only in religion, but in science and social improvemeuts. He had searched the yaluable library in the house where he then resided, and no book gave him so much pleasure to find there as a treatise on the Differential and Integral Calculus translated by Mr. Wylie." As to his personal character, Hung Jinkang (Kan Wang) appeared to' be unchanged in his principles and practice, except on two points."

1. He admitted the visions of the chief, at least in a way, and allows that by these dreams he is divinely appointed to the position he now holds. 2. He yielded to earnest solicitation, and beoame a C( polygomist." On two occasions he united with tbe missionaries in worship — singing and praying himself.

An invitation to remain for several days was extended to the party from the Chung Wang; but as there seems to be an impression on his mind tbat as teachers of Christianity they must, be Wen Kaun " civil mandarins," the missionaries determined to return at onoe, after having presented the two boxes of Bibles and a few other bowks which they had brought for the purpose. They also offered to the Kan Wang some proposed corrections in oertain statements in his book on theological points. In course of conversation, the Kan Wang asked the missionaries respecting the state of thing at Shanghai. Ho was informed that the city as well' as the settlement was held by the English aud French troops, and was urged strongly to use his influence to preveat the sending of the T'ai ping forces (as ho informed them the Chung Wang proposed to do) there, for fear of collision.

After the reading of the paper, an animated discussion followed, during which many points of great interest and importance were considered. Information procured by the Rev. J. L. Holmes during his re-cent visit to Nanking was referred to, as tending to show that the semitheoretic system set up at the first by Hung Siutsieun is perpetuated, aud has been elaborated with a good deal of minuteness.

The claim of the Insurgent Chief to universal supremacy appears to be still maintained ; Dr. Bridgman mentioned that one of the insurgent proclamations brought from Socohow contained a list of grievances against the existing dyuasty which was drawn up with considerable force. Mr. Wylie, Mr. Gulbertson, and Dr. Bridgman — all of whom had opportunities of seeing the country along the Yang-tese River — agreed iv stating that, as yet, the insurgents had exhibited no specimeu of their ability to govern the territory they have overrun.. -On the other hand, it was suggested by Mr. John aud others, that hitherto each of the conquered oities has been nothing better than a camp under strict martial laws, that whilst the contest remains doubtful the people will keep aloof, as they well know thai to countenance the rebel cause by their presence would, should it meet any reverses, secure their own extermination by the imperalists, that other dynasties have been established only after twenty, thirty, and forty years ofoouiestand anarchy; and that these, aud such facts as these, will aoobuut for the comparatively disordered condition of the insurgent's territory.

It was also remarked that muoh of the burning which is laid to the charge of the iusurgonts is done by the imperialists before their arrival ; aud that the burning of suburbs and villages for the seourity of a oity or camp is justified in China by one of the first military maxims : — " keen pih t' sing ye.'' ■ It was stated that the assistant king, Shin Ta-kai (who is now master of the capital, and the greater part of the province of Sze-chuen), had been supposed-to be keeping aloof from the chief at Nanking, but that it is now ascertained that he is still connected with the movement, and has recently sent a large body of his .men to Nanking to congratulate the Kan Wang; on his accession to power, and to request' that all his ootumunieations to the chief may henceforth be presented through him. He seems to differ from the chief in uome of his religious views. He conciliates the people when he subjugates, and at the sauie time secures the attachment of his own soldiers.

The Herald says : the oity of Nanking is in a ruinous condition. It would be no exaggeration to say that half the houses have been destroyed-. The oountry around is hot half cultivated Provisions are very source ahd expensive,, / Their trade is very limited,,; « Ipstanoes ,are not rare:iu which workmen* were compelled to labour without compensation.; ' All

indicates a policy. that ; has ; httleregard^6; the welfare of th© people;' or to attyi interests other than those ia^ediately, connected with; war, and; with'*&£'in&ilW-*:-gence of their rulers^vj /.; ""/;]/, > t , - : J^ ; : ~^ .[': ■ The Biey. . j ?; L..^)r|braes^;o^ th c present state of ..their ; political iaffairs, ; would indicate that Hung Siu Tsuen'a career must close before the present dy-^' nasty can be supplanted. Hi_ hfoi*itt|i} fe l doctrines, which have < Served to .bV^fit^l down every distinction \ betWeen ■ '.. TJghs>f and wrong iu.themin^sW Jiis :_<pidiei^^ and send thetn forth ,to ;i perform .eTtirjrj/,; enormity without remorse, have , secured him the lasting hatred of the' masses of the people, The Scenes of internal "te. ! cords which so nearly proved " l ;tl_eiir '- destruction a few ye_rg'_iuo_ would .; doubtless be enacted again,»aud upon^ a il large scale, when, with theit-, enemies/ { vanquished, they, came to a final division, of the spoils. Ono of their most popular generals Shir ta-ki (E. Wbnjgf) is f jabW ! the leader of what will in ;all protaHiHt^ ;; prove a riyal rebellion. Be left Naoking, 1 aooompanied,' by a large- army, .without the leave; of the. Tien Wongi and itTis said disbelieves his doctrines. He 'is described as a good man, who will ridtr f kill, but strives to conciliate the people, „ is reverenced by both soldiers aiicl^eoplfl; ,;; aud preaches that "he is a good rofuV who acts a good man.!' He now . hqiija '■- the capitai of the province of Sze-phuerij - : and probably has oontrol of as much sterritory and. as large a populatibn as f Tiea -*' Wong himself. They have as yetTVdnie' to no open rupture, but it 19 ddu|)tfut'if ; he will ever come again under the sways of the present chief. The pretensiohVo.f;; > Hing sin Tsuen must also, sooner or later,- if. he qontinuesat the: head, 'bring him iuto collision with foreign ,powers;Mn jiy which case, one of the claims, Jbte, U founds iipon blis -character as a. religious ,7 teacher would have to be. yielded ;"hisl t prestige thus destroyed, it is dpubtfur"' whether his influence would suVvive'it 4 While, therefore, we are not without hopes that God will so overrule this, movement as to 'bring great good put of'it/^weV^ncl^; little or nothing in the oharnoter of Aha Q* leaders with whom we; have niet/or in- '.-*? the doctrines which they believei upon - which to found a liope except as the "wrath of man shall praise Him.''