Chapter X (1)

Prospects of the Ti-pings in 1860.--Their Operations.--Relief of
Nankin.--Rout of the Imperialists.--Ti-ping Successes.--British
Interference.--Ti-pings advance on Shanghae.--The Chung-wang's
Address.--Mr. Bruce's Notification.--Mr. Bruce's Dispatch.--The
Future of China.--The Chung-wang's Dispatch.--Mr. Bruce's
Inconsistency.--Missionary "Holmes."--His Statement.--His
Uncourteous Behaviour.--His Inconsistencies.--Suppressed
Missionary Reports.--Rev. Griffith Johns' Report.--Newspaper
Extracts.--The Shanghae Massacre of Ti-pings.--Newspaper
Extracts.--The Author's Reflections thereon.

Gloomy, indeed, were the prospects of the Ti-pings at the opening of the year 1860. The garrison of Nankin, reduced to less than 20,000 men by the continual reinforcements despatched to the armies in Kiang-si, Ngan-whui, and the north bank of the Yang-tze--a proceeding rendered necessary by the shortness of supplies in the capital--was cut off from all communication with its armies in the field by a series of works forming a complete line of circumvallation from the Tsin-hwai river, which enters the Yang-tze a few miles above Nankin, to Yentzeke, a position about five miles below the city, and situated on the Yang-tze river. Large fleets of Imperialist war-junks blockaded the river communication of the city from below, while, far as the eye could reach, over hill and valley, the many-bannered hosts of the besieging army occupied the whole surrounding country. It seemed but a question of a few weeks more whether the Imperialists would have the courage to storm the city, or whether starvation would exterminate the noble and patriotic band of the first Christian movement in China. It was then the power and organization of the Ti-pings were displayed to their fullest extent; at no time, since the erection of their standard of liberty, had their cause been threatened by so imminent a danger, and at no time had their movements been so skilfully conducted, as during the three months preceding the relief of Nankin. The tactics first adopted were those of distracting the attention of the besiegers, and obliging them to detach portions of their force. In accordance with this project, the army in the Eastern province of Ngan-whui, commanded by Le, the Chung-wang (formerly general of the first Northern expedition), and the army in Kiang-si, commanded by the I-wang (the Tien-wang's brother Shih-ta-kae), by forced marches placed themselves upon the rear of the besieging army, and seriously threatened its lines of communication.

The Chung-wang, starting from the vicinity of Wuhu and Tai-ping-foo, on the south bank of the Yang-tze, by a flank march in a south-easterly direction, placed himself immediately in the rear of the grand army of Imperialists encamped before Nankin. Detaching a strong column to threaten the cities of Soo-chow and Chang-chau, the principal depôts of the enemy, he hurried his main body by forced marches to the provincial capital Hang-chau, and, after heavy fighting, upon the 19th of March mined the walls, and obtained possession of the outer city. The Manchoo garrison, after holding out in the inner or Tartar city for six days, were succoured by a considerable force from Kiang-su, which joining them, recovered the city; the Ti-pings retiring, after inflicting severe loss amongst their opponents.

In the meanwhile, the I-wang, concentrating his forces upon the Kiang-si frontier, also invaded the Che-kiang province, but from a point more to the south. After capturing the prefectural cities Ku-chau and Yen-chau, and descending the Tsien-tang river to within a short distance of Hang-chau, he suddenly turned north, and effected a junction with the Chung-wang.

This strategy, however, had not the anticipated effect, and the Imperialist army, besieging Nankin, continued to direct their main efforts to the recapture of that city. The garrison, in consequence, became reduced to the greatest straits, and suffered terrible privations. During all their trials, their hope and courage never faltered for a moment; in the midst of his perishing people, the Tien-wang calmly and sublimely taught them to call upon God as the sure means of deliverance from their pressing danger.

Hanging his banner from the walls of his palace, and seated within full view and range of the Manchoo commander's camp, upon a hill directly opposite, the Tien-wang devoutly composed a special doxology for the use of the garrison. From the soldiers on the walls to the little children in their mothers' arms, by day and by night, the voice of praise and supplication ascended to the heavens. Whatever _we_ may consider the faults and errors of these men, most of them are now in the presence of their Maker; and if a full and earnest and Christian belief in His Word can benefit mankind in a future state, they--and, after a close intercourse of several years with the Ti-pings, I say it without a shadow of doubt--will be rewarded.

At last, finding it impossible to effect the relief of the capital by distant operations, it became imperative to assemble an army of relief without delay. Arrangements were accordingly made for a simultaneous attack by the armies in the field, and a sortie in force by the garrison. The combined forces of the Chung and I-wangs marched directly upon the rear of the besieging army, and on the 3rd of May, the garrison sallying forth from each gate of the city, according to preconcerted signal, the advanced guard of the approaching army burst through the Imperialist lines, and effected a junction with them. The day was bitterly cold, and, taking advantage of a thick snow-storm, the van of the army of relief--which, to the number of nearly 20,000, had, by a successful raid for horses, been mounted for the occasion--made their charge with complete success.

Directly the combination was effected, the entire force turned upon the Imperialist army. The right and left wing of the besiegers, considerably distant from the centre through which the Ti-ping cavalry had charged, and, moreover, unable to perceive the movements taking place, through the snow-storm and grey light of the morning, and being informed only of the sortie, moved forward upon the city, confident in their numbers, and expecting to easily drive back the weakened garrison, and enter the city with them.

Meanwhile, leaving a detachment with the troops from the city to hold their ground, the Ti-ping cavalry charged straight back upon the enemy's centre, and falling upon them while they were yet re-forming and in confusion, drove them off the field with tremendous slaughter. Then, forming into two bodies, they attacked each wing of the Imperialist army, which, having discovered the arrival of reinforcements to the garrison, was now retreating to its lines. It was at this critical moment the Ti-ping cavalry, after literally riding over the reserves in rear of the lines, came down upon them. Pressed by the attack of the garrison in their rear, and unable to cross the creeks and ditches in face of the cavalry in any order, the carnage became fearful. All the trenches, dug by their own hands, were choked by the bodies of the Imperialists--scarcely a man that had crossed those limits escaped. When the work of slaughter could be safely entrusted to the garrison alone, the cavalry followed in pursuit of the retreating enemy. The whole Ti-ping army having now arrived upon the field, the rout of the Imperialists became total--arms, flags, ammunition, and provisions, everything that made them an army, were abandoned, and in the wildest panic its miserable remnants fled for refuge to the district city of Tan-Yang.

It is estimated that they lost no less than 60,000 men during the action and pursuit. The country for many miles was covered with their bodies, which also filled the creeks, and stopped the running waters.

Vigorously following up their successes, town after town, including that of Tan-Yang, fell into the hands of the Ti-pings. Several Imperialist armies marched from Soo-chow and Chang-chow to oppose them, but in each case were totally defeated; the second in command was killed, while Ho-chun, the Manchoo Commander-in-Chief, committed suicide. The mass of disorganized troops dispersed themselves all over the country for plunder, and great numbers flocked to the magnificent city of Soo-chow, the gates of which were closed against them; they then gave themselves up to all kinds of excesses, and setting fire to the extensive and wealthy suburbs, committed every description of pillage and rapine. When the Ti-ping army approached, a few days later, the authorities abandoned it, and this, the most important city in Central China, fell into their hands upon the 24th day of May.

During the next three months the Ti-pings were engaged in taking possession of all the cities within a considerable distance, and in establishing their rule throughout the adjoining departments, including the silk districts of Ly-hong, Wu-seih, Kin-tang, Es-hing, Tay-saam, Tsat-lee, Kia-hing, Hu-chau, &c. Supplies were forwarded to Nankin in large quantity, the Budhist idols and temples were demolished far and wide, and in their stead the Ti-pings introduced the Holy Scriptures to every household within their jurisdiction. Their regular and moderate system of taxation was enforced, and those country people who at the first alarm had fled from their homes were gradually returning. At Shanghae, in the meanwhile, the report of the Ti-ping successes, and the prospect of their early advance upon that city, was made the occasion for the first display of that un-English perfidy that has since been carried to such a monstrous extent.

It will be remembered that the British authorities had already recognized the Ti-pings as a belligerent power, and were therefore not only bound to observe a strict neutrality by every article of international law, but had actually sought and communicated with them, and in the person of Sir George Bonham solemnly guaranteed in writing their observance of neutrality, receiving from the revolutionists a similar assurance. Yet, in flagrant violation of the professions of non-intervention, Mr. Bruce took upon himself, in his capacity as superintendent of British trade, to commit a breach of neutrality by the following proclamation and its fulfilment:--

"The undersigned issues this special proclamation, &c.

"Shanghae is a port open to foreign trade, and the native
dealers residing therein have large transactions with the
foreigners who resort to the place to carry on their business.
_Were it to become the scene of attack and civil war, commerce
would receive a severe blow_, and the interests of those,
whether foreign or native, who wish to pursue their peaceful
avocations in quiet, would suffer great loss.

"The undersigned will therefore call upon the commanders of Her
Majesty's naval and military authorities to take proper measures
to prevent the inhabitants of Shanghae from being exposed to
massacre and pillage, and to lend their assistance to put down
any insurrectionary movements among the ill-disposed, and to
protect the city against _any attack_.

(Signed) "FREDK. W. A. BRUCE.
"_Shanghae, May 26, 1860._"

The solemn pledges made by England were thus deliberately violated, but, as will be seen, that injustice was prompted by mercenary considerations, masked by philanthropic pretensions. Besides this, we find Mr. Bruce audaciously, if not idiotically, declaring his intention to violate a British guarantee:--

"And it appeared to me _that without taking any part_ in this
civil contest, or expressing any opinion on the rights of the
parties, we might _protect_ Shanghae from attack, and _assist_
the authorities in preserving tranquillity."

As Mr. Bruce states defending cities for the Manchoos by shooting down the Ti-pings is "without taking any part" in the internecine war, it would be amusing to have his ideas as to the meaning of "taking part." Not satisfied with injuring the rights of an acknowledged belligerent, Mr. Bruce, a few days after, adds insult to injury. The Kan-wang having forwarded a dispatch to the consuls of England, France, and the United States, Mr. Bruce issued the following instructions to the British Consul:--

"With reference to the letter addressed to you, in common with
the consuls of France and the United States, by one of the
leaders of the insurgents, I am clearly of opinion that it is
both inexpedient and objectionable on principle that her
Majesty's consuls should hold any communication with the
insurgents at Soo-chow, and I have, therefore, to instruct you
_to take no notice of it_."

It would be satisfactory to know upon what "principle" Mr. Bruce excuses this act of injustice, and, also, where he obtained his ideas of belligerent and neutral "principles." The inconsistency of his conduct will be seen a little further on, when, although taking "no notice" of the Ti-ping dispatch, he sends them a communication which he expects _they_ are to notice.

Throughout the rebellion, the Ti-pings had naturally been anxious to obtain possession of some seaport at which they would be enabled to trade with foreigners, and obtain supplies of arms and munitions of war, as the Imperialists did at the treaty ports. After Soo-chow had been occupied about three months, the Ti-pings, relying on the pledges that had been given, marched upon Shanghae to take possession of it, the Manchoo power being completely crushed.

Previous to this advance, Soo-chow had been visited by a large number of missionaries and mercantile gentlemen, who all reported most favourably upon the character, aim, and religion, of the insurgents. Of these reports, however, those only were made public to the people of England which contained false and garbled accounts, intended to justify the violation of neutrality and the defence of Shanghae. Before referring to the suppressed reports, we will notice the attack upon the city. Depending upon the British guarantees and good faith, the Chung-wang--leaving the bulk of his forces to garrison different places, and march against the remaining Manchoos in the field--advanced upon Shanghae himself to treat with the foreign representatives; and expecting no opposition, instead of throwing his large and victorious army rapidly upon the city, simply brought with him a portion of his own body-guard, and some 3,000 irregular troops, more as an escort than for any offensive purpose. On approaching the city, the Chung-wang addressed and forwarded to the Foreign Ministers the following communication--the very same which Mr. Bruce ordered the consul to take "no notice of."

"Le, the Loyal King of the Heavenly Dynasty, &c., to the
Honourable Envoys, &c.

"Previous to moving my army from Soo-chow I wrote to you,
acquainting you that it would soon reach Shanghae, and that if
the residences of your honourable nations and the mercantile
establishments would hoist yellow flags as distinguishing marks,
I would give immediate orders to my officers and soldiers
prohibiting them from entering or disturbing them in any way. As
you would consequently have received and perused my letter, I
supposed you would act according to the tenor of it. I was not
aware, however, until yesterday, that the people of your
honourable nations had erected churches in other places in the
prefecture of Sung-keang in which they taught the Gospels, when
my army, being at the town of Sze-king, fell in with a body of
imps (Imperialists), who resisted its progress, when my soldiers
attacked and destroyed a number of them. Among these imps there
were four foreigners, one of whom my soldiers killed, as they
did not know to what country he belonged. However, in order to
maintain my good faith to treat foreigners well, I caused the
soldier who had killed the foreigner to be at once executed,
thus keeping my word.

"Afterwards, seeing that there was a church at Sze-king, I then
knew for the first time that the people of your honourable
nations came there to teach the Gospel, and that although they
had not hoisted a yellow flag, they had not been assisting the
imps.

"But though the past is done with, precautions can be taken for
the future. My army is now about to proceed directly to
Shanghae, and in the towns or villages through which it will
pass, should there be churches, I earnestly hope that you will
give orders to the people of them to stand at the doors to give
information that they are churches, so that there may be no
mistakes in future.

"My forces have already arrived at Tseih-paen, and they will
soon reach Shanghae. I therefore earnestly hope that you the
honourable envoys will call the people of your nations before
you, direct them to close their doors, remain inside, and hoist
yellow flags at their houses, when they need have no fear of my
soldiers, as I have already given orders to them that they must
not, in that case, molest or injure any one.

"As soon as I myself arrive, I purpose discussing with you all
other business. In the meantime I send this hasty communication,
and take the opportunity to inquire after your health.

"Tai-ping, Tien-kwo, 10th year, 7th moon, 9th day (August 18th,
1860)."

When the Chung-wang had arrived within a short distance of Shanghae, Mr. Bruce, although taking "no notice" of the Ti-ping communications, was sufficiently inconsistent to forward the following despatch:--

"NOTIFICATION.

"Reports having reached us of an armed force having been
collected in the neighbourhood of Shanghae, we, the commanders
of the military and naval forces of her Britannic Majesty at
Shanghae, hereby give notice that the _city of Shanghae_ and
foreign settlement are militarily occupied by the forces of her
Britannic Majesty and her ally the Emperor of the French; and
they warn all persons that, if armed bodies of men attack or
approach the positions held by them, they will be considered as
commencing hostilities against the allied forces, and will be
dealt with accordingly.

"Shanghae, August 16, 1860."

This precious notification was sent on board a gun-boat and taken to a place entirely out of the line of march of the advancing forces, and of course was not delivered. Unprepared for foreign hostility, the Ti-pings, upon the 18th of August, appeared before Shanghae, and driving in the Tartar outposts advanced with a run to the walls, perfectly unacquainted with the fact that they were manned by English and French soldiers. Instead of the friendly reception always given by the Ti-pings to foreigners, and which they expected would now be returned, they were met with a storm of shot, shell, and musketry. The few following extracts are from the official organ, and give an account of the unjustifiable slaughter of men whose great hope was to enter into close and friendly relations with their "foreign brethren," for whose "strict neutrality" the British Government had solemnly pledged itself:--

"The camp had an earthwork all round, on which several American
cannon were mounted. Since the allied occupation of the city all
executions have been perpetrated here. Against this place the
rebels advanced with unusual boldness. The Chinese soldiers and
officers fought for some time with great spirit, but at last ran
away as fast as possible, followed by the insurgents, who hoped
to rush pell-mell with them to the city, and get through the
west gate."

Now commences the "reception" given to the patriots by men whom, from first to last, they have considered and treated as brethren.

"Captain Cavanagh then ordered the bridge to be destroyed, and
gave the insurgents a rather _warm reception_ from the city-wall
with rifles and canister.

"In the course of the afternoon two guns of Captain McIntyre's
Madras mountain train were seen coming along outside the city
wall, with only a small moat between them and the foe"--(Foe!
The word is false: the Ti-pings came as friends, not foes)--"who
were dodging about behind graves, houses, and trees, towards the
south gate; but, _curious to relate, not a shot was fired_."

The "curious" thing to relate is the wonderful forbearance of those men, who, although several hundred of their comrades were mowed down by the savages on the walls, never retaliated with a single shot, but even permitted two guns to be placed in a commanding position from which they were subsequently used against them with fatal effect.

"The nature of the country outside the gates gave ample scope to
the enemy to conceal themselves, so it was only when a group
could be observed that the howitzers and a Chinese gun--the
latter under Gunner Warwick--could be used with effect. The
insurgents, however, are certainly no cowards, and constantly
showed themselves near the wall from the south and the west
gates.

"The firing of the foreigners, both from the cannon and rifles,
was excellent. As soon as canister was useless, the foe were
treated to shell, thrown time after time into the very middle of
their flags.

"When driven back from the south gate, the rebels retired past
the south-west angle, where Lieutenant O'Grady, who was waiting
for them in the piquet-house with some marines and Sikhs, gave
them another dressing.

"Captain Maxwell, at the little south gate, had given his
Loodianahs plenty to do, and although they were only armed with
Brown Bess, they inflicted no small loss on the enemy.

"Gunner Deacon, Royal Marine Artillery, had rigged up a gun
belonging to the _Taoutae_, and worked it in the coolest manner
and with great success.

"Among others killed on the enemy's side was an European who had
made himself very conspicuous. Accompanying him was a
half-caste, who _unfortunately_ managed to escape. There were
several foreigners to be seen among the insurgents, and another
is supposed to have fallen outside Captain Budd's position."

The murderous sentiment expressed in the foregoing passage would be much more appropriately applied to the conscience-bound mercenaries who defended Shanghae. All the _gallant_ deeds related were, literally, the slaughter of some 300 Ti-pings who made _no reply whatever_ to the dastardly fire of men, who upon that day inflicted an indelible stain upon their nation's scutcheon.

The official report continues:--

"As soon as it could be done in safety, parties were sent from
the various posts to _burn down_ such houses in the suburbs as
could afford shelter to the enemy, and the fires raged outside
the west and south gates during the whole of Saturday night.
Thus ended the first day's work, with _no small loss_ to the
enemy, but _without a single casualty_ to report on the foreign
side."

The officials not only carefully ignore the burnings and destruction committed by British troops, when they write of precisely similar doings upon the part of the Ti-pings, but actually report upon the "_gallantry_" of certain officers and men concerned in this butchery of unresisting victims.

The report proceeds with the next day's exploits:--

"Sunday morning broke upon a scene of conflagration and
destruction. Our _gallant_ allies (the French) set to work, in a
manner peculiar to themselves, to drive away the danger, and, to
prevent its recurrence, fired the suburb, which is by far the
richest and most important collection of native houses. It is
here that the Chinese wholesale merchants live. An immense
quantity of goods, especially sugar, was stored there, and as
the conflagration in its rapid progress licked up a sugar hong,
or soy factory, the flames sprang up with fearful grandeur.

"About two o'clock the _Kestrel_ and _Hong-kong_ came steaming
down against a strong tide past the burning suburb. The firing,
too, had recommenced at the south gate from double-shotted guns
and howitzers. Driven from their cover by these means, and
compelled to take up a new position, the enemy laid himself open
to some fine rifle practice. McIntyre's guns were too well
handled to let them hide in any of the buildings yet standing,
and _Lieutenant O'Grady_, with some marines, opened a most
destructive fire from the look-out. This _gallant_ officer is
really an excellent shot, and we believe it is reckoned in this
affair twenty men fell to his rifle, with scarcely one
intervening miss."

What can the people of England think of a British officer coolly resting his rifle, through sheer _gaîté de coeur_, upon the parapet, and shooting down twenty of his fellow-creatures while in perfect safety himself? not a single shot in reply being directed towards any part where Europeans were stationed.

The terrible work was thus continued:--

"On Monday morning, the 20th August, the enemy had advanced in
greater strength than ever. It was really a curious sight to see
them moving along every one of the little paths which run
parallel to the city walls, each man carrying a flag, and all
moving in Indian file, but in excellent order, _and quite calm
and steady_. On they came _without hesitation_, perfectly within
range, and seemed to direct their attention principally to the
west gate. Lieutenant O'Grady had been sent there with some
marines to assist Captain Cavanagh; and the Madras artillerymen
having rigged up a gun, a heavy fire was kept up, and the
insurgents have to thank the nature of the ground that their
loss was not very large. _Strange to say, scarcely a shot was
returned._"

When interested people state this, one can easily imagine what the truth must be.

"During the night the dispatch boat, _Pioneer_, had proceeded up
the river, and began dropping 13-inch shells in among the rebel
flags. One of these exploded right in the very centre of about
100 red banners, which immediately afterwards disappeared.

"Some pretty examples might be given of the _splendid_ way the
shooting was carried on. A large number of yellow flag rebels
were observed to enter a long white house about three-quarters
of a mile off. Captain McIntyre" (who would have been killed on
the first day outside the walls, if the Ti-pings had only
thought fit to answer the murderous fire poured upon them) "put
a shell through the roof, and among others is supposed to have
wounded the second officer in command of the rebel army."

It was not the second in command, it was the Chung-wang himself who was wounded, a piece of shell striking him on the cheek, and causing a slight impediment of speech ever afterwards. The last attempt the Ti-pings made to enter Shanghae was repulsed on Monday night. Of the next day the report states:--

"On Tuesday but very little work took place, as the rebels had
retreated quite out of range. The conflagration raised by the
French in the water suburb was still raging, and it was
melancholy to see hong after hong, full of valuable goods,
falling a prey to the devouring element."

After the advance of the Ti-pings upon the first day, when they were unexpectedly driven back with a loss of about 3,000 men, they met Mr. Milne, a missionary. These men were Chinese, and must have been maddened by the unprovoked slaughter of their relatives and comrades, but instead of wreaking vengeance, as naturally to be expected from Asiatics, with a forbearance beyond all praise they did not even make him a prisoner, but, upon finding he was a missionary, sent him to the city gates with a guard to protect him from any straggling and vengeful soldier. Mr. Milne reached the gate in safety, but his guard while retreating were each shot down by British soldiers upon the walls!

At the time this unparalleled breach of faith took place at Shanghae, England was bound by every tie, legally or theoretically binding, to maintain a strict neutrality between the two contending powers. Not only by Sir George Bonham's, Consul Meadows', Lord Elgin's, and Mr. Bruce's guarantees was the nation pledged to a neutral position; there was also an Ordinance of Neutrality passed by Sir John Bowring, Governor of Hong-kong, in 1855, the principal clause of which is as follows:--

"That it shall be a misdemeanour punishable by not more than two
years' imprisonment, &c., for any British subject within any
part of China to assist _either the existing Chinese
government_, or any or either of the different factions at
present engaged, or who may be hereafter engaged in opposition
to the government, by personal enlistment in the service of
_either_ of the said several parties, or by procuring other
persons to enlist in such service, or by furnishing, selling, or
procuring warlike stores of any description, or by fitting out
vessels, or by knowingly and purposely doing _any other act to
assist either party, by which neutrality may be violated_."

It is therefore highly improbable that Mr. Bruce dared upon his own responsibility to violate all these existing bonds and regulations: much more does it resemble the policy of secret instructions. A perusal of the despatches of the Minister at Pekin must lead to this conclusion, more particularly when a comparison is drawn between the following extracts from a despatch of Mr. Bruce to Lord Russell, dated Shanghae, June 10th, 1860, and his defence of Shanghae only a few weeks later:--

"Without discussing" (he is discussing with Earl Russell,
therefore the plan of intervention was undoubtedly submitted to
him) "whether intervention, under the peculiar circumstances of
the civil contest in China, _be justifiable or not_, or whether
it would be expedient, with a view to opening the Yang-tze river
to trade, to recapture towns, such as Nankin and Chin-kiang,
which command it, _I am inclined to doubt the policy_ of
attempting to restore by force of arms the power of the Imperial
government in cities and provinces occupied, or rather overrun,
by the insurgents."

Yet scarcely two months elapse when Mr. Bruce acts in direct contradiction to this opinion!

The following passage from the same despatch speaks in the _very strongest terms against intervention_:--

"The Chinese officials, pressed for money, and relying on
foreign support, would become _more than ever cruel, corrupt,
and oppressive_; and the Chinese, deprived of _popular_
insurrection, their rude but efficacious remedy against local
oppressors, would _with justice throw on the foreigner the odium
of excesses which his presence alone would render possible_. The
consequence would be, popular hostility, reprisals, and that
train of events which would render it necessary to _appropriate
permanently_ the province occupied, or to retire from it,
_leaving behind a bitter ill-will among the people_. _No course
could be so well calculated to lower our national reputation, as
to lend our material support to a government the corruption of
whose authorities is only checked by its weakness._" (_!!!_)

Such is the opinion of a resident British minister, an opinion constantly reiterated. The people of England may then well wonder at conduct in such direct opposition to the reports of the Government representative in China. The observations of Col. Sykes, M.P., &c., in his advocacy of a high principle, are worthy of attention. At page 18 of his valuable little work "The Taeping Rebellion in China," he states:--

"Incredible as it may appear, while we were shooting down those
who asked for our friendship, and were defending a city
belonging to a government with which we were at war, and
collecting custom duties by Mr. Lay and other British subjects,
on account of the Emperor of China, that very emperor was
sanctioning British and French officers and soldiers being
tortured and put to death at Pekin, and the Prince Kung, the
brother of the emperor, in whom we are now placing such implicit
confidence, was at that time in such a position at Pekin as to
have been able to prevent the cruelties perpetrated upon our
officers and men."

People generally disregard everything connected with China, considering the policy towards that empire, and its affairs, of but small moment to themselves or state. Unless engaged in the China trade, in a selfish and narrow-minded point of view it may be so; but if we reflect upon the immensity of the Chinese empire, its direct population of one-third of the human race, and its indirect brotherhood with about one-half (including Malays, Tartars, Eluths, Mongolians, Thibetians, Cochin-Chinese, Anamese, &c.),--upon the fact that this vast Empire has outlived all the mighty ones of Europe,--that her civilization, Christianity, and power, _has yet to come_,--if we think why and for what purpose the Creator has fashioned one-half his people of the same race, or ponder as to the future of a people who constitute a body sixteen times more numerous than the population of Great Britain, and who may possibly at a future time attain a position in the world proportionately equal to the present greatness of England herself--if these facts are reflected upon, they will present deep and interesting themes to the mind of every man not entirely absorbed with his own littleness, and who can rise above the exigencies of the present moment.

Repulsed from the walls of Shanghae by those whom he had always regarded as brothers in the same Faith, the Chung-wang sent the following proclamation to the European consuls on the 21st August:--

"Le, the loyal Prince of the Heavenly Dynasty, &c., &c.,
addresses this communication to you, the Honourable Consuls of
Great Britain, United States of America, Portugal, and other
countries.

"That good faith must be kept is the principle which guides our
dynasty in its friendly relations with other peoples; but
deceitful forgetfulness of previous arrangements is the real
cause of foreign nations having committed a wrong. When my army
reached Soo-chow, Frenchmen, accompanied by people of other
nations, came there to trade. They personally called upon me,
and invited me to come to Shanghae to consult respecting
friendly relations between us in future. Knowing that your
nations worship, like us, God the Heavenly Father and Jesus the
Heavenly Elder Brother, and are therefore of one religion and of
one origin with us, I placed entire and undoubting confidence in
their words, and consequently came to meet you at Shanghae.

"It never occurred to my mind that the French, allowing
themselves to be deluded by the imps (the Chinese Imperial
authorities), would break their word and turn their backs upon
the arrangement made. Not only, however, did they not come on my
arrival to meet and consult with me, but they entered into an
agreement with the imps to protect the city of Shanghae against
us, by which they violated their original agreement. Such
proceedings are contrary to the principles of justice.

"Now, supposing that the French take under their protection the
city of Shanghae, and a few li (a mile or two) around it, how
will they be able, within that small space, to sell their
merchandise, and to carry on conveniently their mercantile
transactions?

"I have also learnt that the French have received no small
amount of money from the imps of Hien-Fung (the emperor), which
they have without doubt shared amongst the other nations. If you
other nations have not received the money of the imps, why did
several of your people also appear with the French when they
came to Soo-chow and invited me to Shanghae to confer together?
It is as clear as daylight that your people also appeared at
Soo-chow, and urgently requested me to come to Shanghae. Their
words still ring in my ears; it is impossible that the affair
should be forgotten.

"My army having reached this place, if the French alone had
broken their engagements, coveted the money of the imps, and
protected their city, how was it that not one man of your
nations came to consult personally with me? You must have also
taken money from the imps of Hien-Fung and divided it amongst
you. Seeing, again, you committed a wrong, without taking into
consideration that you would have to go to other places than
Shanghae to carry on commercial business. You do not apparently
know that the imps of Hien-Fung, seeing that your nations are of
the same religion and family as the Heavenly Dynasty, used money
to establish a connection; this is employing others to kill, and
using schemes to cause separations.

"The French have been seduced by the money of the imps, because
they only scheme after profits at Shanghae, and have no
consideration for the trade at other places. They have not only
no plea on which to meet me, but still less have they any ground
on which to come before God the Heavenly Father, and Jesus the
Heavenly Elder Brother, or even our own armies, and the other
nations of the earth.

"Our Sovereign Lord was appointed by heaven, and has ruled now
for ten years. One half the territory he possesses contains the
rich lands in the east and south. The national treasury contains
sufficient funds to supply all the wants of our armies.
Hereafter, when the whole face of the country is united under
our sway, every part will be contained within our registers, and
our success will not depend on the small district of Shanghae.

"But with human feelings, and in human affairs, all acts have
their consequences. The French have violated their faith, and
broken the peace between us. Since they have in advance, acted
thus contrary to reason, if they henceforth remain fixed at
Shanghae to carry on their mercantile business, they may so
manage. But if they again come into our territory to trade, or
pass into our boundaries, I, so far as I am concerned, may in a
spirit of magnanimity, bear with their presence and refrain from
reckoning with them on the past. Our forces and officers,
however, who have now been subjected to their deceit, must all
be filled with indignation, and desirous of revenge; and it is
to be feared that they will not again be permitted, at their
convenience, to repair to our territory.

"On coming to Soo-chow I had the general command of upwards of
one thousand officers, and several tens of thousands of
soldiers, a brave army which has power to put down all
opposition, and whose force is as strong as the hills. If we had
the intention of attacking Shanghae, then what city have they
not subdued? What place have they not stormed?

"I have, however, taken into consideration that you and we alike
worship Jesus, and that, after all, there exists between us the
relationship of a common basis and common doctrines. Moreover, I
came to Shanghae to make a treaty in order to see us connected
together by trade and commerce; I did not come for the purpose
of fighting with you. Had I at once commenced to attack the city
and kill the people, that would have been the same as the
members of one family fighting among themselves, which would
have caused the imps to ridicule us.

"Further, amongst the people of foreign nations at Shanghae,
there must be varieties in capacity and disposition: there must
be men of sense, who know the principles of right, and are well
aware of what is advantageous and what injurious. They cannot
all covet the money of the impish dynasty, and forget the
general trading interests in this country.

"Hence, I shall for the present repress this day's indignation,
and charitably open a path by which to alter our present
positions towards each other. I am extremely apprehensive that
if my soldiers were to take Shanghae, they would not be able to
distinguish the good from the bad, in which case I shall be
without grounds to come before Jesus, the Heavenly Elder
Brother.

"Out of a feeling of deep anxiety on your behalf, I am
constrained to make an earnest statement to you foreign nations,
as to what is wisdom and what folly in these affairs, and as to
the amount of advantage and injury of the different courses open
to you. I beg you, foreign nations, again carefully to consider
what course would be gainful, what a losing one.

"Should any of your honourable nations regret what has occurred,
and hold friendly relations with our state to be best, they need
have no apprehensions in coming to consult with me. I treat
people according to right principles, and will certainly not
subject them to any indignities. Should, however, your
honourable nations still continue to be deluded by the imps,
follow their lead in all things, without reflecting on the
difference between you; you must not blame me if hereafter you
find it difficult to pass along the channels of commerce, and if
there is no outlet for native produce.

"I have to beg all your honourable nations to again and again
weigh in your minds the circumstances; and now write this
special communication, and trust you will favour me with a
reply.

"I beg to make inquiries after your health.

"Taeping, Tien-kwo, 10th year, 7th moon, 12th day."

With strange, but most probably compulsory inconsistency, after the defence of Shanghae, Mr. Bruce, although previously opposing any intervention or help to the Manchoos in the strong terms already quoted in his despatch to Lord Russell concerning that event, abuses the Ti-pings almost as strongly, as if to justify the outrage he had been guilty of towards them. In one part of the despatch referred to, dated Shanghae, September 4th, 1860, Mr. Bruce, speaking of the Ti-ping advance upon Shanghae, states:--

"They were perfectly, however, aware of our intention to defend
the town. It was explained to them in the most unequivocal
manner by Mr. Edkins during his late visit to Soo-chow, to whom
they seem to have attributed an official character. It probably
conduced to the ungracious reception he met with."

Now this passage is entirely contrary to fact, which will be perceived directly on perusing the account given by Mr. Edkins _himself_. At another part of his defence, Mr. Bruce states:--

"It is certain that even Hung-jin (Kan-wang), from whom, as
_educated_ in a missionary school, and therefore _better
instructed in religious doctrine_, and of more _liberal_ views
than the Ti-pings in general, the Protestant missionaries
expected great things, declined to abandon or postpone the
attempt on Shanghae."

This hollow accusation against Hung-jin in particular, and the Ti-pings in general, is as ridiculous as it is so to call the Ti-pings _illiberal_, because they would not desist from capturing an important city of the enemy, the possession of which was absolutely necessary for their existence.

It is now desirable to notice the following extract from the same despatch. The Mr. Holmes referred to in it visited Nankin about the same time Shanghae was defended, and wrote an account of what took place in such terms as to render it difficult to believe it ever emanated from the pen of a minister of the Gospel, particularly when it is remembered that the stronger the grounds might have been to condemn the religious belief of the Ti-pings, the greater the duty of Mr. Holmes to fulfil his mission and teach them better. Mr. Holmes was sent to China as a missionary and not as a theological critic; neither was he required to teach those who were perfect in the Faith; his services were required by (and had he done his duty would have been given to) people struggling through the clouds of paganism and ignorance, such as he describes the Ti-pings to have been encompassed with. Why, then, did Mr. Holmes make no attempt to succour those who acknowledged the same Saviour, whose Word he professed to teach, who had accepted the Bible in its full integrity, and who, in my presence, have implored missionaries to remain among and teach them those mysteries they were not able to interpret? Why did Mr. Holmes report in such an uncharitable spirit of men freely receiving and professing Christianity, and make not the slightest effort to rectify the faults he so condemned? Mr. Holmes has thus laid himself open to severe censure; but he is not the only missionary to blame. Although vast sums of money are contributed in England, and expensive missions sent to people and countries that _will not profess_; how is it that _no attempt_ has been made to help the millions at one time constituting the Ti-ping revolution, who not only _professed_ Christianity as their principal object, but who fought, suffered, and died for it.

Mr. Bruce goes on to state:--

"I enclose herewith a very interesting account given by a Mr.
Holmes, a Baptist American missionary, of a trip he had made
lately to Nankin....

"I beg _particularly_ to call your Lordship's attention to Mr.
Holmes's general reflections at the close of his letter....

"But as the chief is an _ignorant fanatic, if not an impostor_,
and the bulk of his adherents are drawn from the dangerous
classes of China, the result is the rule of the sword in its
worst form....

"Their system differs in nothing, as far as I can learn, from
the proceedings of a band of _brigands_ organized under one
head."

Mr. Bruce, it will be seen, went quite out of his way to enclose this "interesting account" from an "_American_ Baptist missionary," but quite overlooked the reports of the British missionaries, which were entirely suppressed.

As for Mr. Bruce's reflections upon the "ignorance" of the Ti-ping-Wang, and the form of "brigandage," those who follow through this history will probably feel justified in questioning the accuracy of his conclusions and in condemning the spirit which dictated them.

The following are extracts from the "particularly recommended" account, and embrace the principal points:--

"We ran all night, and next morning anchored in the mouth of the
creek which leads from the river up to the city of Nankin. On
inquiring for some one with whom we could communicate, I was
invited to enter the fort, and on doing so was received by a
tall Kwang-si officer. He greeted me as his _ocean brother_, and
drawing me down to a seat beside him in the _place of honour_,
entered at once into conversation."

Upon entering the city, Mr. Holmes states:--

"We were received by a venerable-looking and very polite old
man, whom we learned to call Pung-ta-jen (his Excellency Mr.
Pung). He had been requested by the Chang-wang to entertain us
with supper.... We found him exceedingly polite and affable, and
I thought I could discern some appearance of _real_ religious
character, which is more than I can say for any other man I
met."

Mr. Holmes was thus received by the Chang-wang:--

"On being seated, he began the conversation as follows:--

"'Wha-seen-sung (be assured), foreigners and men of the Heavenly
kingdom are all brethren. We all believe in the Heavenly Father
and Son, and are, therefore, brethren. Is it not so?'

"I then mentioned the object for which I had come, speaking of
the deep interest which had long been felt in their cause by
foreign Christians.

"After receiving assurances from him of their _gratification_ at
my arrival, we retired.

"The Tien-Wang, we were informed on the evening of our arrival,
was _much gratified_ at our coming.

"After this, the Chang-wang invited me in to see him again.
Being quartered in his house, it was quite convenient to go in
at any time.... He then proceeded to give an outline of
Christianity, which, though very loose and general, _contained
little that could be objected to_:--God, the Creator of all
things; Jesus, his son, the Saviour of the world; the Holy
Spirit--the words correct in the main, though I afterwards
became convinced that neither he, nor any of them, had any
adequate idea of their true signification. 'Was this what we
believed, also?' he asked, when he had finished his
recapitulation. I gave him to understand that I had _no
objection_ to make to what he had said, but that they appeared
to have other doctrines which I did not understand the import
of, for example, Mr. Pung had spoken of worshipping the Heavenly
Father, the Heavenly Brother, and the Tien-Wang, and of these
three being one. To this he simply replied _that Mr. Pung had
preached erroneously_."

Now this plain avowal of the _correct_ and _intimate_ knowledge the Ti-ping leaders possessed of Christianity might well, one would suppose, have satisfied even Mr. Holmes; for what more could be expected from men but newly awakened to the truth, and yet struggling towards the gradually increasing light?

Another striking example of the enlightened character of the Ti-ping chiefs is thus given by Mr. Holmes, and should certainly have impressed him favourably:--

"Another similar chair was placed near him (Chang-wang), on
which he invited me to be seated, and at once began to question
me about _foreign machinery_, &c. He had been puzzled by a map
with parallel lines running each way, said to have been made by
foreigners, which he asked me to explain. He then submitted to
my inspection a spy-glass and a music-box, asking various
questions about each."

The following account may be designated coolly insolent and not trustworthy, being founded on fictions:--

"John i. 1.--Christ is here pronounced to be God; does Tien-Wang
claim to be God or man? Matt. xxii. 29, 30.--How is this to be
reconciled with the statement that the Western Prince has
contracted a marriage in the other world? Matt. xx. 25-26.--How
is this to be reconciled with the Tien-Wang's assumption of
authority in spiritual matters? John iii. 13, Gal. i. 8, Rev.
xxii. 18-19.--How can Tien-Wang have another revelation? This
document the Chang-wang was _afraid_ to present to his chief. He
returned it to me, and I supposed that I should hardly find a
man bold enough to keep it in his possession."

This may be the _American_ Baptist mode of procedure, but we may easily believe it is hardly the style in which an English missionary of ordinary good manners and education would act. If a Chinaman were to arrive in England and draw up a similar list of queries, and send them to the Queen, it would afford a precisely parallel case. The Chang-wang, after assuring Mr. Holmes his hyperbolical theories were "erroneous," must have felt himself grossly insulted by the latter's uncourteous catechising. When about to leave Nankin, Mr. Holmes states:--

"On Wednesday we had determined to return. On announcing our
intention, we were _entreated_ to remain a few days longer. He
(Chang-wang) also invited me to _come back again_, and bring
with me my family, _offering to give me a place in his own
house_. On our departure a sum of money was offered us to 'buy
tea,' as it was stated, 'on our way home.' This we declined....
He insisted that he would have no face if he sent away a guest
without making him some present, and substituted a piece of
silk, which, with several little articles received before, are
preserved as memorials of the visit. A present of a small globe,
with several other foreign articles, were very gladly received
on his part."

From the extracts I have given, one might naturally suppose Mr. Holmes would have returned from his visit favourably impressed; with what astonishment, then, will be perused the following "reflections":--

"I shall content myself with a few general reflections upon the
state and prospects of this movement. I went to Nankin
predisposed to receive a favourable impression.... I came away
with my views entirely changed. I had hoped that their
doctrines, though crude and erroneous, might, notwithstanding,
embrace some of the elements of Christianity. I found, to my
sorrow, nothing of Christianity but its names, falsely applied,
applied to a system of _revolting idolatry_."

How does this agree with the well-known uncompromising iconoclasm of the Ti-pings? How can it be reconciled with the statements given by Mr. Holmes as to the Christian knowledge of the Chang-wang? which, he says, "_contained little that could be objected to_," or the passage, "I gave him to understand that I had _no objection_ to make to what he had said"? Is it from this Mr. Holmes derived his idea of "revolting idolatry"? The narrative continues:--

"Their idea of God is distorted until it is inferior, if
possible, to that entertained by other Chinese idolaters. The
idea which they entertain of a Saviour is likewise low and
sensual, and his honours are shared by another." (Compare this
with the Tien-Wang's proclamation at page 84, giving the titles
to the chiefs, and _strictly forbidding_ himself to be addressed
by any appellation that may infringe upon the attributes of the
"Celestial Elder Brother" (our Saviour), and then judge of its
truth.) "The Eastern King is the saviour from disease, as he is
the saviour from sin." (The Eastern King had been dead some
years.) "Among the features of their theology that _shocked_ me
most may be mentioned the following:--They speak of the wife of
the Heavenly Father, whom they call Tien-ma (Heavenly Mother),
&c., &c."

If Mr. Holmes was so "shocked," it would have been his duty to teach instead of to criticise them, especially as they "entreated" him to remain, or "come back" to them.

He further states:--

"I had hoped, too, that though crude and erroneous in their
notions, they would yet be ready to stand an appeal to the
Bible" (meaning his arrogant list of queries), "and to be
instructed by those competent to expound its truths. Here, too,
I was disappointed."

This is palpably unjust, when in the same narrative he states they "_entreated_" him to stay with them. Such are the opinions of the missionary on whose testimony the British Government mainly rely.[31]

It now becomes necessary to notice the _suppressed_ missionary reports, furnished by members of the London Mission Society and Propagation of the Faith Society.

These reports appeared a few years back in the _Missionary Magazine_, but I venture to again make them public, not only to support and prove my own view of the Ti-ping revolution, but because I feel certain that only a very small proportion of the British people can have seen them, as, if it had been otherwise, a far different policy would have been employed in the treatment of the Ti-pings.

The following extracts are from the narrative of a journey amongst the Ti-pings, by the Revs. Edkins, John, Macgowan, and Hall, bearing date "Shanghae, July 16, 1860:"--

"THE RELIGIOUS VIEWS AND PRACTICES OF THE INSURGENTS.