Part 4 (1/2)
These extracts must naturally make one believe that the ”all cla.s.ses of observers,” so cunningly invented by Mr. Bruce and his ministerial friends, consist of Mr. American Baptist Missionary Holmes.
The Kan-w.a.n.g, the missionaries' friend, having left the city while Mr.
Muirhead was there, that event was mentioned in the following language:--
”In prospect of his going out, I had occasion some time ago to allude to his constant dependence on G.o.d, and to urge upon him the duty of earnest prayer. But in this I was antic.i.p.ated by a previous request of his own, when, after describing the trials and difficulties of his situation, he said to me: '_Mr.
Muirhead, pray for me!_' He has need of our prayers, and I trust his request will be attended to by many friends at home.”
Poor Kan-w.a.n.g! The only prayers have been those devoutly entertained by opium traders and ”indemnity” interested people for the destruction of him and his confederates.
Of the Ti-ping women Mr. Muirhead states:--
”While walking along the streets, the number of females that are seen on the way is rather a novelty. They are in general well dressed, and of very respectable appearance. Many are riding on horseback, others are walking, and most of them have large feet.
Not a few stop to hear our preaching, and always conduct themselves with perfect propriety. _This is new, as compared with the former course of things, and the whole reminds one partly of home life._ It will be a blessing if the revolution should tend to break up the system of female exclusion, hitherto practised.”
We will conclude our extracts from Mr. Muirhead's report with the following interesting account of a conversation between himself and a young Ti-ping soldier:--
”And now a word or two, with regard to the character and prospects of the movement. Those engaged in it speak not boastfully, but calmly and confidently, of its success. They acknowledge the difficulties in the way, yet believe in the Lord G.o.d that they shall be established. They do not apprehend it will be an easy thing to overcome their enemies; but fighting, as they think, under the banners of the 'Heavenly Father' and 'Heavenly Brother,' they contemplate a happy issue as a matter of course.
”As Kan-w.a.n.g's followers were a.s.sembling in front of his palace, a young man came upstairs. I asked him if he was going out to join the army. He said yes. 'Was he not afraid of being wounded or killed?' 'Oh, no,' he replied, 'the Heavenly Father will befriend me.' 'Well, but suppose you should be killed, what then?' 'Why, my soul will go to heaven.' 'How can you expect to go to heaven? What merit have you to get there?' 'None, none in myself. It is entirely through the merits of the Heavenly Brother that this is to be done.' 'Who is the Heavenly Brother?'
'I am not very learned,' he said, 'and request instruction.' I then began to tell him that He was the Son of the Heavenly Father; but before I had finished the sentence, he replied correctly. 'What great work did Christ do?' I asked. The young man gave an explicit statement of the Saviour's work for sinners, of his coming into the world, suffering and dying in the room of sinful man, in order to redeem us from sin and misery. I inquired if he believed all this. 'a.s.suredly,' was his reply. 'When did you join the dynasty?' 'Last year.' 'Can you read?' 'No.' 'Who instructed you in these things?' 'The Tsan-w.a.n.g.' 'What does he in the way of instructing his people?'
'He has daily service in his palace, and often preaches to them alike at home and when engaged in the field.' 'What book does he use?' 'He has a number belonging to the dynasty.' 'Do you know the New Testament?' 'Yes, but cannot read it.' 'Can you repeat the doxology of the Heavenly Father?' He went over it correctly.
It contains in simple language the fundamental tenets of Christianity. 'Are there any special laws or commands connected with the dynasty?' 'There are the ten commandments.' 'Repeat them.' He went over a number of them, till he came to the sixth.
'Now,' I said, 'how is this command observed by you, seeing that so much cruelty and wickedness are practised by your brethren all around?' 'Oh,' he replied, 'in so far as fighting in the open field is concerned, that is all fair play and cannot be helped. It is not intended in the command.' 'No,' I remarked, 'that is not my meaning; but look at your brethren going privately into the country and robbing and killing the innocent people; what of that?' 'It is very bad, and such will only go to h.e.l.l.' 'What, notwithstanding their adherence to the dynasty, and fighting under the same banners as yourself?' 'Yes, that is no matter; when the laws of Christ and the Heavenly Father are not attended to, these guilty individuals ought to die and go to h.e.l.l.' 'But is not this the case with a great number of your adherents?' 'Alas! it is especially among our new recruits, whose hearts are not impressed with the true doctrine.' 'In all the public offices is care taken to instruct the soldiers and civilians connected with them?' 'Yes, every man, woman, and child of reasonable age in the capital, can repeat the doxology of the Heavenly Father.' 'And what about those in the country?'
'Those who have short hair are not yet sufficiently taught, but books are being distributed amongst them, in order that they may learn those things.”
Can this be called a ”blasphemous and immoral” basis of religion? If those who so designated it possessed but a t.i.the of the temporal practice and spiritual faith of this illiterate young Ti-ping, they would be happier men; but it must be admitted that their sentiments and actions hardly induce such a belief.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] _Vide_ p. 6, ”Further Papers relating to the Rebellion in China, 1862.”
[2] ”The original is written by the young prince, in the name of his father, on satin, with the vermilion pencil, and stamped with the seal of the Taeping-w.a.n.g, the Celestial king.”
CHAPTER XVII.
On board the _Williamette_.--Blockade running.--Arrival at Nankin.--Solemn Thanksgiving.--Domestic Arrangements.--Phillip's Wife.--The Wooing.--The Dowry.--The Wedding.--Trade established.--Imperialist Corruption.--Preparations for leaving.--An Elopement.--The Journey.--The Surprise.--The Repulse.--Arrival at Hang-chow.--Its capture.--The particulars.--c.u.m-ho.--The Chung-w.a.n.g.--His mistaken Policy.
Thanks to the impish steamer _Williamette_, we escaped any further annoyance at the hands of her friends, for, according to agreement, she towed us past all the Imperialist positions. Although I had paid rather dear for this favour, the danger we had escaped at that atrocious Mud Fort, and those troubles we avoided by towing past the unscrupulous batteries and piratical squadrons of the enemy, made it well worth more.
Had we sailed to Nankin, our nights would have been far from pleasant, sleep being rendered impossible from the unceasing watching for some hostile demonstration, and the excitement attendant on the several skirmishes which we must have had with the Manchoos.
The worry and excitement of running the Nankin blockade can only be thoroughly appreciated by those who have experienced its perils. The Ti-ping adherents certainly found few pleasures to reward them, and their lot was very far indeed from being cast in pleasant places. Such dangers as myself and many others have endured while a.s.sisting the cause of these patriots have left an impression which even time cannot efface.
Perchance, we are sailing peacefully and slowly along the broad Yang-tze, dreaming of home or philosophizing upon the spread of liberty and Christianity by our Ti-ping friends, when crash comes a discharge of artillery from some Manchoo fort, as the first intimation that we were within the meshes of those who would destroy all hope of improving China or of realizing our own dreams, with equal indifference. This danger pa.s.ses over, and the wearied have sought for slumber, when those on their anxious watch suddenly discover a squadron of the sometime pirate _Ti-mungs_ hired to fight the battles of the Manchoo; and at the same instant those below are startled by the broadsides fired at their devoted vessel. After running the gauntlet of these heavily-armed vessels, the sleepers, with rifles by their side and revolvers under pillow, are subject to incessant disturbance from the attack of the centipede gunboats, as the latter pull from sly corners and creeks, in twos, tens, or twenties, and chase the pa.s.sing s.h.i.+p, eager for the blood of those on board, or the pleasure of looting their effects.
Many of the few Europeans who were engaged a.s.sisting the Ti-pings were captured and barbarously killed by the Imperialists; yet, in spite of these dangers, and the certain prospect of a cruel death if unfortunate enough to fall into their hands, every man willingly incurred them, with a full conviction that the cause was worthy of any risk or sacrifice.