Part 22 (2/2)
”Our review of these facts is based upon Major Gordon's own statements; and if he does not find means of extrication, we have placed him upon a pinnacle of infamy whence he shall not readily descend. From the moment Major Gordon first became _particeps_ in the affair of the surrender with General Ching (the very ideal of a Manchoo liar), he should have stood between the Manchoo butcher of a Futai and his confiding victims, and, as a true soldier (the soul of honour), yielding his life rather than have exposed himself to the execration of all society as a traitor of the deepest dye.
”Major Gordon will, no doubt, think us severe upon himself; but we a.s.sure him that what we have said is by no means meant as a personal attack. We are simply commenting upon his own statement of what has lately occurred at Soo-chow. It may possibly be true that he has been victimized by the liar, Ching, and the Futai.
We are half inclined to think such to be the case, considering his simplicity in telling us, on the authority of the Nar-w.a.n.g's son, that 'Chung-w.a.n.g was willing to come over, and that all the people in the silk districts are the same.' He also tells us that the 'rebels do not possess the qualities of government.'
That they actually allow 'villages to govern themselves;' and that while the 'head chief _may_ know _something_ of the Christian religion, nine-tenths of the rebels have no real ideas on the subject.'
”We are rather astonished at Major Gordon's information as to this point. We have been for many years in China. We have seen the way in which the cherished temples and idols of the Manchoos have been treated by the Taepings; and it is rather late in the day to tell us what rebel 'ideas' are on the subject of the Christian religion.
”In conclusion, Major Gordon hopes for the interference of the 'Government.' He means, of course, the _English_ Government. If there were anything wanting to make Major Gordon contemptible in the eyes of all Europe and America, it was this last phrase.
What! the English Government interfere to prop up the Manchoos after the statement of what Major Gordon says has occurred at Soo-chow! Major Gordon! We thought you not only an English officer in Chinese employ, but we considered you an honourable subject of our Sovereign, yet it seems you penned this sentence after the atrocious perfidy of Soo-chow--'It is sincerely to be hoped that the Government [English] will interfere at this time.'
”If he had not added this last sentence we could have pardoned Major Gordon everything. What! the Government of Englishmen to sustain a Government which, by Major Gordon's own showing, is so perfidious that we can make no possible comparison! There is no Englishman in this or any other part of the world who will not blush for Gordon, or the era in which it was found that an Englishman advocated a.s.sistance for a Government which has violated every treaty, and even the most sacred obligations recognised among men.
”As for ourselves, we are not military adventurers, and, perhaps, cannot understand how _any stratagem_ may be fair 'in war as in love,' but we do hereby protest against a violation of a solemn word of honour given. Major Gordon must clear himself, or he will go down to posterity not only 'unhonoured and unsung,' but as a wretch who sold blood to General Ching and the present Futai of Kiang-nan.
”Major Gordon, in telling us that, or, in fact, asking the question, viz., 'Is this not the time for foreign Governments to come forward and arrange terms?' looks as though he fancied foreign Governments _could_ entertain the idea of an honest Chinaman under authority from Pekin. But in spite of the testimony of the Prince Wittgenstein, or any other potentate, we are inclined to believe that unfortunate Taepingdom has little to learn from Manchoo morality, and still less from mercenary soldiers, whose honour is bought and sold!”
Some people may consider the article last quoted as too severe upon Gordon--perhaps they may change their opinion after perusing the following extracts from a narrative of a journey to Soo-chow, by the sub-editor of the _Friend of China_, soon after the great treachery. I prefer giving this authenticated description by an eye-witness, to narrating the facts myself, because I did not enter Soo-chow after its betrayal, and cannot, therefore, vouch for the subsequent ma.s.sacre (and other disputed points) from my own personal observations, although otherwise I have the strongest proof that the reported atrocities were perpetrated:--
”TO SOO-CHOW AND BACK, VIA QUIN-SAN.
”After leaving Shanghae, our route (or creek) lay through a low, flat country, intersected by ca.n.a.ls innumerable in all directions; the richest land in China, stretching away to the very horizon, unbroken to view, except by countless graves, commemorative arches, and heaps of ruins. The weather, though superb, seemed oppressive, from the utter abandonment of the country; not a soul was to be seen as far as the eye could reach, and the endless fields of neglected and fallow ground (once the garden of China) deepened that air of sadness which winter always seems to wear in the country. Though ash.o.r.e the desolation is complete, not so on the water; Mandarin squeeze stations have sprung up in all directions.
”At Wong-doo we were actually stopped, and 400 cash demanded from our Louda. Our indignation getting the better of us, we did then and there write our protest against thievery upon the rogue's ribs; and in round, legible characters, too, we did all we could to teach _this_ Manchoo robber that the higher the squeeze, the less commerce, and the less commerce will certainly produce less revenue. When will all Manchoos, Morrill tariff men, &c., learn this lesson?
”There were, besides, a few wretches fis.h.i.+ng by means of cormorants (so often described that I will say nothing about it), making up the sum total of population. At last, Quin-san paG.o.da became visible; and after a short run over the country (our boat following), we reached the city.
”Of course, we went to see the 'lion' of the place. He seemed to be in a consumedly bad humour; but, nevertheless, granted us pa.s.ses for Soo-chow. Dropping metaphor, Major Gordon impressed us as a very young man (say thirty) _without_ an 'old head on his shoulders.' We suppose coolness is a quality which he constantly displays on the field; he certainly displayed it in his own house when we called upon him.
”On the 18th December, after a run of fifteen miles from Quin-san, we reached the stockades outside the city of Soo-chow.
They had evidently been the scene of a fierce encounter.
Innumerable shot (solid) in their interiors told the tale of carnage; and numerous unburied corpses were lying about in all directions, in spite of the number which had been disposed of in the creeks. As we drank our tea that evening, we studiously avoided any remark on _this_ subject. Four or five miles more brought us to the lofty walls of Soo-chow. Inside the gate (Lo-mun) an immense stone wall and water-gate (as protecting the outer bastion) will ever stand a monument of Taeping energy. Of course, our first move was to see the 'lion' of Soo-chow, the _in_-famous Futai. The palace of this magnate (the former Ya-mun of the Chung-w.a.n.g) really 'impressed' us as something worthy of the 'Mings,' in which style it is erected.
”We have visited hundreds of such structures, but the Soo-chow paG.o.da is certainly the finest we have ever seen. In ascending we counted 220 steps, and judged the height to be from 150 to 170 feet from base to summit. It is nine stories high (as usual, an odd number); but when we reached the top, the view there presented well repaid our trouble. The vast city lay at our feet--the Venice of China--intersected with hundreds of ca.n.a.ls, paG.o.das, and temples (in the tent-like style of the Chinese), relieving the otherwise monotonous view of infinite tiled roofs.
”In many places the city was obscured by the burning of houses, set on fire by the Imperialist soldiers.
”On the 19th December, having sent our cards before us, we called upon General Ching. While waiting for his appearance, we had time to examine a magnificent English clock (looted from Mo-w.a.n.g's palace), which formed the main ornament of the 'reception-hall.'
”Over the dial was a fountain of water (in gla.s.s), and under it a pastoral scene, with moving figures of impossible shepherds and shepherdesses, worthy of Arcadia--all moved by the mechanical contrivances provided in the clock itself. At last Ching entered, and at first took us for a second edition of General Brown, for he immediately entered upon a defence of Le Futai. After telling him who we really were, he suddenly became so reserved that we beat a polite retreat (for the fate of the Taeping-w.a.n.gs had by no means faded from our memory).
”As it was still noon, we determined on a visit to the residence of Chung-w.a.n.g's secretary in the neighbourhood.
”On our arrival we found that the house had not only been looted, but that the valuable furniture it contained had been literally smashed to atoms by the Imperialist soldiery.
”In the rear we discovered a large hall, over the entrance of which a rebel tablet still remained--'Teen-foo-dong'--'Hall of the Heavenly Father.' But what really astonished us was to find on the walls a complete set of elegant lithograph engravings, which Roman Catholics are accustomed to call the 'stations,' a series of pictures representing the sad journey of Jesus from the house of Pilate to His place of execution.
”One of the pictures we became possessed of, and we shall ever keep it as the most precious souvenir of our trip to Soo-chow; for we think that the affecting story of Jesus' pa.s.sion and death was _appreciated_ by these _Missionary-forsaken_ patriots.
”It certainly shows that a high Taeping official loved to contemplate the various scenes of that awful tragedy (for principle's sake) over which the world, till the end of time, shall weep the bitter tears of violated right and triumphant wrong.
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