Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 December 1891 — CHINA IN GREAT PERIL. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CHINA IN GREAT PERIL.

ANOTHER REBELLION BREAKS OUT IN THE EMPIRE. AU Europe Interested—Protection for Christians Demanded—Pekin in Great Danger—Only the Great Wall ltemalni to Protect It. The Situation In the Kingdom. A telegram from the Brit'sh Ambassador at Pekin announces that an outbreak has taken placo to the west of Jehol beyond the great wall of China. The revolt is led by brigands who are always present in tho northern parts of tho Province of Pochill, assisted, no doubt, by the secret societies and possiblyby Chinese Mohammedans from Mongolia.

Two or threo important towns have i been captured and hundreds of natives murdered, among them many Christian converts. Six housand picked soldiers,commanded by the chief officers of the province, have been sent by tho government to suppress

the rising. A British gunboat is stationed at Tientsin and another has now ascended tho Yang-tso Elver to Ichang. It is said at Shanghai that the French Minister has made an imperative demand on tne Chinese Government lor punishment of the reb-ls who perpetrated tho massacre of the Belgian priests and nuns and also the exemplary degradation and punishment of the Mandarins who feasted and encouraged the rioters. Orders have been given by the government for the Immediate execution of all prisoners, except tLe leaders, who are to be reserved for flayir g alive and other tortures, providel tl.ey are caught The situation in China is attracting great attention in political circles in a 1 the European capitals This is not only duo to the fact that several of the powers have made demands upon the Chinese Government regarding the treatment of their lespoctive subjects in that country, which the present condition of affairs p'revents being settled, but because es the extreme importance attached to the reports that England ha* come to an understanding with China by which mutual aid will be rendered in the event of certain contingencies. The correspondent of the Paris Figaro cables from Shanghai that pour parlers have been opened to bring about an alliance between England and China for the purpose of coping with Pussla. Tho correspondent adds that China is sending troop* to tho Pamir to check the Bussian movements in that part of the world, China c alming that Bussia is encroaching on her territory. Tho correspondent at Tientsin telegraphs: “It is reDorted that a band of rebels have murdered a Mongolian prince. Some more v llages have been sacked and looted, and all the native Christian residents have been found massacred. Tho Mandarins am not attempting to stop tho butchery, which Is being executed by an organization called a temperance league, with its object the extermination of foreigners and Christians. The senior British officer has received a message from Niuchang stating that the revolt there has been suppressed and the rebels dispersed. A laconic dispatch from Chinese sources annoonces that a number of the rebels have been summarily beheaded ” A dispatch from Pekin says: “Tho Chinese Government has received an official report from Brigadier General NLh, commanding the troops in the Kinchow district, announcing that he engaged and

defeated the rebels, killing their leader and six hundred men. The general commanding thelmperial forces.at Jeho also annoui ces a successful engagement with the rebels. According to the cable dispatches that have been received from Pekin and Shanghai the rebellion began to tbe south of the military headquarters of Mantchuria—Girin ana when last heard from the rebels were In the prov* ince of Sliong King, and within four hundred mil; sos Pekin. This being the case the great bulk of the Northern Chinese army Is far beyond the present advance, and presumably, as yet, unacquainted with the revolt, if not actually in Sympathy with it. The duties of the northern army have principally been to watch the Russian Iron tier, which is marked by the Ussuri and Amur Rivers, the latter extending nearly to Lake Baikal, at the extreme south of which is Irkutsck, the capital of Eastern Siberia. It seems a second rebel army is marching on.Pekin from Mongolia, a vast district inhabited for tho most part by uncivilized nomads. Mantchuria lias a population of 12,000,000, while Mongolia is ered ted with 2,000,000. The defense of Pekin will depend upon Lt Hung Chang, the Viceroy of Be-t hi-Li, whom Gen. Grant styled the Rlsnarck of China. He has a population of 35,000.r00 under h s rule, and his army is ihe best organized and drilled in the empire The great strugg e between the Chinese army and tho hordes is expected to take place at the Great Wa l. This marvelous work of defense was built by Chl-Hwang-ti more than 2,000 years ago for the purpose of keeping off the Tartars. Rut the wa lis no more occupied by troops. In tho towers there are Igenerally guns mounted, but they are of an antiquated pattern and would bo almost useless for repelling troops armed with modern weapons. The height of the wall varies, including the parapet, from twenty-six to fifty feet, and depends on- tbe character of ti e slope that it is built upon. The b eadtli of tho outer parapet is fourteen feet on tho top, with a gradual inc ease toward the ground, both aspects of tho wall having a considerable slope. Each tower has four embrasures, which are used as lookout places Tie wall is on the who ein good repair. It passes within thirty miles of Pek n. if the force 3of the empire, wh'eh still remain loyal, be concentrated near to where the rebe's must pass the wal 1 , they may make srme use of this clumsy, antiquated bulwark of defense and save China from tho perils attending on a usurpation of t .e t..rone.

EMPEROR OF CHINA.

THE GREAT CHINESE WALL.