Oh. XX.] DISCONTENT IN CHINA. 843 



clear of the old. As long, too, as they are threatened on 

 every side with insurrection, as long as they feel themselves 

 weak, they will fawn upon, and grant privileges to, foreigners, 

 which they will withdraw and turn into insolence and pride 

 the moment they become free and untrammelled. 



Diu-iag the year 1866 there was scarcely any part of the 

 empire of China which was not in some way the theatre of 

 insurgent movement ; and it has required very vigorous 

 measures on the part of the departmental mandarins to sup- 

 press the outbreaks, for the Emperor deputes the task of 

 putting down an insurrection in a distant province to the 

 governor of a neighbouring province, and thus one governor 

 is set to keep another in order. But the chief reason why 

 these numerous insurrections do not succeed in their object 

 appears to be the want of some leader who is capable at 

 once of moving the multitudes to mutiny, and conducting 

 them to victory — a want which probably arises out of the 

 nature of things as above described. Otherwise the dis- 

 content, everywhere apparent among the people, would 

 overcome the weakness of their rulers, and thus oppression 

 would be punished by disaffection, rebeUion, and a just and 

 severe retribution whenever it became successful. The 

 Emperor is a mere puppet in the hands of his nominal 

 servants, and retains his position on the throne only by 

 virtue of their forbearance, which again arises from their 

 own selfishness and hope of aggrandisement ; and the posi- 

 tion of the Empire at the present moment, if we may be 

 allowed to judge by the history of other great and ancient 

 Oriental nations, is that of one tottering to its fall, or at 

 least to its dismemberment. Human endurance can not be 

 pressed beyond a certain point ; and the corruption, oppres- 

 sion, maladministration, and tyranny of the Chinese govern- 



