A letter from the Times' correspondent in Hong-kong, published on
Monday, gives some very curious information as to Southern China. The true Chinese, the Chinese of the South, were, it appears, on the point of rising against the Manchoos during the crisis of the last war. A little resolu- tion, and the want of a happy accident to fire the train were the only things wanting. "During the progress of the war with Japan, everything," says the writer in the Times, "favoured a rebellion by the purely Chinese race, and if a leader had been forthcoming and sufficient funds
been available to pay the first raw levies—for I do not think any great force could have been got together to fight from a spirit of pure patriotism—the whole of the Southern Provinces might have been released from the yoke of the Manchoos." The movement, however, is by no means dead ; but it has hung fire so long that there is little prospect of success now. The rising, if it ever does occur, will, he adds, be aimed principally at the mandarin rule, which, fostered by the Manchoos, has been "the great blight of China." Perhaps, the Japanese, foiled by Russia in the prosecution of a legiti- mate war, may try to organise the spirit of revolt in the provinces round Canton. As soon as they have digested Formosa, they will have a capital base for such underground operations.
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