It is impossible to decide as yet whether the news
from South China is important or not. A rebellion has broken out in Yunnan and the two Kwangs, said to be led by a relative of the Taiping leader, and therefore in the interest of the Chinese as opposed to the Tartar dynasty. The rebels are threatening the capital of Yunnan and some other cities, have been joined by many deserters from the Army, and have defeated General Ma, who has sent to Chih-li for reinforce- ments. That is the news, and if true it is important, for South China is never loyal, is honeycombed with secret societies, and contains classes, as the Taiping Rebellion showed, which know how to die. But then is it true ? It all comes from Mandarin reports to Canton, and the Mandarins, being the first objects of hostility, are specially liable to panic. Still, it took a Gordon to quell the Taiping Insurrection.
