eminent victorians-第52章

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fright；　attempted　to　suppress　Hong　by　force；　and　failed。　The　

movement　spread。　By　1850　the　rebels　were　overrunning　the　populous



and　flourishing　delta　of　the　Yangtse　Kiang；　and　had　become　a　

formidable　force。　In　1853　they　captured　Nankin；　which　was　

henceforth　their　capital。　The　Tien　Wang；　established　himself　in　a



splendid　palace；　and　proclaimed　his　new　evangel。　His　theogony　

included　the　wife　of　God；　or　the　celestial　Mother；　the　wife　of　

Jesus；　or　the　celestial　daughter…in…law；　and　a　sister　of　Jesus；　

whom　he　married　to　one　of　his　lieutenants；　who　thus　became　the　

celestial　son…in…law；　the　Holy　Ghost；　however；　was　eliminated。　



His　mission　was　to　root　out　Demons　and　Manchus　from　the　face　of　

the　earth；　and　to　establish　Taiping；　the　reign　of　eternal　peace。　

In　the　meantime；　retiring　into　the　depths　of　his　palace；　he　left　

the　further　conduct　of　earthly　operations　to　his　lieutenants；　

upon　whom　he　bestowed　the　title　of　'Wangs'　（kings）；　while　he　

himself；　surrounded　by　thirty　wives　and　one　hundred　concubines；　

devoted　his　energies　to　the　spiritual　side　of　his　mission。　The　

Taiping　Rebellion；　as　it　came　to　be　called；　had　now　reached　its　

furthest　extent。　The　rebels　were　even　able　to　occupy；　for　more　

than　a　year；　the　semi…European　city　of　Shanghai。　



But　then　the　tide　turned。　The　latent　forces　of　theEmpire

gradually　

asserted　themselves。　The　rebels　lost　ground；　their　armies　were

defeated；　

and　in　1859　Nankin　itself　was　besieged；　and　the　Celestial　King

trembled　

in　his　palace。　The　end　seemed　to　be　at　hand；　when　there　was　a

sudden　

twist　of　Fortune's　wheel。　The　war　of　860；　the　invasion　of　China

by　

European　armies；　their　march　into　the　interior；　and　their

occupation　of　

Peking；　not　only　saved　the　rebels　from　destruction；　but　allowed

them　to　

recover　the　greater　part　of　what　they　had　lost。　Once　more　they　

seized　upon　the　provinces　of　the　delta；　once　more　they　menaced　

Shanghai。　It　was　clear　that　the　Imperial　army　was　incompetent；　

and　the　Shanghai　merchants　determined　to　provide　for　their　own　

safety　as　best　they　could。　They　accordingly　got　together　a　body　

of　troops；　partly　Chinese　and　partly　European；　and　under　European



officers；　to　which　they　entrusted　the　defence　of　the　town。　This　

small　force；　which；　after　a　few　preliminary　successes；　received　

from　the　Chinese　Government　the　title　of　the　'Ever　Victorious　

Army'；　was　able　to　hold　the　rebels　at　bay；　but　it　could　do　no　

more。　



For　two　years　Shanghai　was　in　constant　danger。　The　Taipings；

steadily　

growing　in　power；　were　spreading　destruction　far　and　wide。　The

Ever　

Victorious　Army　was　the　only　force　capable　of　opposing　them；　and

the　

Ever　Victorious　Army　was　defeated　more　often　than　not。　Its　first

European　

leader　had　been　killed；　his　successor　quarrelled　with　the　Chinese



Governor；　Li　Hung　Chang；　and　was　dismissed。　At　last　it　was

determined　to　

ask　the　General　at　the　head　of　the　British　Army　of　Occupation　for

the　loan　

of　an　officer　to　command　the　force。　The　English；　who　had　been　at

first　

inclined　to　favour　the　Taipings；　on　religious　grounds；　were　now　

convinced；　on　practical　grounds；　of　the　necessity　of　suppressing　

them。　It　was　in　these　circumstances　that；　early　in　1863；　the　

command　of　the　Ever　Victorious　Army　was　offered　to　Gordon。　He　

accepted　it；　received　the　title　of　General　from　the　Chinese　

authorities；　and　entered　forthwith　upon　his　new　task。　He　was　just



thirty。



In　eighteen　months；　he　told　Li　Hung　Chang；　the　business　would　be　

finished；　and　he　was　as　good　as　his　word。　The　difficulties　before



him　were　very　great。　A　vast　tract　of　country　was　in　the　

possession　of　the　rebels　an　area；　at　the　lowest　estimate；　of　

14；000　square　miles　with　a　population　of　20；000；000。　For　

centuries　this　low…lying　plain　of　the　Yangtse　delta；　rich　in　silk



and　tea；　fertilised　by　elaborate　irrigation；　and　covered　with　

great　walled　cities；　had　been　one　of　the　most　flourishing　

districts　in　China。　Though　it　was　now　being　rapidly　ruined　by　the



depredations　of　the　Taipings；　its　strategic　strength　was　

obviously　enormous。　Gordon；　however；　with　the　eye　of　a　born　

general；　perceived　that　he　could　convert　the　very　feature　of　the　

country　which；　on　the　face　of　it；　most　favoured　an　army　on　the　

defence　its　complicated　geographical　system　of　interlacing

roads　

and　waterways；　canals；　lakes　and　rivers　into　a　means　of　

offensive　warfare。　The　force　at　his　disposal　was　small；　but　it　

was　mobile。　He　had　a　passion　for　map…making；　and　had　already；　in　

his　leisure　hours；　made　a　careful　survey　of　the　country　round　

Shanghai；　he　was　thus　able　to　execute　a　series　of　manoeuvres　

which　proved　fatal　to　the　enemy。　By　swift　marches　and　counter…

marches；　by　sudden　attacks　and　surprises；　above　all　by　the　

dispatch　of　armed　steamboats　up　the　circuitous　waterways　into　

positions　from　which　they　could　fall　upon　the　enemy　in　reverse；　

he　was　able　gradually　to　force　back　the　rebels；　to　cut　them　off　

piecemeal　in　the　field；　and　to　seize　upon　their　cities。　



But；　brilliant　as　these　operations　were；　Gordon's　military　genius



showed　itself　no　less　unmistakably　in　other　directions。　The　Ever　

Victorious　Army；　recruited　from　the　riff…raff　of　Shanghai；　was　an



ill…disciplined；　ill…organised　body　of　about　three　thousand　men；　

constantly　on　the　verge　of　mutiny；　supporting　itself　on　plunder；　

and；　at　the　slightest　provocation；　melting　into　thin　air。　Gordon；



by　sheer　force　of　character；　established　over　this　incoherent　

mass　of　ruffians　an　extraordinary　ascendancy。　He　drilled　them　

with　rigid　severity；　he　put　them　into　a　uniform；　armed　them　

systematically；　substituted　pay　for　loot；　and　was　even　able；　at　

last；　to　introduce　regulations　of　a　sanitary　kind。　There　were　

some　terrible　scenes；　in　which　the　General；　alone；　faced　the　

whole　furious　army；　and　quelled　scenes　of　rage；　desperation；　

towering　courage；　and　summary　execution。　Eventually　he　attained　

an　almost　magical　prestige。　Walking　at　the　head　of　his　troops　

with　nothing　but　a　light　cane　in　his　hand；　he　seemed　to　pass　

through　every　danger　with　the　scatheless　equanimity　of　a　demi…

god。　The　Taipings　themselves　were　awed　into　a　strange　reverence。　

More　than　once　their　leaders；　in　a　frenzy　of　fear　and　admiration；



ordered　the　sharp…shooters　not　to　take　aim　at　the　advancing　

figure　of　the　faintly　smiling　Englishman。



It　is　significant　that　Gordon　found　it　easier　to　win　battles　and　

to　crush　mutineers　than　to　keep　on　good　terms　with　the　Chinese　

authorities。　He　had　to　act　in　cooperation　with　a　large　native　

force；　and　it　was　only　natural　that　the　general　at　the　head　of　it



should　grow　more　and　more　jealous　and　angry　as　the　Englishman's　

successes　revealed　more　and　more　clearly　his　own　incompetence。　At



first；　indeed；　Gordon　could　rely　upon　the　support　of　the　

Governor。　Li　Flung　Chang's　experience　of　Europeans　had　been　

hitherto　limited　to　low…class　adventurers；　and　Gordon　came　as　a　

revelation。　'It　is　a　direct　blessing　from　Heaven；'　he　noted　in　

his　diary；　'the　coming　of　this　British　Gordon。　。。。　He　is　superior



in　manner　and　bearing　to　any　of　the　foreigners　whom　I　have　come　

into　contact　with；　and　does　not　show　outwardly　that　conceit　which



makes　most　of　them　repugnant　in　my　sight。'　A　few　months　later；　

after　he　had　accompanied　Gordon　on　a　victorious　expedition；　the　

Mandarin's　enthusiasm　burst　forth。　'What　a　sight　for　tired　eyes；'



he　wrote；　'what　an　elixir　for　a　heavy　heart　to　see　this　

splendid　Englishman　fight！　。。。　If　there　is　anything　that　I　admire



nearly　as　much　as　the　superb　scholarship　of　Tseng　Kuofan；　it　is　

the　military　qualities　of　this　fine　officer。　He　is　a　glorious　

fellow！'　In　his　emotion；　Li　Hung　Chang　addressed　Gordon　as　his　

brother；　declaring　that　he　'considered　him　worthy　to　fill　the　

place　of　the　brother　who　is　departed。　Could　I　have　said　more　in　

all　the　words　of　the　world？'　



Then　some