Tur news from Tientsin once more teaches us that it is dangerous to despise rumours of disturbance in China. The embers of disaffection are always present, and every now and again their existence is betrayed by the smoke. Where that smoke rises fire is very likely to follow, unless good heed' be paid to the first manifestation of the danger. For several weeks rumours were current that an outbreak was intended at Tientsin, and that foreigners were to be a special object of attack; but as the rumours were traceable to no" definite source, and no cause could be assigned for the threatened disturb. ance, little attention was paid to the circumstance, and apparently the foreign residents at tientsin were least of all inclined to attach any importance to this periodic outburst of the warning smoke. The interest. ing and somewhat startling letter of our Tientsin correspondent, however, shows that a conspiracy of a most dangerous nature was under way at the very time the disquieting ramours got abroad, and that it was intended to attack foreigners, and possibly raise the standard of rebellion, though it is claimed by the Chinese that the movement is not political. Fortunately, the attempt seems to have been nipped in the bud, just while the organization, which appears to have been in progress of development for some time, was being moved to concerted action.
What has led to the present outbreak is only as yet matter of surmise, and will probably continue in that unsatisfactory position; but Foreigners, whose safety is menaced by such lawless combinations, have some right to know, sooner or Inter, what the disturbing causes are. -Our correspondent suspects idleness and want of disciplinary power on the part of Li Hung-chang's officers, to which we may probably add the always present irritation at the irregularity with which the men are paid. This abuse of corruption in the army is perhaps chargeable to the officers and not to the Government; but it is one which strikes at the root of all attempts at discipline, and in the eyes of the soldiery no doubt appears sufficient excuse for taking liberties with private property which would be severely visited in the case of Western soldiers. But the Government must also be to blame, for every batch of Peking Gazettes has something to say about arrears of pay due to the army.
It was soon after the Tientsin mas-sacro in 1870, that Li Hung-chang moved into Chibli with his large army of southern troops, ostensibly to restore quiet in the district, which was excited by the massnere and tempted to disorder also by the floods and consequent distress. The idea was suggested at the time, however, that the movement of such a large body of troops into a district where food was scarce, was made in anticipation of trouble with France, on account of the massacre,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.