Heaven as one family, and uniting all nations as one body, will most assuredly regard your faithful purpose and permit you year by year to bring tribute and annually come to pay court to the Celestial Kingdom, forever bathing yourself in the gracious streams of the celestial dynasty, peacefully residing in your own lands, and living quietly enjoying great glory."
The comment of Mr. McLane upon the correspondence was that, "Whatever may have been the hopes of the enlightened and civilized nations of the earth, in regard to this movement, it is now apparent that they neither profess nor apprehend Christianity, and whatever may be the true judgment to form of their political power, it can no longer be doubted that intercourse cannot be established or maintained on terms of equality." He sent the Secretary of State a full account of his visit, which constitutes one of the most interesting contributions to the voluminous literature on the Taiping Rebellion.
The civil war was maintained with varying fortunes until 1864, when Nankin was recaptured by the imperial forces and the insurrection suddenly collapsed. Dr. Martin, who was a resident of the country during the entire movement, says that it would have succeeded but for the foreign intervention in favor of the imperial cause. The American government and its representatives sought to maintain an attitude of strict neutrality, but the sentiments of all the American ministers were on the side of the established government, and the French and English authorities at a critical period rendered it open support. Dr. Martin is authority for
