New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-08-15


a""i'ou ~ "'o ct, rrrr-Vang, until May 2, an IN
>, ~ ,hc COMMUNICATION which he had addressed 70
The orean sovereign and he was then Informed ny |
district magistrate that he could not venture 10 ioi
10 his sovereign dsy atch from subordinate o' s
| nation Commander Febiger, therefore, nso
! his further stay upon the co"'. rn. Foo
| less and the Shenandoah returned W ,o
In renor,ine the results of his expedition COMMANDER
Fhcr himself Of the opinion th@' nono VI
the crew mr. passeueers of the Gen. Sherman are no"
living but do not think that the s'a'en'en's ~
the Corean authorities leading 10 'no "eS" o'o" "
the Sherman are at all probable scuooncr Vi W s,
whose object was trade would hardly dare TO proceed
,o nm e,cb river as the Ping Yang, destroying and
ro,l, i,rts and numbering their 1t Is probable
that they seized upon and confined the ocla spoken OF
tr ther own protection and that they fired upon
| first and by retalating brought on the result"
ADMIRAL RoDGERs's EXPEDITION.
On the 9th April 1870, Admiral Rodgers sailed from
New York harbor in the Colorado to command
of the Asatic Squadron. This officer before leaving
Washington submitted the following suggestions to the
Department, touching the proposal 10 treaty
from the Corean Government
1--WE have treaty with Corea nor has any European
nation The pennsuar is little known, our charts are
imperfect and the coast presents great dangers to our
vessels navigating the Yellow Sea. Crews of unforu
nate ships wrecked this coast sometimes
well treated, but sometimes very badly nsed
All the people, on board the Cen tSo s Gs1
Sherman that coast probably Illegal hut that does
not absove the Governments from the obligation to inquire
into the for putting them TO DEATH IL was the
opinion OF Mr.. Seward our Consul-General In China,
that treaty to insure protection to our slpwreckec
might be procured, securing their safe delivery
to the nearest Consuls in China Japan upon the spu
ation that expenses would DC paid mater 81 orean
sufficiently far TO reach the capital ana but Tor
IS little in coTea to attract foreign commerce the
protection of seamen the only advantage OF treaty
mercial agent Corea to superintend matters This
treaty. as proposed would prepare the way ior nor0
The following instructions were given Admiral Rodgers
by the Navy Department, the of his sailing from
| New:York:
at the desire Of the Department that negotia
tons should be opened, by our Minister at Penn WIN
the Government of Corea, for the conclusion OF treaty
protect They think best to inirust TINS
States instead the commanderinchtef of the fleet,
the political relations between China and Cores
are such desirable TO first obtain the good
wl and probably the good Offices of the Chinese Gov
eminent For the purpose OF naynSa proper w maT
very likely desire TO visit Corea and perhaps 10 take with
him Mr. Seward Consul az shanghai 0 OF s S
please take the Commission down In your own snip,
accompanied by such other vessels ofyour command as
can be spared from other duties TO show an Imposing
and make Impression on the. native authorities
Mr. Will DO directed to advise with you In the most
confidential manner in matters relating to this expedi
tion throughout every stage ofhe negotiations and the
way in your power Should any I'M
happily during this mission you are INSTRUCTED 70
IRENE measures without ms concurrence put DC gov
| nv instructions
! from the President. OF the State Department"
Admiral Rodgers in his general instructions, re-
| minded that
"Our nonaggressive policy has already secured
many friends and great advantages as have been ac
qnired by other nations by the dispayo their powerful
fleets; and whilet will be your duty TO carefully exam
siop n cOmmitted on American Citizens you should be
equally careful take action unnecessarily against
be likely to create unfrendly feelings 1t is not the pol
Of Government to reatthe nations or the East
fhpvw
shment upon them for inadequate causes"
On the eve departure of the American expedition
from Shanghai the British Admiral that station in
CURED Of Minister Low whether there would be objection
to some degree Of cooperation between the English and
American fleets. Regarding this proposal Admiral
Rodgers expressed himself without authority to ac-
cooperation from the naval force Of another nation
He considered the chances Of success as good but
realized failure possible since he should be able
to land force not exceeding coo men, considerably
| less than that with which the French Admi-
| raj had been defeated in 1866 He thought
that there could be objection to the English and Ger
man Admrals accompanying the expedition, provided
they Joined in the diplomatic engagements made with
the Coreans by the American Minister and that In fact
he could deny the ships of those navies the priv
ege visiting the Coean coast at the same period as
that selected the American expedition To any CO
operation on the part the French feet however there
existed grave objections arising from the event OF
| their operations the COreaD coast in 1866.
Consul General Seward writing TO the State Depart
ment in October 1868, regarding the expedition which
is now performing It's work. says:
"The frat object Of mission would be TO procure in
formation of the loss or destruction OF the American
schooner Gen. Sherman and III case the report or The
wrongful treatment OF the crew prove correct indemnity
further than to say that1t be weto let
Investigated matter which there is reason 10 believe
| may have been very grave outrage vessel and
persons sailing under hag that all efforts TO
cure information have hitherto resulted not altogether
satisfactorily, and that there seems no wayto procure
perfect information except by direct communication
/ with the Corean Government. have hesitated
der it perfectly desirable to procure
when take ourselves the responsibility OF protect
ing and altogether controlling cOuntrymen and when
forces calculated 10 work changes that may not be grad
| ual and benign, but may upturn IN revolutionary
ciey is not 10 be inconsideratey sought. But all my
reflection leads to believe that 1t will be well for MS
the Gulf Of Pech much freduented by our vessels.
There those OF Japan, ON her west coast similarly
Corean peninsula The steamers of the Northern branch
of the Pacific Mail line run for distance almost
north Of c6rea stretch away posstssions Of Russia
having the River AMOR as natural channel and guide
OF their TO the Pacific. Here regions OF
China Japan, and Siberia, which have already consid
yey worked in eacR and will Se
to bring this indispensable article In the navigation OF
upon will follow development Of trade here Which WILL
think surprise the most sanguine. Centrally situated
and foreign vessels already ng her shores very
considerable numbers COrea cannot hope to exclude for
elgners much longer; nor 1t be possible,
I that. with mild climate and large and
Industrious population commerce would not, un-e
der favorable auspices, flourish in her cities
But whether general treaty is desirable not,
there can, my opinion be question of the of
that shall provide for the safety of seameD Others
wrecked driven the COrean coast Indeed we
hardly that II shall remain peculiarly dangerous
navigation remarked In the dispatch referred
in the outset that the settlement Of the Sherman mat
ter treaty of the latter sort may, IL me,
be obtained without great difficulty and that consider,
able OF force would probably be needed 10
general treaty the Coreans were excited by grossly
wrong conduct the part of the Sherman
gage in struggle with them, may perhaps lie saved
great trouble in this branch Of the negotiation And there