The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-08-26

The Tinted States are likely to get great
Glory from the united efforts OF our consul at
SHANGHAI. our Minister to China and Ad-
miral Rodgers. The latest details of the sec
ond battle with the Coreans, on the 10th and
1lth of June, are calculated to fill every
American breast with-disgust unspeakable.
Here is land force of nearly thousand men
with 16 pieces of artillery, backed by two
gunboats and four steam launches, constitute
l l9 quite an army in these times of peace,
tlking care OF "our national honor by COM
hitting such outrages on feeble Asiatc bar
barlans as would cost us our national exist
ence If the victims were Europeans. If these
conservators of the honor OF their country
had chosen Denmark for their field of opera
tions instead of Corea all Europe would have
banded against the United States to avenge
the wrong. When the first attack was made
by the natives on the LIST of June our navy
was engaged in a work which no power hav-
ing the means of resistance would have per-
mitted. But the natives got decidedly the
worst of it, Their Notifications were injured.
and many of their defenders lost their lives,
But the gallant commander of our navy, act
lug under the advice of Minister Lowe, per-
haps, was not satisfied with this, and after
waiting ten days, not receiving any APOLOGY"
he proceeds to "avenge" the "insult" of the
previous week. This he does with the loss OF
two men killed and six wounded, the Coreans
losing more than thousand in killed alone.
The flag of freedom then foated proudly over
the captured citadel, and the American eagle
screamed exultantly over the conquest o il
must have been an inspiring sight-that bat
tie of Kanghoa The "Monocacy's" great
guns could knock the pasteboard Notifications
OF the savages so easily about their ears
And tie Coreans, armed with antediluvear
guns and spears, could lie so deity popped oy-
er by our long range rifles! Ii was such
rare sport for our brave marines, too; if the,
had been on a hunting expedition more OF
them would have been hurt. A little danger
and few Casualties gave zest TO the sport
Bnt there were drawbacks. The current OF
the river was swift and dangerous, and the
Admiral had not force enough to advance Oh
the enemy's capital. Besides the sickly season
was at hand and there were 10 orders from,
home. So the Admiral. and the warlike Mr..
Lowe were obliged TO retire ingloriousl,.
while a shout OF derision went up from the
unlocking Chinese, japanese aud orientals
generally. The navy fonnd out nothing
concerning the murder of the crew
OF the General Sherman" negotiated
no tIealy,-did nothing il was sent to do. L.
merely murdered Thousand barbarians and
got a hoe through the bottom OF one of the
gunboats.
The policy of this country has been so de-
cidediy u at of non intervention that il has al
ways been found IN expedient 10 give anything
more than the moral support Of our sympathy
TO people battling for freedom. No matter
how strongly 1t has been appealed to in behalf
Of struggling Republics. and the victims OF Old.
preston, it has always given a selfish but piu-
dent refusal of active support. We have seen
Crete crushed by berbarous tyrant, Greece
oyerPowered, patriotic Cubans maintained a
three years war to throw off foreign yoke
Mexico in deadly conflict with an invader
Garibaldi again and again raising the standard
OF freedom in down tfodden lands, and Hun
gary in revolt against her conquerers, without
in single instance doing more than pass res
olutions of coincidence. Under these circum-
stances it has an exasperating fact that our
naval officers have a fatal weakness for in
venting pretexts for bombarding, carrying, by
assault and knocking TO pieces generally little
savage settlements of no account in out OF
the way corners of the world. Nothing seems,
to give them so much pleasure as to train their
guns on collection of mud huts on the Mus
quito coast or elsewhere. No doubt they are
brave and would find still greater enjoyment
In more equal conflict with the British navy
but they are unable to remain quiet in the
absence OF the means legitimate excitement
They place the country in the position of
great hulking fellow, who never defends the
hell less or aveLges wong, but relieves the
tedium of inaction by frightening children
and assaulting old women.