Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-08-24
The Coreans ON Their Dignity.

Correspondence of the New York Herald
YOKOHAMA, July 81, 1872.
il is now mere than year since Admiral Rog-
ers, United States navy, and Minister Low, went
to the COrea and came back again without &C.
complishing the object for which they were sent.
1t will lie remembered that it was suggested
that the department of state in Washington had
committed a great error in entrusting this i'm
pOrtant mission TO Mr.. Low, for the reason that
tue minister TO Japan would have been more
fit person, from his position 1t was limited then
that the japanese only required very little
pressure to induce them to take the matter in
hand, and to send fleet that should either CO.
operate with the Americans or even take the
initiative III the matter of opening the Corea.
At that time no other reasons could be found for
the supposed willingness of the Japanese govern
ment to identify itself with policy of forcing
an exclusive nation TO open its doors than anXi-
iety to detract the attention of the people from
home affairs, and to give employment to thou
sands of armed men, who might otherwise cause
home disturbances, the revolutionary war IN
Japan having but Just closed. Nay, it is quite
positive that something like proposal to this
effect was Tinted TO the American minister in
Japan. But as that gentleman had nothing
whatever TO do with the Corean matter, the Sug
eeson fell to the ground.
Recent disclosures have given us an insight
into the reasons that caused Japan to he willing,
hay, even anxious to take hand in this matter
II is well known that both China and japan
claim COrea as a tributary government. About
two hundred years ago TaicO Sauna, the then
reigning tycoon; Overran the Corea, and after
destroying several VOlean cities, made treaty
With tE&i country, by which the latter engaged
themselves to pay yearly tribute to Japan.
For many years this was enfOrced-for how
many cannot say. But certain 1t Is that for
the last fifty years at least this obligation on the
part of the Coreans has existed on paper only,
ana no attempt has been made on the part of
the Japanese to enforce it, Immediately after
the tycoonate was abolished Il commission was
sent by the niikadOs government to the COreans,
informing them Of the change that had taken
place and demanding of the Coreans a lutilment
of their treaty obligations: The Japanese am
bassadOrs not only failed to secure the assent of
the Corean government to the demands of Japan,
but they themselves were treated with great
diSreSpect, and one of them even was thrown
into prison. To the demand of the japanese
government the CoreanS returned the following
characteristic repy-characteriS tic from the
inSOence OF its tone and the perfect assurance
that it conveys that the CdrearS believe in their
capacity to Click all creation" The COrean
letter runs thus
We have received your letter. and have given
it very Geep consideration, comparing your dis
patch with other dispatches; 1t is a long time
since there has been any Intercourse between
our two countries. Your dispatch demands pay
ment of tribute. We will show how this affair
stands TaicO Sauna, without prOvoCation or
cause of any kind, invaded COrea and made
Corea sign a document agreeing to pay tribute.
In those days COrea was unprepared for war
and had not even been informed of the intention
of Japan. But it is very different now. The in
yasIon by Taico was crime committed against
COrea by Japan, which is not yet punished
Your demand is SO unreasonable that instead of
Corea paying yon tribute, it is for you to return
the money paid by CoTea In your dispatch you
have made many inSnuations oil your having
adopted foreign customs we can assure you that
Japan is Japan, Corea is COrea-but Corea has
its own customs Some years back we had
difference with q country called France which
is, among barbarians, considered to be very
powerful and very large, while COrea is very
small; but we defeated that great country. We
assembled all our warriors, every one of whom
was ready to die. According to our old treaty
of friendship, whenever either is attacked by
barbarians the other is to help. To show our
honesty when the barbarians went to your
country we Immediately wrote to you that we
had made every preparation to help you. Dur
ing the French attack on Corea we day and
night expected that you would come with your
forces to our aid; but, not having received your
| assistance, we wrote and Informed you OF our
distress, informing you Of our position, and
asking for immediate help You have
neither sent us aid nor any answer
to our dispatch. From that day our
treaty Of friendship was at an end. We no
longer consider each other friends, but enemies
The tone of your dispatch is so friendly that we
look upon it as treaChery; and after having been
so friendly with Japan and being repaid by
treachery, we never can be friendly again. Not
only have you broken the treaty as we have de-
scrbed, but you have also broken another very
chief point of treaty in adopting the manners
and customs of the ives tern barbarianS. Our
information is that you have adopted French
drill; and whenever you want money you 90 to
England; and if you wish to tax your own peo-
nutlpS m
leans But you have never consulted us, as
agreed in our old treaty, You think the west
ern barharianS are great people. We, CoreanS,
are very small country, but yet we have the
courage to put in writing to you that western
barbarians are beasts. The above we intend as
a direct insult to you and your allies-the bar
barans. We desire that you should join them
and bring your great ships and your army here
Fusankai is the nearest port of Corea to Japan
To make your attack as inexpensive as possible
to you and your friends, we will send and clear
Fusankai for a battlefield and will appoint the
battle 1t is useless to go into any correspond
encc, because the wrong you have done to us is
so great that your apologies will not avail. The
only alternative is a bloody waT-a war that
will cost Japan all its warriors; and then we
will bring you 10 terms.
This is our intention. You must not attempt
to write us again; and the above is a notice to
you to make all preparation, for either Japan
must invade COrea or Corea will invade Japan.
KAKURIN.
To this very insulting letter no reply has yet
been sent to the Corea. / do not wonder that
the Gaps" would have liked to have a hand in
the affair when it was found that the United
States were going to play principal part. Ever
since the receipt of this document the chagrin
of the japanese government can be imagined.
Every precaution was taken to keep the knowl-
edge of the transaction from the people. But
one of the results of the change of base of the
Japanese and the adoption by them of foreign
customs has been the establishment of
japanese newspaper press. During the last six
months Japanese who have had any grievance
to complain of, or any suggestions to make
upon government social reform or any other
subject, have written letters to the newspapers ;
and, although there is as yet no law regulating
the press, singular amount of freedom and lib
erty of expression has been tacity allowed. In
fact, although the government has been fire.
quently censured, do not know of a single in
stance where the newspaper has been inter-
iered with.
The Corean business has just come to light
through Japanese paper, published in Jeddo.
That the letter published is a genuine docu-
mcnt feel convinced. How copy of it came
into the possession of the person who publishes
it cannot say; but its publication is probably
owing, first, to some disappointed official, or,
second, to newspaper enterprise, for it must
have required some courage to put it in print.
What effect the publicity given to this matter
will have remains to be seen; but it seems to
me that the Japanese will be forced to do one of
two things-either to 90 to war with Corea, or
to deny the whole thing and put stop to the
freedom of the newborn but vigorous Japanese
press.