The Republican. [volume] (Maryville, Tenn.) 187?-187?, 1873-01-04
NUMBER 43.
Bloody Oriental War in Prospect.
[From the New York Tribune

[From the New York Tribune
Dispatch es from the far East indi-
cate the imminence of an armed con-
| fict between Corea and the recognized
| Emperor of Japan. 1t would seem al
most 3 fatality that Japan, Will which
we have such interesting rela tions, and
| for which our countrymen ch erish such
! lively sympathy, should so soon be in
| volved III a war which may test the
value of international friends ship. But
| the japanese are confident. and with n
/ fair share of what we can afford to call
| Yankee boastfulness, express their de-
! termination to vindicate their ancient
| claim to the fculty or the Corea.
The original conquest of the country.
it is claimed by the japanese, was about
| sixteen hundred years ago, when the
| Empress Jingo-Kongo, at the head of
! considerable army, invaded the Corea,
! subiugated the people. and laid them
Slnder tribute. This tribute was regu-
| larly paid for several centuries. but
Japan becoming involved in intenecine
wars, the Coreans took occasion to allow
the payment to lapse, and many years
passed without the annual levy beng
exacted When Taico Sama, the foun-
der of the dual system of Imperial Gov
ernment, and n warrior of renown, came
to the Tyconate IN the sixteenth centu-
~, he demanded a renewal of the tri-
butte from the COreans, and on their re
! fusal invaded the country and brought
them to terms. The tax was paid until
| the downfall of the late Tycoon, Chief
of the Tokugawa clan; and when the
Government, after q short struggle, was
rehabitated, and the present Emperor
became seated on the throne, he sent
word to the Corean Emperor that the
annual tribute, payment of which had
| been suspended, must be forthcoming
with arrears. The Corean Government
! replied i'll concise terms:
1--WE have received your letter, and
/ have given it very deep consideration,
comparing your dispatch with other dis
patches. 1t is long time since there
! has been any intercourse between the
two countries. Your dispatch demands
payment of tribute. We viii show how
this affair stands Taico Sama. with
out provocation or cause of any kind,
invaded Corea, and made Corea sign
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 invasion of Taico
was a crime committed against Corea
by Japan which is not punished. Your
demand is so unreasonable that, instead
of Corea paying you tribute, it is for
You 10 return the money paid by Corea
This was turning the tables on Japan,
and as tribute had been paid for about
ten centuries. IL will be seen that Corea
has an enormous demand against Japan
To offset that for the tribute in arrears
1t can hardly be expected, however.
hat -, och
further than Il vigorous defense Of the
threatened invasion. Such conflict
would be further complicated by the at
titude which China would be compelled
to assume, for China, in its turn, has
held a loose sort OF domination of Co
rea. When the famous Shang dynasty
was oveTthrown B. c. 1922, the Niscount
he, determined enemy of the Chew
dynasty which succeeded to the crown.
fed to Corea, where he was afterward
invested with the sovereignty of the
country by the reigning Emperor Of
China In this Enthusiastically Chi
nese manner Corea was annexed to
the Celestial empire, and n show of trib-
utary dependence was kept up until
modern times. China cannot be neil
tral III any war between Japan and a
country which has up to n very recent
period acknowledged dependence on the
Chinese Empire.
Corea has n population of u, 900, 900,
an army of 640, 600, men and navy Of
200 vessels. But Japan, with a popula-
ton four times as large, and an i'm
mense, well-drilled army, equipped
with some of the modern improvements
of warfare, may well boast of being able
to subdue her semi-barbaric adversary.
The contest must needs be largely naval;
and the world will have an opportunity
to discover of how much practical value
her new fleet and armament really are
10 modern Japan.