Smyrna times., 1881-07-06
An Unknown Country.

1t is probable that before MANY weeks !
that most unknown of all countries in the |
world, COrea, will be dragged out of its |
obscurity into full daylight. Corea has
been so long unnoticed that it is vaguely
set down as an appanage of China. On
the contrary, while the Coreans have
always jealousy barred out all the world
their prejudice against the Chinese is said
to be as bitter as that between the English
and French, kind of natural cat-and-dog
antipathy, dating back to wars in the
second century. No Mongolian nation
has guarded its isolation so absolutely as
this; hence all descriptions or histories of
it, for the most part, are mere guesswork.
1t is pretty certain, however, that Russia
has managed to fasten her graphing
hooks into the country, and the recent
effort of the King of Corea to open COM
municatiOn with other nations is si1nplv a
measurer of self-protection. hope by
other alliances to keep off the terrible
Muscovlte. He has made several efforts
TO send mission to Japan, to inquire
what effect their admission of the outer
world has had, but the opposition of the
common people to the movement was SO
strong as to threaten a revolution. He
finally succeeded, however, in smuggling
sixty noble Coreans out of the country.
and they reached Toxic in safety, where
they had warm welcome. Ifthe Japanese
tell the truth they will warm the Coreans
that they have paid for their advance in
civilization, since they unbarred their
doors to the Americans and English, by
rapid pauperizatiOn Ofthe kingdom. Prob
ably, though, they think it was worth the
price.
A recent statement from the Japan
Herald shows us how Russia contriyes to
get toOthOld on these Eastern kingdoms.
Many years ago they asked leave Of the
japanese to build some sheda for shops in
order to repair their boats on a waste tract
OF land near Nagasaki harbor The land
being valueless was promptly granted by
the cOnfding japanese, without rent.
The shops erected on it formed the nucleus
for large Russian town called Inasa.
The japanese, have seen its rapid growth
with alarm, and have repeatedly served
the Russians with notices to quit, which
have been treated with contempt. The
Herald calls attention to the fact that il
the question should be pushed to ex-
tremity Russian forts and guns at Inasa
would command the whole harbor OF
Nagasaki, a fact of which the crafty in
truder no doubt was well aware before he
built the first shed on the waste land
The Russian policy is that of the cuckoo
which drops its egg into strange nest to
be hatched with the rest of the brood
When the foundling bird is strong enough
it thrusts the real owners out of the nest
head foremost and takes possession. This
was the game which was attempted with
China at Kuldja, and which would have
been successful but for General Tso's cam
paign, and this is the game which it i:
trying with Corea.
What will be the fate of that peninsula
if the King persists in opening its port!
remains to be seen. 1t is very much jus
now in the condition of pigeon asking t.
be plucked. Fortunately 1t is not as fat ;
) a pigeon as were its neighbors when the!
were given over to the tender mercies o
Christian nations, and therefore England
can afford to be honest in her dealing
with it. and will neither beggar the popu
lation by running in British manufacture
free of duty as in Japan, nor poison then
: wholesale by running in British opium a
t in China. Corea covers as large an ex
r tent of territory as Great Britain an
Iraland; it has large desert tracts an
: mountain ranges, and the people for tn
: most part cultivate little rice farms an
e are poor. 1t is stated that there are froI
D 100000 to 2O,OOO,OOO of them, but th
as we said, is mere surmise. They are re
ported to be as warlike and patriotic 9
r the Kurds, and unlike in character
. either the mild subtle Chinese or their Ill
a suspicious friendly neighbOrs of Japan
= ~ Y. Tribune.