The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-09-16


is once more shown by the serious rebel
lion which has broken out in Corea since
the negotiation of treaties with the
United States and Great Britain, and has
terminated in the assassination n the
King and Queen. The commercial his
tory of this little Kingdom is not without
interest, especially as this country has
once before had relations with it that led
to a complication of a serious character,
though the present situation threatens to
be farther reaching inits influences, and
may yet be the first step in serious in
ternational entanglements. After the
northern ports of China were thrown
open by the treaty of Tientsin several eff
forts were made to effect the same result
in Corea, and in 1865 an American YES
sci visited one of its ports for trading
purposes, but was never heard from
afterward. 1t was reported and believed
at the time that the vessel was burned
and the crew all murdered by the natives.
An expedition was sent under command
of Admiral Rodgers to obtain redress for
the outrage and to establish more salts
factory arrangements for the future. The
redress was obtained by force, but no
satisfactory arrangements were con-
cluded, and the expedition retired with
out making any change in the diplo-
matte situation. Some French expedi-
tons revisited Corea afterwards but met
with no better satisfaction, and at last
the country was left alone for several
wears, during which it was bone of con-
tention between China and Japan. 1t
was always a vassal of China, but in 1876
Power had been able to do, and nego
tiated a commercial treaty by which GER
tain ports were. thrown open to trade.
and supplementary treaty was made
by which Corea promised to conduct al
future negotiations with foreign powers
through Japan. The trade, however,
has amounted to little, and the japanese
residents in Corea have made themselves
so cordially hated that the japanese in
fluence has been reduced to the mini
mum while the Chinese influence has in
creased.
To this influence itnow appears is due
the present instruction. The cause OF
the trouble is not of recent origin. For
some time past Russia has contemplated
the seizure of the port of Lazarefl, as she
needs frst-class harbor on the Pacific
coast, and it has been quite generally
understood that this would be followed
! up by the annexation of the whole King
| dom as an offset to the rapid growth of
English commercial supremacy in that
direction. AS the best means of coun-
teracting the designs of Russia, China,
who was more seriously threatened by
her, at first encouraged Corea to throw
open her ports to Europeans. and the re-
suit of this was the treaty made by Com
modore Shufeldt and one made by an
English Commissioner, which it was I'M
| derstood would open four Corean ports,
two on the Chinese and two on the Jap
anese side of the peninsula.
A rapid succession of events has now
completely reversed the position of Chi
| ma. The COreans were advised to open
their ports to foreigners by Li-Hung-
Chang, who is the Imperial Commission
er for Foreign Trade, but his action was
not regarded with much favor by the
Chinese, and hehas recently retired from
office, so that his policy is no longer of
account. Following upon this, the Chi
nese were very much incensed against
Commodore Shufeldt on account of some
indignities which they allege he castupon
the Empress of China, and the recent
anti-Chinese legislation at Washington
has still further intensified their indig-
nation. Their influence, therefore. has
been eXerted craftily but powerfully to
persuade the Ccreans that their country
would soon be overrun with foreigners.
Corea has always been dependent upon
China, and though the King and Queen
remained very firm in their support of
the new treaty, the people at last were
urged on to demand its abrogation. The
sovereign refused, instruction broke
out, and it eliminated, as has been re-
ported, in the murder of both.
The end of all this is not yet. There
is no necessity that the United States
should be involved in any collision, but
trouble between the Orientals and the
Western Powers may be anticipated.
China has made common cause with the
Coreans, and Russia may now seize the
opportunity of England's engagement
in Egyptian affairs, which are likely to
occupy her entire attention now that
Turkey has declined to send troops to
Egypt and is about to protest against
England $ course, to make q strike for
the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of her territory on
the Pacific, There is no love lost be-
tween China and Russia, as their inter
ests clash at every point and if Russia is
bent upon war with China there is no
better time to make it than row. -EG-
-S -
Nor HARDLY" Boy, - said Il stranger to