Huntsville gazette., 1882-09-09
American Diplomacy in the, 0rient.s

The conclusion of o treaty between
the United States and Corea adds an-
other to the peaceful successes of Ameri-
can diplomacy in the far East. Nearly
thirty years ago the American Commo-
dore Perry, overcoming obstacles which
had baffled almost every European ma
lion, and without firing shot or leay-
ing ilLfeeling behind, succeeded in
opening Japan to foreign intercourse.
Four years later Mr.. Townsend Harris,
the American Envoy, from the seclusion
Of his legation at Shimoda, without the
'smoral" support of a single gunboat,
negotiated the treaty with the Japanese,
which has been the model for all the
treaties made up. to. the present moment
with the people. Two years ago Com
modore Schufelt, in the course of a
cruise round the world in the United
States war vessel Ficonderoga, called
into one of the Corean harbors with a
letter for the King, expressing the do.
sire of the President for a treaty OF
amity and commerce. Leaving this
document, he departed as peacefully as
he had arrived. When the Coreans had
had ample time to digest his request and
to- consult their suzerain, the Emperor
of China, the Commodore returned
alone, and after few months stay in
North China, wended his way to the
United States to obtain the ratification
of treaty in which the King of Corea
expresses sshis earnest desire to estab-
lish relations between the two countries
on permanent and friendly footing,
and to facilitate commercial inter-
course.'' The sssolid substratunl OF
force" on which distinguished English
diplomatist said our relations with Eas.l
tern counties must alone rest has been
conspicuous all through the American
officers negotiations only by its ab,
sence.
The history of European intercourse
with the inhabitants of the little penin-
sula in Northeastern China is brief and
melancholy. The touching story of the
crew of the Dutch vessel wrecked on
the Island of Quelpaert in the middle OF
the seventeenth century, who were de-
tanned among the Coreans for more
than thirty years, as told by their "Sec-,
retary," will be found in the pages OF
s'Pinkerton," and need not be further
referred to here. 1t was not until the
treaty of Tien-tsin had opened North
China and Manchuria to the zeal OF
Roman Catholic missionaries that COrea
was again visited by Europeans. The
Jesuit fathers seem to have made their
way there about 186263. We have now
only their own accounts of what took
place. Their efforts to make converts
were, they say, crowned with success
for a few years. But in 1865 commeneed
persecution unparalleled even in the
frightful annals of religious persecution
ia the East. 1t is said that $50, 200 Co.
reans, men, women and children, lost
their lives on this occasion. OF the
French priests, four alone escaped in
disguise and assisted by some of the
faithful of their flock. An attempt was
made by the French fleet in the China
seas to take vengeance for this slaugh-
ter, but it was unsuccessful. Until the
history of modern Corea is studied by
our scholars in the native works them
selves, we can not correctly ascertain
the cause of this persecution. Meantime,
the student of the history of other
Oriental nations who finds analogous
events will probably look for analogous
causes. -
The subsequent attempts of the
Jesuits to cross the COrean frontier, and
the success that attended them, will be
found recorded in the annals of the
emissions Etrangeres." Mgr. Ridel,
who evaded the frontier guards and en-
tered the country in 1878, has left us an
account of his adventures. He pene-
trated Corea, he tells us, in the hope of
attaining the crown of martyrdom. In
this he was disappointed, for ne was
promptly discovered and imprisoned, to
be released o few months afterward at
The intercession Of the Governments of
China and Japan. But tens of thousands
Of wretched Coreans, who were sup
posed to be tainted with Christianity,
suffered death, many Of them with the
most horrible torture, because of this
gentleman's ambition to be a martyr.
An American naval expedition sent to
punish an outrage on a ship which
sailed up one of the Corean rivers met
with little more success than its French
predecessor. In 1868 steamer manned
by American and European filibusters
set out from Shanghai to rob the tombs
of the Corean Kings, either for the sake
of the gold collins in which Mendez
Pinto says they were inclosed, or be-
cause the Jesuits reported that the body
of dead King could be held for almost
any ransom. In 1860 Ignatieff, then
Russian representative at Pekin, taking
advantage of the Chinese difficulties
with England and France, obtained the
cession of vast tract of Corean terri
tory lying in the Amour region.
These are few of the salient points
in the history of Corean intercourse
with the civilized nations of the West,
and it hardly seems matter for great
surprise that Corea should have prefer
red exclusion to more intercourse of
this description. Nor is it difficult to
believe the tales told by Japanese trav-
elers of pillars erected over the whole
country calling down a curse on the
head of him who should first propose
friendship with the hated foreigner.
Political considerations have ultimately
prevailed. Chinese and Japanese states
men have long been persuaded that the
only chance of preserving Corea from
absorption into Russia and their own