, 1882-04-19

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been of a very satisfactory character.
Apart from the historic jealousy between
these peoples, which appears in their eyes
as natural a sentiment as did in those of
our grandfathers antipathy for the French,
specific causes of recriminatiOn and hoStili-
ty have arisen or been created during the
last ten years. The Japanese affected a
lOrdly scOrn Of their more Sedate and
deliberate neighbours, and having reSOlv-
ed to adopt a civilization which was
accompanied by such tangible advantages
as Krupp's ordnance and breech.loading
rifles, they easily convinced themselves of
their capacity to reap many advantages
at tue expense Of their old adversaries,
who remained, for several years after the
Japanese accepted Western Inventions,
convinced of the excellence Of their own
ancient system. The japanese begun
nearly ten years ago the carrying-out
of q programme which was intended
TO extend their influence over all
the islands lying off the coasts Of China
as we'll as in the kingdom of Corea.
Eight years have elapsed since they land.
ed an expedition on the coast of FOrmOSa,
and three nave passed AVA since they
took actual possession of the Loo hoo
Islands, and depOSed their king. The
policy which was thus openly expressed
III acts was one for which no justification
and no necessity could be pleaded.
Neither the Chinese Government nor
Chinese subjects had committed any act of
hostility, and the authorities Of Yeddo,
i'll SanctiOning these measures, entered
without Il sufficient reason and of their
own accord, on a line of policy which can
only be characterised as one Of reckless
and interruptions ambition. Encouraged
by what seemed the apathy or the weak
ness of Pekin, the japanese have proceed
ed from one act Of defiance to another.
Their foGcible occupation of the Loo ChOo
Islands, and their persistent efforts to
assert their power and authority in the
interior and at the Court of COrea nave
not failed to produce a sense of irritation;
and even of Indignation, among the
Chinese. kilograms received last week
from China declare that great militia
ry and naval preparations are being made
in all the ports and a~rSenals, and the
papers received by mail from Japan
explain this activity by saying that "new
difficulties" have arisen. AS a matter of
fact, the explanation of these warlike
movements is simply that the Chinese are
now beginning ~ feel able to put a sun.
mary limit to the aggressive action of the
japanese, and TO com pei them to make fit
PREPARATION for the outrageS already offered
20 the dignity of China.
There Is, fortunately, not the slightest
doubt as to the principal cause of the
sense of injury under which the Chinese
Government now labouIS. DiSpleased as
they may be on the score of japanese
intrigueS in Corea, their first grievance is
the unwarrantahle assertion of japanese
sovereignty three years ago over the group
of islands named the Loo ChoO Islands.
The original offence has been aggravated
by the subsequent control established
over the minor group called MadiicoSemah
which possess peculiar claims to the super
%StitiouS reverence of the Chinese. 1t may
be we'll, then, to reState the simple facts of
this case, which, while revealing its ano.
malous character, also serves to show the
moral justice of the Chinese view. For
twelve centuries the people of Loo ChOo
have paid, with rare exceptions, to the
Chinese that recognition of supremacy
which islanders generally accord to the
inhabitants of the adjoining mainland.
@rigiually, that allegiance was exacted by
force but, after the Loo ChOoans adopted
the Chinese language and many of their
customs, the connection was kept mp as
one desirable and advantageous in itself.
On every occasion when hostilities have
taken place between China and Japan,
these islanders lave sided with the former
and their conduct in this respect has been
the more striking and disintereSted,
because the palm of naval superiority has
generally remained with the latter. On
the other hand, the Loo Chooans have
always had in consequence of the power of