The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-08-21

the citadel. 1ney SW6rme'- over the
ramparts or through the breaches.
and IN a twinkling were at close
quarters with the defending garrison.
The Koreans fought stubbonly to the
last without asking quarter, and We're
all of them slain. After that the re
manning subsidiary forts were soon
captured, and fifty flags and Isl
pieces of artillery fell into the hands
Of the conquerors. The citadel was
named Fort Mckee, in honor Of the
gallant young officer who was the
first overthe paraEet.
FOREIGN TREATY MAKING BEGINS.
The defeat Of 1871 probably rerd
cred the Koreans more ready 10 treat
peaceably with foreigners than they
were before. In any case the hour
for opening mp the country was at
hand. The process began In 1876,
when a treaty was made with Japan.
A party of japanese sailors, while
landing for water on Hang wa Isl
and, were mistaken for Americans or
Frenchmen and were fired upon by a
neighboring fort. Japan saw her
opportunity and her fleet demanded
as an indemnity that certain privil-
eyes in trade should be granted her.
This was the first step toward
the opening of the country to for
eign Intercourse. The Corean-Jap-
anese treaty of 1S76-the first en-
tered into by the Coreans-was con
Guided on the basis of free trade,
only a small amount of tonnage dues
on shipping being payable. In a
subsequent convention IN 1877 Japan
was granted the privilege of open
ing three coaling stations on the
coast; in 1879 the harbOr Of Gensap,
and later Chemulpo, were thrown
open to Japanese commerce, all 9th
er nations being excluded from the
benefits granted to Japan. In the
meantime, China, which has always
regarded Corea as q dependency OF
her empire, began to grow Jealous OF
the increasing influence of Japan,
and TO cOunteract this hold of her
inveterate enemy, encouraged, If not
actually instigated, foreign powers
to follow in the footsteps of Japan
in concluding treaties with this "Her-
NIT Kingdom" and it was with her
way and successfully carried through
a treaty between the United States
and Corea in 1882. Later on COM
mercial treaties were also negotiated
by Great Britain, Germany, France,
Russia and Italy.
REAR ADMIRAL sHUFELDT's NARRATIVE.
An interesting account of the cir
cumstances attending the conclusion
of the American treaty has been Civ
en- by Rear Admiral Shufeldt, an &C.
count, moreover, which throws an
important light upon the General
Sherman affair. The Rear Admiral's
narrative is as follows
~ had been in Korea some years be-
fore to settle the trouble in regard to
the massacre of the troops of our ship
General Sherman, and had written q
letter to the King, asking an explana-
ton of the matter. | was told that l
must wait twenty days for my an
swer. 1t was then late in the autumn
and / feared to be frozen up, with few
provisions, in this out Of-the-w and
ultraviolet land. | had TO set sail
without hearing word from the king.
l
ceived orders for three years cruise,
and Immediately left the United
States for the voyage. In the mean
time, the King # Korea had answered
my letter, aud finding that L had
gone he sent the message overland
to our Minister at Picking. From
here it was forwarded to the United
States without being opened, and it
was several years before | received it.
1t was full OF friendship from the
King toward Americans, and it eX-
planned the killing of the crew of the
General Sherman in such a way as to
show that the King was not to blame
"In that letter lay the seeds which
grew into the Korean treaty, and the
the country would have been opened
sooner had the letter been addressed
TO the diplomatic agents of the United
States and not to me in my private
capacity. 1t would have thus been
opened 10y our Minister at Pekin and
Korea might have been ten years
further advanced in its acquaintance
with the world of today. As il was,
the letter caused my appointment as
the diplomatic agent for the bringing
about of the treaty. ! was sent by
the Secretary of State 10 Pekin, with
the rank OF Naval Attache of the
Legation there, and with full powers
10 negotiate with Korea. i bore at
this time in my pocket though no one
knew il, commission from the Pre-
sident of the United Stated appoint
ing me Minister to Korea; and !
found upon my landing in the cOun-
try that the people and the king had
not forgotten my letter of nearly ten
years before. The treaty was signed
near ChemulpO, and our ships fired a
salute at the time, in response TO a
signal which ! waved from the shore.
An American cottage now stands on
the spot where the treaty was signed,
and il i the residence Of Mr.. SchOe-
nicke, the German who acts there as
the Chinese Commissioner OF Gus
toms.
AMERICANS IN KOREA.
The Americans also opened ia