The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-09-12

The defeat of 1871 probably rendered
the Koreans more ready to treat
r,eaceably with foreigners than they
were before. In any case tho hour
for opening up the country was at
hand. The process began in 1876,
when treaty was made with Japan.
A party of Japanese sailors, while
landing for water on Kang-wa Island,
we're mistaken for Americans or
Frenchmen and were fired upon by
neighboring fort. japan saw her
opportunity and her feet demanded
as an indemnity that certain privileges
in trade should be granted her This
was the first step toward the opening
of the country to foreign intercourse.
The Korean-Japapese treaty of 1876
the irst entered into by the Koreans
was concluded on the basis of free
trade, only small amount of tonnage
dues on shipping being payable. In
subsequent convention IN 1877
Japan was granted the privilege OF
opening three coaling stations on the
coast; in 1879 the harbor Of Gesan,
and later Chemulpo, were thrown
open to japanese commerce, all other
nations being excluded from the bene.
fits granted to Japan. In the mean
time, China, which has always re-
garded Korea as a dependency of he1
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 conclud.
ing treaties with this "Hermit King
dom," and it was with her help that
Admiral Shufeldt led the way and sue
cessfully carried through a treaty be-
tween the United States and Korea in
1882. Later on commercial treaties
were also negotiated by Great Britain,
Germany, France, Russia and Italy.
An interesting account of the cir
cumstances attending the conclusion
of the American treaty has been given
by Rear Admiral Shufeldt, an account,
moreover, which throws an important
light upon the General Sherman affair.
The Rear Admiral's narrative is as
follows:
81 had been in Korea some years
before to settle the trouble in regard
to the massacre of the troops of our
ship General Sherman, and had writ
ten a letter to the King, asking an ex-
PLANTATION Of the matter. I was told
that I must wait twenty days for my
answer. It was then late in the
autumn, and I feared to be frozen up,
with few provisions, in this out of the
way and untraveled land. 1 had to
set sail without hearing word from the
King. Upon my arrival il America I
received orders for three years
cruise, and Immediately left the Uni
ted States fer tho voyage. In the
meantime the King of Korea had an
swe-ed my letter, and finding that I
had gone he sent the message overland
to our Minister at Pekin. From here
it was forwarded to the United States
without being opened, and it was sew
eral years before I received it. It was
full Of friendship from the King to-
, ward the Americans, and it explained
the killing CT the crew Of the General
Sherman in such way as to show
that the Aing was not tc blame.
"In that letter lay the seeds which
grew into the Korean treaty, and the
country would have been opened
sooner had the letter been addressed
, to the diplomatic agents OF the Unired
, States and not to me in my private
capacity. It would have thus beer
opened by our Minister ut Pekin an6
J Korea might have been ten year:
J further advanced i'll its acquaintance
with the world of to-day. AS it was.
the letter caused my appointment a:
/ the diplomatic agent for the bringing