New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-09-22
MR.. GRESHAM'S BLUNDERs
AN AMAZING MESSAGE TO A FRIENDS
POWER

4 N
cial duty leads them to the far East r.,
geography and politics Of Europe and Amer,o.
lie comfortably within the range Of their informs
ton. but Asatic complications appear to =.
their resources too severely. II was Mr.. RAJ,
ard who set the diplomatic world laughs.
some years ago by his extraordinary ass,,r,'
ton that Hong Kong was part Of the Emp,.
OF China tnder this de';lson he instructed ,h.
United States Envoy in Picking to notify ~.
Tsung gill Yamen that certain transactions in ~.
thriving British colony at the mouth OF the Pesa
River were not agreeable to his Government, srs
that the imperial officials were expected 10 s,,.
the matter their immediate attention nrr
member rightly. he persisted In adhering 10 TIM
theory. notwithsta, ling the endeavors OF the r.
voy to set him stra' ght by such mild representa-.
lions as should convey an idea Of the truth WITH
out awakening suspicious Of INSTRUMENTATION O,
disrespect TO the chief The published stat.
papers will tell the story.
But Mr. Bayard's blunder was certainly L..
mischevous than that 10 which Mr. Gr~sh
am committed himself when he required ou
Minister I'm Toxic to announce that the UnIteA
States views with regret the 'evylng Of war h,
Japan upon a weak and defenceless nation uks
Corea" It seems almost incredible that tn.
have failed to demonstrate to the Secretary Of
State that no upon Corea had been levied
or could possibly be contemplated. By his Gov.
eminent. Perhaps the sudden recall OF Mr. Ia.
teno may be in measure due to his inability %
set forth satisfactorily 80 plain and obvious 4
fact. But even without such assistance. Mr..
Gresham might have made himself sufficiently
familiar with the situation to discover that the
quarrel was with China, and that Corea had no
part In the business except that Of being the
cause of the rupture between the two empires
r. at the beginning OF the last war between
France and Austria. the head Of the PRESIDENT
Cabine, had intimated to Napoleon III that his
belligerent proceedings against Italy were dis
tasteful to America, he would hardly have been
more completely astray than Mr.. Gresham Is b
the present case.
CHINESE INTRIGCES IN COREA
For many years Japan has been trying to 81.
cure the independence OF Corea and place that
kingdom on a political equality with it's neigh.
bors II Is In every way to Japan's interest that
Corea should be subject TO the domination Of no
external power-neithe- her own that OF
China or Russia. II IL no secret that since the
adoption OF a reformed system ~ government BY
the Japanese. China has striven by every means
at her command 10 obstruct the operation Of
that system One Of her methods was 10 In.
sigate the Coreans 10 maintain an immovabls
attitude Of defiance; to offer perpetual arronty
to all japanese officials who visited the kingdom
on public business and 10 impede the trade be.
tween the countries by vexatous restrictiona
knowing what the relations Of the Peninsuar
Kingdom toward Crina were Japan at first sent
messages to Picking o. INQUIRE II the Tsungi.
Yamen were responsible for the behavior OF what
they called their tributary State. The answer
was precisely the same that China had given to
all questions OF the kind, no matter by whom
propounded. Corea. the authorities at Picking
declared must stand or fall by her own actiona
The Middle Kingdom had nothing 10 do with her
misdeeds and would not be held accountable for
them In this strain were the replies TO France
and England when inquiries as 10 The sue
serviency of TonQu,n. Burmah and Siam wen
submitted. The principle Of suzerainty accord
Ing TO Chinese doctrines requires abject obed'
ence from the vassal even 70 the extent OF en-
tangling the inferior nation with foreign powers
but calls for no exercise Of authority and espe.
c,ally for no measures Of protection IN case the
mischievous mandates of the superior pro-
woke dangerous consequences The same tnins
has happened repeatedly. and In this instance O.
casioned no surprise.
COREAN INDEPENDENCE DECLARED.
Obtaining no satisfaction from China. the jap
anese turned to Corea with the proposition THAI
It should declare itself at once and for
ever free from bondage and take upon Itself tho
obligations OF separate State According 70
their habit. the rulers OF Corea appealed to Their
self CONSTITUTED guardian for counsel but on this
occasion Japan gave IL 10 be clearly understood
that II the Tsung H. Yamen assumed any right
OF dictaton the negotiations should instantly %
transferred TO Picking AMI no repetition OF the
former evasion be allowed. Then the Chinese
averred. more emphatcally than before. thss
they had no wish or intention 10 NEEDLE wfa
Corea's international transactions. and on INC
strength Of this formal declaration the minor
Kingdom announced its Independence. concluuea
I'm 1876 direct treaty with Japan, and soon
after began TO send diplomatic representatives 20
Western Powers For short time the conan
lions Of intercourse were improved, and It scenes
that no grounds for contention remained. bu'
China by means SD ready as she pre-
tended 10 rellnquish her hold upon the country
which had bNndly followed her behests for ages
1t was far too convenient an Instrument ioe '~
ficting annoyance upon the island Empire 10 |"
left unemployed The old influences soon besa"
10 ass ri themselves, and few years later IL ~@
found necessary To send armed force from
Japan To protect the Legation Of that nation ~
Seoul As this was done. mueh large
Chinese farce appeared In the capital and suo'
den violent outbreak against all foreigners lo'
lowed. In which the Chinese braves took e'"'
spicuous part. The Japanese Envoy barely %
capped with his lfe but he was. Of course sou"
sent back with a sufficient body of soldiers 70
cure him against further molestatior. Then
! was that Japan demanded and obtained a"
| agreement from the Tsung-li-Yamen pro'iu,"e
that no forces should be sent into Corea py e''e
Of the empires until after due notncauo" -
been given 10 the other. The troops were W.
drawn. and affairs once more assumed an o''
ward semblance OF peacefulness.
| THE SITUATION INTOLERABLE To JAPAN