The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1894-08-21

rHmpSrtS or through the breaches,
and in twiukling were at close
quarters with the defending garrison.
The Koreans fought stubbonly 10 the
last without asking quarter, and were
sill of them slain. After that the re-
manning subsidiary forts were soon
captured. and fifty flags and Ash
pieces of artillery fell into the hands
Of the conquerors. The citadel was
named Fort Mckee, in honor of the
gallant yeung officer who was the
first over the psrspet.
FOREIGN TREATY MAKING BEGINS.
The defest of ISL probsbly rend-
cred the koresns more ready to treat
pesceshly with foreigners than they
were before. In any case the hour
for opening up the country was at
hsnd. The process began in 1876,
when q treaty wss made with Jspsn.
4 psrty of japanese sailors, while
landing for water on ksngws Isl
snd. were mistaken for Americans or
Frenchmen and were fired upon by q
neighboring fort. japan saw her
opportunity and her feet demanded
IS sn indemnity that certain privil-
eyes in trade should be granted her.
This wss the first step toward
the opening of the country to for
eign intercourse. The Corean-Jsp-
snese tresty Of 1ST6-the first en-
tered into by the Coresns-was con-
cluded on the basis of free trade,
only small smount of tonnage dues
on shipping being payable. In a
subsequent convention in 1877 Japan
was granted the privilege of open
ing three cosling stations on the
coast: in 1879 the harbor of Gensan,
and later Chemulpo, were thrown
open to Japanese commerce, sll 9TH
er nations being excluded from the
benefits granted to Japan. In the
meantime, Chins. which has always
regarded Cores as a dependency of
/ her empire, began TO grow Jealous OF
the increasing influence of japan,
and to counterfeit this hold OF her
I inve.erste enemy, encouraged, il not
actuslly iustigsted, foreign powers
/ to follow in the footsteps Of Japan
in concluding treaties with this Her
NIT Kingdom" and it was with her
help that Admiral Shufeldt led the
way and successfully carried through
8 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
cumstsnces 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 AdmiraPs
narrative is as follows /:
Il had been in Korea some years be-
| fore to settle the trouble in regard TO
| the massacre OF the troops of cur ship
Z General Sherman, and had written a
/ letter TO the King, asking an eXplans-
ton OF the matter. was told that l
must wait twenty days for my an
swer. II was then late in the autumn
and l feared to be frozen up, with few
7 provisions, in this Out-Of-the- way and
ultraviolet land. | had to set sail
without hearing word from the king.
| Upon my arrival in America / re-
I eeiyed orders for three years cruise,
/ and Immediately left the United
I States for the voyage. In the mean
| time, the King # Korea had answered
my letter, and finding that l lad
| gone he sent the message overland
| to our Minister at Picking. From
I 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
I King toward Americans, and it ex-
l planned the killing of the crew of the
/ General Sherman in such a way as TO
I show that the King was not to blame
SIN 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
I to the diplomatic agents of the United
{ States and not TO me in my private
/ capacity. II would have thus been
I opened oy our Minister at Pekin and
/ Korea might have been ten years
I further advanced in its acquaintance
with the world Of today. As is was,
[ the letter caused my appointment as
/ the diplomatic agent for the bringing
! about OF the treaty. l was sent by
I the Secretary of State to Pekin, with
/ the rank Of Naval Attache Of the
/ Legation there, and with full powers
7 TO negotiate with Korea. / bore at
Z this time in my pocket though no one
/ knew IL. 3 commission from the Pre-
sident OF the United Stated appoint
I ing me Minister to Korea; and l
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 10 a
I signal which I waved frem the shore.
An American cottage now stands on
I the spot where the treaty was signed,
and il Is the residence OF Mr.. SchOe-
nieke, the German who acts there as
the Chinese Commissioner Of Gus
toms.
AMERICANS IN KOREA
fThe Americans also opened ia