The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-08-09
,ur COREANs RETOLTED.
v.,,ons which Drove the Feo''' ="
Verge OF Rulp.


ctIANGHAI, August Snow that NOS
,n,,,as have begun between CnlI"t an"
tnn,n over COrea, stories Of the terF"le
,,,isr,Ie OF the peninsula are coming o"''
I, has been reported that the aSsSssiU ,A.
ION OF -Ok-HuIn was me I"Ai $50 80
~ The uprising OF the lOsaku-tO' VI Sc
odcrs Nothlng could be furthef rom
tne truth This society was loIHneu ~
least two years before MIN ZANE ~ ,'.s
end, and II vas brought my eH 49, H..
solely 70 redress grievances "pASh IA" Ne
CO me insuppOrtabs5. ,,-o..,,.,
An erroneous impression Oh the lbhIeH's
Of Kim in Corea has beet gwen ~
IaDanese writer's. The simple Iact "ds
maj Kim had been In exile In japan
iHrc that he had no strong partisans iett
i'm Corea. lie had dropped 0Lt, dhd ms
name was only used as 1t sort OF IaHy
ing cry by young men VIII were us
satisfied with the Government. Ills reld-
tiN IS counted for nothing, as they VIZ
obscure and poor. His death crealeu
sensation merey s pGoase and T treach en-
The ToCaku-tr was Tor ned OF prom
nent politicians who were frozen OUT oi
public orfices. and by merchants anu anu
others. Who had been ruined by the xM-
ocfions of The palace officials ana the as
tfct mandarins. What these e%acucnS
were can only be aIrrecilted ~ ono
who has lived in the Orient, ana seen
the utter disregard Of personal rights
shown by the district magistrates, ana
the cynical contempt TOR legitimate COM
plant exhibited by higher othcers' VINO
are supposed - look out for the interests
OF the people In COrea this oppression
Of the class that has no influence with
the authorities went beyond anything ever
seen in China. Here IS an instance OF
the ruin brought upon a man Dy the III
trigues Of those In power:
I'm one OF the remote procedures near
the Chinese line. lived a farmer VINO la4
owned for years d small tract Oh I@ i.a
mo
him an ordinary living. The Governor,
learning of his independence, appolhteu
the farmer an honorary officer OF the
district. OF course the plan WAS 10 force
the farmer TO return this favor with n
present, as the Governor supposed ne
had saved money, and was. therefore,
good subject for squeeze; 50 the a
men runners. who carried the Governor
commission 20 the farmer, were instruct
ed to bring back money. or. If he refused
to yield. 10 torture the man until he gave
up his hoard.
These runners are the curse OF Corea,
as they are Of China. Their uniform
and position fill them with importanC,e,
and their greed IS something which ms
the country people with fear They are
always expected to bring back 10 the "a
men certain amount Of money. but the
Mandarin winks at any eXactl0ns on
their own account
runners first devoured everything he
had in the way OF eggs and chickens
| Then having eaten up his food they dr-
manded a considerable sum for the Gov
eruor. The poor victim, instead OF bring
ing out the coin from his secret hoiri'
was forced 10 go TO the nelSnDOrlnS VIZ
| LACE and sell his land and COW. This leit
! him with the commission Of honorary
officer but without any means OF llFch-
hood The Governor, however, had NOT
| exhausted his resources for eVH, as pre-
| followed out precisely the same tdcuc'
| with the man who had purchased ta-
| land and the cow. This victim i'm turn
! had u sell the land. The process or
| squeezing went on three times til no
| one had the courage 70 buy the land
| Then the Governor seized the land as un-
claimed property and added 1t to ms
| possessions.
This is said on good authority 10 have
| been an actual occurr nee in Corea re-
| Gently IL simply serves 10 snow why
! even q long-oppressed people will rise at
! last and strike one blow for their rights.
| The COrcans have nothing to hope from
China, for the methods in vogue on
| the Peninsula are precisely the same
! as those I'm the middle kingdom. save
! that in Corea the magistrates are more
| shameless in their eX1cuOnS than they
| who lately rebelled wished 10 accomplish
| was To overthrow the present dynasUy
| aud get a ruler who would appeal %
| foreign powers for protection. Even me
| rebels 40 not want Japanese rule. for the
| name OF Japan is hated throughout Corea,
| They desired to throw of the yoke oil
! China and govern themselves with lNt
| assurance from the European powers that
| neither China nor Japan should attempt
| 10 annex them. China as suzcnin OF
| Corea is utterly poweriess 10 keep her II
| time of distress. Chinese troops aided ~
put down the rebels, but it was costly
| help. for the Monaghan soldiers left q
| path OF desolauon like the train Of q
| swarm Of lOcusts. They ate the country
bare wherever they travelled. and they
committed atrocities such as Flaubert De-
scrihed in "Salammbo" as incidents Of the
siege Of Carthage by the Roman mer
As FAR as that goes. Japan has fully as
much excuse for interfering I'm the affair
OF Corea as China has. Chna's suzeraint
was gained by force. and for two nuudrt'
years she has exercised il 10 the con
tinue1 detriment Of the weaker nation
| II is now high time that she relnauisl
what she has proved herself incompetent
| 10 manage wisely.