The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1894-08-03
feafd from China abott tassalage.


many concluded treaties with Corea
and the subject of vassalage was never
mentioned. Russia and Italy in 1884
France in 1886, concluded treaties
also. In the latter convention l was
one of the plenipotentiaries for the
king, and in all the discussions the
subject of vassalage never was men
toned, or even thought of, so far as !
know. I do know, however, that
since China has undertaken openly to
enforce her vassalage scheme, the
rights, privileges and concessions guar
anteed by Corea in her treaties with
japan and western powers have been
greatly encroached upon and abridged,
simply because the Corean govefn-
ment is bullIed into it by threats of
war and general intimidation Influence
from the Chinese.
GAS China claims to be the sover-
eign of Corea, she now undertakes to
abolish or render nnsatory the solemn
stipulauons Of all the Corcan treaties,
and that is what Japan is resenting by
her invading armies, as she intends to
compel the Coreans to keep the faith
already pledged. While was Ill the
service of the king of Corea there Was
hardly "A week passed that the Japan
ese minister did not call my attention
to clear violations of the treaties, di&
rectly traceable to the ilItimidating in
huence of the Chinese minister to
! Corea, and on numerous occasions did
lend my personal and official efforts
to smoothing down the irritation be-
tween the two governments from this
cause. On the occasion of my last
visit to the great viCeroy at Ten Tsin,
| pointed out with all the earnestness
| could command the certain serious
ti'u'lC VII W'uiO IotIiC " C'ICd dS
well as his own government, if this
recent policy Of absorption Of the lit
tie country was persisted in by the
Peking government; that the conces-
sions maie in the Corean treaties
would not he surrendered by the
treaty powers, especially by ia ,an, ex-
cept at the point of the bayonet; and
now as the conflict appears to be on
in earnest, l am not at all surprised, as
/ knew it must come. Their are two
parties i'll Corea, as there are in China
andJapan; one the brigade of corrupt
officials who infest the kings court, too
cowardly to resent insult to their king,
and who are entirely without loyalty 10
bis majesty or devotion to their coun-
try, the same who packed their effects
ready for fight to the mountains at
the first in,imation Of the defeat of
the government forces i'll mere pre-
liminary skirmlsli, ready to abandon the
king to the tender mercies o. the OPP
position; the other party, and the one
supporting the japanese, are the pro
gressive Cureans, who are making war
on the corruptionists, but who are
loyal to the king, because they believe,
as believe, him to be loyal and
patriotic ruler. This party also be-
lieves C"rea to be just as sovereign
and independent in law and fact as
China or any other country.
"WhiIe the Chinese are a great
people, with wonderful business CD
pacity and energy, yet they lack the
patriotism and esprit du corps which
the japanese possess. which makes the
latter better soldiers, and with their
absence of fear of death, and the aid
of their short two.edsed swor'l,, in
the contest which seems already on,
they will leave many battlefield
strewn with the bodies of their enc
mics. In long contest, however,
the odds are against japan, as she is
not only small country, but finan-
cially weak, while China literally
swarms with her hundreds Of millions
of people. Besides she has no
national debt to speak Of, and she can
raise ample means with which to carry
on the war.
CAS- to Russia and France, neither
IS prepared just now to enter the con.
test, although there is determination
on the part of both these states not to
permit China to render nugatory
through her vassalage notions the pro
visions with Corea.
"Neither do l believe that Russia
now has the slightest idea of encroach-
ing upon the Corean peninsula. In
1860 Russia took from China strip
of territory down to the Amoor, in
cluding the Usuri river, and on to the
T,Iuep river which now forms rho