New-York tribune., 1895-02-17

coREA or Chosen; the Land Of MornI1s calm ,dna
Henry Wb Agsn05 0 A9nt eH
and Full-Page Illustrations from Drawings
Made by the Author Pp XII, SH Macmillan
g. Co.
Though Mr savage-L -Landor bears names both
of which are renowned IN English literature. he
deprecates any criticism or the point Of literary
merit as to his own work His profession. as he
takes occasion to say. is that Of painter. not
Of an artist In words. What he has to say about
Corea Is put in the easy method Of the talker
rather than In that OF the writer. II could al
most be imagined that the book dictated
rapidly or taken down surreptitiously as he dis
coursed on the various incidents Of his soJourn
in The Land Of Morning Calm" Recent events
have exhibited the COreans in light nocSNefy
enviable They have given the impression OF
being unable TO manage their own AFFAIRS, in
capable in politics and inefficient in war. APP
parently official corruption and incompetence are
as much the rule among them among the
Chinese Friendly the author Is toward them,
the only device of government which he dwes
upon is the detective system which pervades the
whole organism Of society. He describes the
King as constantly engaged In choosing officials
TO be sent On secret missions into the various
provinces 80 observe the condition Of the people
and the acty of the magistrates. No sooner has
off in the same direction to watch him. "By the
time the two have returned adds Mr.. Savage
Landor. some intrigue accusations will prob
ably have be en- Instituted against them. in which
case all the thanks they obtain for obeying His
Majesty ,s either tha, they are degraded
or that they are exilcd TO some Outlandsh
province in the Ever White Mountain
district or on the Russian frontier" These
secret messengers are selected and ordered to go
on their missions without an instants delay.
They have opportunity TO contrive any mis-
chief before their departure. and they are ap
parently given no time for couslon with the
officials In the regions to which they are sent.
The only knowledge which others at the capital
have of their mission is that they are absent
from thei. usual place. This system OF espionage
must be looked on IN the light OF the fact that
the whole political System Of the country is in
the hands Of the mobiles. 1t should be compare
lively easy for them to come to an understanding
with each other. An the authors criticisms
point to the fact that the continual visits of spies
make practically che nge In the administration
OF the provinces. The disappearance of one Of
fender lly makes room for a successor equally
s,silfu in the ways of the Corean world.
What is the use Of working and making
money" said Corean TO the author III. when
the work Is done and the money made. II Is taken
from you by the officials you are worn out by
the work you have done yet are az poor as be-
fore; that is mind you II you are fortunate
enough not to be exed to distant province by
the magistrate who has enriched himself at your
expense"
AS usual the only restraint upon this system
Of apprehension Is furnished by conspiracy. as
sassination or judicial slaughter. IL the people
are relieved Of their burdens for moment they
may trace the effect oi it's cause In the envious
quarrels among the nobility. An official has 10
exercise discretion In order to live out his days
He must be as bad az his rivals, but no worse;
II ne misses the proper mean In either direction
he is sure to get into trouble. He learns to be
expert in all the tricks OF speech and silence.
Mr.. Savage-Landor declares that among al the
dpomatists whom he has met-and he claims
wide acquaintance among them-the best was
Corean To entrap him was impossible. He