Evening star., 1895-08-28

interior. And the So-calleG military force
there maintained to secure peace bears
very small proportion to the great mass
of the empire-perhaps one in thousands;
whereas, in Japan the entire nation is vir-
tuaily In the army-warlike instincts per-
wade the whole. And the people In China
have the authority Of the revered sages
that the profession of arms Is not desirable
Indeed, the soldier ranks In caste distinc-
tions among the lowest Of the people. OF
necessity, then, we do not look for a nation
OF soldiers here. Only the worst of char
acters enter the ranks of the despised pro-
fession. If the Chinaman has any religion
ne Is demon worshiper. Evil spirits are
haoitually propitiated Oppressed as he is
terrified by the occult forces of nature
mat spirit of conciliation Is developed.
ihls spirit enters every relation of his life.
No WnrIike Spirit.
NO effort certainly no commendable eff
tort, is made to attract worthy people to
the army. But the ruffians Of the coun-
try the lawless, are governed, not by JUS
tice, but by opening the soldiers ranks to
them. And they have nothing to lose, but
everything to gain, by entering the army
This Is, perhaps, the best method of gov
erning the country; but it is method, and
mas brought the most ancient of empires,
or almost unprecedented extent, compact
In homogeneity, down into the critical light
OF these modern days. The contemporary
Assyria and Babylon, lie buried under CEN
turies of sand and soil, trod by the
Bedouin's steed and furrowed by the peas
ants plow.
surely there must be something in this
nation. surviving the CONFUSION of time,
something politically or socially, which
should not be despised. And the processes
of nature are bringing the young republic
across the waters into her wake, though on
higher plane. Even the people of Eng
land are averse to militarism. And great
ornaments are kept up because of the
shortcomings of man in the west, rather
than in the east, because of pure cussed-
ness, which always keeps him in turmoil.
1t is a misfortune for mankind, of which
they are generally conscious, that self
preservation seems to necsssitate prepara-
tion for war, for SubterfugeS, lawlesSness
and cruelty follow.
do not despise China, then. If war is
not enc of her Industries. as it Is not one
of her necessities. Do not despise her be-
cause she cannot at the word of command,
lift herself out of the ruts worn to the
depths of ages. Primogeniture stains the
extant page of English history; also her
hereditary caste. Her complicated and
cumbersome system of money and Ct
weights and measures are as effete as some
of the condemned customs of China There
are those. many indeed. nations, as well
as individuals, who would prey upon China,
that would render her vulnerable. She Is
attacked in every direction. her weak
nesses exploited, her sore spots irrftatsd,
her revered customs violated. her most
tender feeling outraged-all that she may
be provoked to open her bosom to Syste-
matte. If not unwarrantablc. attack Left
to herself, she would trouble no one else.
Corrupt Government.
'It is true that the government is ex-
tremely corrupt-even more so than was
that of England a century back, when Of
fees were sold, when Death, in the garb OF
Tue his Sto wi
assassin's knife in hand--far more SO, in
deed, than the city of New York in the
days of Tweed. But the docility Of this
people, the isolation from exterior in
fuences of their great mass. renders them,
with their ideal patience and remarkable
fortitude, easily governed.
THE peasantry are worthy of and need
good government and the influence Of
contact with the outside world.
They are laborious, abstemious, frugal
and readily satisfied, self-poised and affa-
BILE; and their merchants have a trait CT
honor In their business relations not else
where found among orientals. Notably
superior are they in this respect to the
Japanese. But of that no more need be
said now. The announcement of peace has
come as 1 write. And all Corea is consid-
ering how it will affect her. What will be-
come of the disputed bone?
The Wars Result.
1.-The Island of Formosa four or five hun
dred millions of dollars and the occupation
of Port Arthur until the indemnity shall be
paid. all were prognosticated here as The
prizes Of successful war. The permanent
occupation of the southern part of Port
Arthur province, it was thought, would not
be permitted. at least, if Russia and Eng
land could unite upon a policy for this oc-
casion. Neither power can look with any
complacency upon the dangers and the
ultimate designs of Japan foreshadowed in
this article Of the treaty Of peace. If the
inveterate antipathies of these two pow
ers prevents their acting in concert here,
the settlement of looming questions is only
set for the future for one or both, and :tre
difficulties of settlement will grow in geo
metrical progression as time advances. If
they cannot come to terms now in the
near future, Japan will certainly become
the ally, for time, of one or the other
power. This would open up great event
ualities. which 1 don't care now to pursue.
Another of the articles referring to the
Independence of Corea Is now uppermost
in the minds of the people here. So long
as the war lasted there was more or less
condition Of war In Corea, she being the
unwilling ally of Japan. This condition is
is respected, for independence excludes
Japan as well as China from participating,
from intermeddling, In the interior affairs
of the country. Under the treaty the
Japanese army Of occupation should be
withdrawn unless Japan desires to initiate
still further than she has done England's
policy in Egypt. 1t would seem, how
ever. that the Japanese here and pro-
Japanese III power anticipate their with
drawal, for there is stumbling haste and
nervous pressure manifested now to finish
up under a condition of war all work that
may not be so readily accomplished after
the Sth of May. The first announcement
of peace was III cablegram received the
evening of the 18th instant.
Forcing Concessions.
"a few hours afterward the nephew Of the
king, a general whom the Japanese de-
sired to go as Corean minister to Toxic,
was rudely arrested and has since been
confined in felon's cell. Under the terror
this would naturally inspire the Japanese
and their Corean coadjutors calculated to
procure his mapesty's seal and orders for
certain changes in the government and
for mining and railroad concessions and
other valuable franchises. The next day
the ministers in body spent half of the
day with his majesty. This was followed
the next day by the presence of the Japan
ese minister, all of them uniting and press
ing their respective demands upon the
sorely tried ruler. On yesterday nine
men were executed by these same authori-
ties, who desire to coerce the king into
doing their bidding. The patriotic and
gritty Tai-wahn-Koon, the kings father.
the grandfather of the General Gee just
Imprisoned, followed his grandchld to the
prison, and assumed all responsibility for
,,,,1o, ,yf,1 act which he charged