New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-15
HE MAY RULE IN COREA.
PRINCE PAX EXPECTS TO BE RECALLED
TO POWER.
THE FORMER PRIME MINISTER AND LEADER Oh
THE PROGRESSIVE PARTY IN THE HERMIT
I,1ScnnM TAIKS OF THE SITIA-

THE PROGRESSIVE PARTY IN THE HERMIT
KINGDOM TALKS OF THE sITuA-
TIoN IN HIS COUNTRY.
Washington Oct. H-Recent news from urea
makes Prince PAX, lately Prime Minister OF tha'
country. the central figure of interest IN Wash'ng-
ton He has been here for the last lie" "eeKs'
and is impatienty awaiting an expected summons
from the members of the progressive party OF
which he is the leader. asking him to return ana
resume his mission of reforming the Government
Prince PAX Is a highly cultivated and remarkably
Intelligent man, about thirty-seven years DID, ana
evidently adapted to bring order out OF the chaos
which resulted when the Chinese were driven o"'
q, Corea last year. Up to that time he had speh'
evolve wears in exile in Japan. but was promptly
roco,,ed nv the King and made Minister or the IN
terror the most important department uhoer inc
Government as II had charge OF the reforms ue
Gun For a time Prince PAX acted as Prime MIN
lister. and was second in authority only 10 ,he hns
and Queen Through his marriage to the daughter
80 tho preceding King now dead, he was actually
r,er,her Of the royal family. and followed the
voaIs children of TIE King and Queen IN preceuehce'
A the leader of the progressive party Prince
pax was constantly antagonized by the la'- i" on-
Kun the father OF the reigning King anu the
leader Of the Conservatives. The Tai-Won-kun'
,,ho has tust succeeded In securing the queens
assassination, also secured her marriage 10 ms
con and placed her on the throne. In spite OF the
violent opposition of the King who, being deVout
buddhist resisted for some time TAXING as
,,fa q woman within the forbidden degree OF re-
,o,,onship recognized In Buddhism and moreover
of family not noble.
prince pax succeeded IN establishing many re-
,orms most of them designed to curtail the mis-
rule of the sovereigns which was attributable soiey
IN tho Queen and the Tai-Won-kun lie put an
end to the extravagant methods OF the royal 1smiy
and the barbarous system OF extortng all manner vi
tributes from officials. and abolished many Oh the
old laws by which the country was crushed He
,,ea the relations between soldiers and civilians.
established n police system and secured personal
liberty as we'll as the stability OF real property.
This dissatisfied the Queen, and hnany wheh ne
imprisoned several OF her relatives for gross Vloa
tions of tho new laws. plot was Matched against
him. and a japanese favorite at the court circulated
the report that he was concoctng a plot 10 muruer
the Queen and declare himself dictator. Tne
Prince denies the truth Of this accusation Inc
Queen however, induced the King to order MS
Imprisonment. and when he could not be FOUND an
edict was posted for his arrest, dead or alive lhi'
was on July T. On July the Prince, with three
or four devoted friends escaped from the city. IL
was furious race four miles up the Hong Kong
River until they reached the dock OF japanese
boat which was soon to sail for Toxic. rory
mounted police and seventy cavalrymen were III
pursuit They hurried on board and learned that
the boat would sail at once me cables S W.
the river. Prince PAX remained in Toxic two weeks
and then sailed for America. ,,
Prince PAX said that the Queens death, resulting
In the Tai Won-Kun's return 10 influence, would
work great injury to Corea for the short time that
ne might be permitted remain In power as ne
would undoubtedly endeavor to sweep away all the
reforms and re-estabsh the old system He had
no doubt however. that his own friends would al
the earliest opportunity inform him OF the exact
condition OF AFFAIRS. He declared that he would
start for home bv the first steamer and combat the
Tai Won-Kun. He considered himself under obli-
gallon to return at the risk Of his life and prevent
any RELAPSE into the sem-barbarous system in
vogue under Chinese domino ton. Though he was
friendly 10 the Japanese and convinced that laws
similar to those which caused Japans advance as
ma ton applicable TO Corea, ne was INST OF al
a Corean and would never consent to any move
ment against Corean independence. from whatever
quarter IL came.