The sun., 1896-01-26

their habitusi skill in discfiminAtion, set them
selves TO settle the two questions separately. 4
| Minister was sent to Corea 70 obtain rcdres'
| from tho Seoul Government, and concessions
similar to those embodied in tho convention Of
1882 were cxacted and granted. Corea had "a
apologize. 10 pay an indemnify, TO punsh the
murderers Of japanese ofaccr. and To rebuild
tho legation At her own expense. After thus
settling with the Hermit Kingdom Japan sent
Count Ito and \ special ombassy to no
Rotiate with China, which, on her side, appointed
Ii Hung Chang rs her plcnipotentinry. On tho
18TH OF April. 1888. the Tientsln conv entlon
was signed. II consisted of three articles. Tho
first stipulated that both countries should with
draw their troops from Corea; the second. that
no moro officers should be sent by either coun-
try to drill tho Corean troops: the third, that
II At any future time such disturbances should
arise AZ should render 1t desirable for either
country to send troops to Coren, It must inform
the other country. The Tiontsin convention
procured peace In Corea for nine years.
II.
On March 2s. 1894, tho pacific residen ts OF
Shanghai were startled by tho news that polit-
ieal assassination of an extraordinary character
had taken place In the foreign settlements.
KIM Kun, tho leader Of the abortive Co
roam revolution of 1884. had fed to Japan after
tho defeat Of his party, and had lived there up
to March, 1894. At that time no was decoyed
to Shanghai and was thero murdered BY q fol-
low Corean. ono Hung Tjyone-Ou, an omissary
Of the Conservative party At Seoul Hung was
given up TO tho Chinese authorities. and 80 was
the body OF Kim. Ok Kun. which tho Japanese
servant Of the murdered man had desired to
take back to Japan. Instead Of bsing punished,
Hung was surreptitiously put on board
Chinese man-of-war. together with tho body
OF his victim, and conveyed TO Corea. On
their arrival in tho peninsula, rich re-
wards wero heaped upon the murderer. while
the body Of Kim-Ok Kun was Quartercd. and
tho mutilated fragments were exposed in tho
different provinces of tho kingdom. The deliv-
cry Of Hung and the body OF Kim to the Chinese
authorities by the consular body controlling the
foreign settlement at Shanghai, is denounced by
tho author Of this book as . foolish and base
action; It is his conviction that this false stop
was tho primary cause Of that acute state of
the Coroan question which led to tho war be-
tween China and Japan. Simultaneously with
this incident occurred tho outbreak In Corea of
the Tong -Haks, or votaries Of the so-called
Eastern doctrine. who were organized re-
actionists against tho Roman Catholics
in particular and foreigners In general.
By May. 1894, tho insurrection had
become very serious. 1t had spread
widely In tho three southern provinces. and In
one place alone tho Tong Haks were said to be
&c. 900 strong. In o battle with tho Govern
ment troops the rebols were completely success
full. and their victory caused the greatest con-
sternation in tho capital. Tho most extraor-
dinary rumors circulated among the idle and
ignorant people of Corea. It was said that in
the vanguard Of tho Tony Haks, leading them
TO triumph. could be seen . misty figure with .
white helmet and cuirass. which was believed
TO be the ghost Of Kim-Ok- Kun. It was nat
ural that all those who had been friendly to tho
murdered politician. or who hated tho Min fac
tion. should see . retribution brought about BY
euperhuman means in tho revolution which 80
quickly followed his death and tho dismember.
ment Of his body.
The Min faction were so frightened by the
news of the defeat Of the Government soldiers
and Of the ensuing capture Of tho provincial
capital Of Ch0lla. that they resolved to ask China
for troops to quell the rebellion. By the third
article of the Tientsin convention. Japan had an
equal right in such an emergency to send troops
to Corea, but 1t was hoped that the Japanese
Government was too much worried at home by
parliamentary opposition TO pay much attention
TO foreign complications. The application to
China was made on the 1st day of June.
1894. and. on tho 9Th Of that month. .
small Chinese force was landed At Asan;
somo additional troops wore sent few
days later. and then tho Chinese soldiers
numbered probably about 1000 mon. The Chit
nese Government also sent two m en- of war to
Asan and three to Chemulpo. the seaport OF the
Corean capital. The Japanese Government had
been informed by China that force was being
aAntt and hx,th ht~,1 Ill
of tho Tientsin convention. was resolved to fol-
low the Same course. Otori. the Japanese Min
lister to Seoul, who was then in Japan on leave.
received orders TO rejoin his post. and he made
such despatch that on June o he arrived In
Chemulpo. In that port there were then six
Japanese men-of-war, and . body OF marines
was landed to escort Otori to tho capital This
was only preliminary measure. Japan
was forming much larger force to guard her
interests In Corea: on June orders had been
issued to the military and naval authorities to
organize expedition for the neiRhboring
peninsula. 1t was composed of troops of the
Fifth Division. under the command Of Major
General Oshima, and from its irregular forma-
tion 1t acquired the name Of Mixed Brigade. a
name which the exploits of tho war was to rem
der familiar throughout Japan. The military
preparations were carried out with such
rapidity that the nrst detachment was
able to leave Ultima (the port of Hiro-
shima, headquarters Of the Fifth Division).
on the 9th OF juno. Three days later this de-
tachment reached Chemulpo, and proceeded ed at
once to the capital. Other detachments arrived
presently. and It has been asserted that, before
the outbreak of hostilities. the Japanese had
5000 men around Seoul: this number Is con-
sidered by the author Of this book an exaggera-
tion, but he deems 1t certain that they had a
force superior to that OF the Chinese in Asan.
The simultaneous presence of the Chinese and
Japanese soldiers in Corea created a situation
full Of difficulties. which were increased by
mutual distrust. Even In diplomatic CORE
spondence tho two countries were unable to
find common basis for disc ussion. The Chinese
Government. though communicating tho de-
parture OF their troops for Corea, In compliance
with the Tientsin convention, considered 1t had
special right to send troops, Corea was q
tributary country and had asked for assistance.
The Japanese Government. OH the other hand.
maintained that the Tientsin convention gave
each OF the two countries an equal right to send