Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1898-03-04
OLD-1IME ENEMIES.
China and Japan Have Been Foes
for Two Thousand Yeara
Corea Since Time Out Of Mind HAs B>~n
the Bone Of Contention Between the
Two NatlOns-The First
Invnsi0n.

by DIR. David Murray, who was for
erly adviser to the Japanese min
lister OF education, are some interesting
facts concerning Japan's relations with
Corea and China. From China Japan
got everything except certain minor
phases Of art taught her by Corean
prisoners and exiles. From China she
got her litera tere and her very alpha
bet, the traditions Of her art, almost all
her higher life. This is not the first
time she has quarreled with China over
Corea, but OF that anon. Once China
definitely decided on the conquest of
Japan. 1t W as in the days Of Kublai
Kan, who decreed the stately pleasure
house in Coleridge's Xanadn. The jap
anese allege that Kublai sent one hun
dred thousand men for the invasion,
and that he managed to transport them
in three hundred junks. The forces
landed were defeated by the hero To-
kimune, and q typhoon finished off the
Chinese armada.
The first j japanese invasion Of Corea.
- DIR. Murra az points out, was under
the Empress lingo, who was mother
OF the god Of war; therefore it has to
be taken with salt Corea, or, as the
Japanese call it, Chosen, was divided
into three Kingdoms, Korai. Shiraki
and Xudara. When Jingo-Kogo land
ed in Shiraki they all came with alac-
rity the San kan, the three tributary
countries dependent of Japan. After
this she was empress regent for sixty
eight years, and died at the age Of one
hundred. So complacent did the Co
reans feel about being Sankan that the
king OF kudara sent an eminent Chi
nese scholar to educate Jingo's son.
The scholar took with him the "Confu-
clan Analects" and the "Thousand
Character Essay" and the future god
OF war became very learned man.
The Emperor lingo died about $40 B.
G., and Japanese garrison was main
tanned in Kudara for a trifinp nine
hundred years, when the Coreans of
Shiraki and the Chinese compelled
them to withdraw. With the Japanese
went many OF the Corean friends, who
came with them, like the Huguenots
when driven from France, knowledge
OF many arts and culture which were
eagerly welcomed by the rising Japan
ese empire. They were colonized in
convenient Quarters in different prov
lnces, and as an encouragement freed
from taxation for time. Their influ-
ence upon the opening civilization of
Japan cannot be overlooked or neg
lected in our estimate OF the forces
which conspired to produce the final
result.
In another trifiing nine hundred
years Toyoto mi Hideyoshi, the du CUES
elm OF Japan, determined to conquer
Corea, which had suddenly discontinued
sending gifts. He sent from one hun
dred and thirty thousand to three hun
dred thousand men under Konishi and
Kato, the interesting feature being that
such large proportion of the army
we're Christians this was in 1859 that
they had to be humored by having Ko-
pishi, who was . Christian, in COM
mand. The two commanders were
always at loggerheads, and SO the ex-
petition was virtual failure, though
neither Corean nor Cinnamon could
make any stand before the two-headed
sword of the Japanese, until the Chi
nese by treachery gained time to intro
duce into Corea armies Of overwhelm-
ing numbers However, all that the
Japanese ever got out OF the conquest
and occupation of Corea was three
sake tubs full OF picked ears and noses,
the proceeds of thirty-eight thousand
seven hundr ed Chinese and Coreaa
heads, which form the center Of the
Mimi Zuka, or ear mound in the Dai.
butsu temple at Kyoto, and the pris-
oners OF shimazn Yoshehiro, prince OF
5atsuma pottery, the wonder Of the
world. The great and diplomatic Iye-
yasu restored the cordiality OF rela-
lions between Japan and Corea. as il
testified by the exquisite bronze can
1elabra which adorn his mausoleum al
Nikko. But Corea has never vet cot
over the ravagings OF Hideyoshi's army.