Washington sentinel., 1898-03-26

fact, the well known definition OF
an Irish politi sian at the hands ol
a rival has been applied to him; a
charming old gentleman Tor an
afternoon tea party. On the
other hand, his Queen, whose bar
barous assassination in her own
palace has ioully stained the rec
ord of Japan in Corea, was
woman Of fine character and
marked ability, welding power
tul political influence somewhat
similar to that OF the Dowager
Empress Of China. The Kings
brother was a conspirator in the
shameful treacherY that compassed
her death. The succession of the
Crown Prince, a youth Of little
intelligence, is very doubtful; the
rather that his father is opposing
the reforms governmental, edu-
cational and social so sorely
needed in his domain, yet stig-
matized by the conservative party
as yang ban"-educational nom
sense. And, truly, in Corea, as in
China, the we'll nigh omnipotent
"p'ung- -sol" Established custom)
like a death dealing Juggernaut,
crushes down all STRINGS OF ma
tional life and progress. Among
the most potent elements and un
healthiest influences Of this con-
servative coercion is The tradi-
tional ancestral worship. The
mourner grovels in the dust in
token Of his degradation, viewing
il a personal sin that his parent
should have died, and his unclean-
illness on the occasion is the meas
ure Of his Temorse. The Corsan
centre of domestic interest is, not
his home, but the grave Of his
dead. which is spread with food,
visited with wailings, regarded as
a pilgrim shrine; while any inno-
vation on "p'ung sOk" is a fragrant
insult to the memory Of his pro-
genitors.
The city OF Seoul (which means
simply "capital") stands on hilly
ground, and the wall inclosing it,
several miles long and in some
places thirty feet high, winds up
and down precipitous slopes.
Within this wall stands Mount
Nam-Zam (South Hill, from
whose summit, until the recent in
PRODUCTION of the telegraph, the
King was kept informed of the
most important occurrences
throughout the country by means
Of an ingenious system OF tiIe sig
nllS, in communication with SIM
ilarly appointed stations on all the
highest peaks OF the kingdom.
The palace inhabited bY the mon
arch until his late retreat, is pro-
tected by high wall encircled by
a continuous moat, crossed before
each entrance by a stone bridge.
Within these royal precincts are a
winter and summer palace. A
traveller permitted to view the
latter in winter, describes how on
a frozen lake stood a large white
marble platform, on which rose
the summer audience hall, an up
per story Of scarlet laquer sur
mounted a white marble collonade
and beautifully ornamented with
brilliantly colored wood carvings,
a white marble bridge spanning the
water to this fairy-like island plat
form. But the squalid poverty OF
the buildings and fflthiness OF the
footways are the main features OF
the Corean capital. The principal
street, forming the avenue to the
palace, is Of such breadth that two
rows OF matched houses are built
down its centre. When, however,
Ye-hui pays his bi-annual process
sional visit to the tombs of his an
cestors, these erectons must all be
removed; and as little, if any,
notice of the royal intention is
given, this process OF clearance is
a scene OF indescribable confusion,
as household goods, clothing and
cooking utensils are removed in
armfuls by the owners and friends,
all talking and screaming the
while. When this operation is
accomplished, frequ emily bowling
and shouting signalize the running
across or along the cleared high
way of some needless spectator
pursued by angry soldiers, at
whose hands the offender is liable
to be beaten senseless or dead; in
either case the body would be
carelessly cast into a drain canal
along the road. On the occasion
of such royal progress, there are
duplicate state sedan chairs to
battle the calculation OF any pos
sibIe murderous enemies OF the
King. On each side of this broad
avenue stand the one storied resi-
dences OF mobiles, princes and
other Corean aristocrats. Since
the opening of the country in 1883
bva commercial treaty with Japan,
foreign legation resideaces-JaP-
anese. American, English, French
German and Russian-have
arisen in the capital. A curious
OBJECT in the city is the famous
tower based on a huge tortoise
which animal ,symbolizes longev'
itv in Buddish legend, and is con
spicuous in well known Chinese
picture Of the god Pwan-ku ere
ating the universe.
The Government officials o.
Corea, as Of China, are the chie
obstacles to the moral and materia
Improvement of their country
Tyranny and corruption seem tc