Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1900-07-04

these vessels was the Pembroke, a
small American steamer loaded with
! merchandise.
Japs Learn Lesson.
The insult was reported to Command
er MacDougal, who was with the wy
oming at Shanghai The Wyoming at
| tackled and destroyed the japanese
/ feet. McDougal sailed away in the
Wyoming, which was hit twenty times.
Five of his men were killed and six
wounded. The American minister
made claim of $4,000 for the loss of
time and freight sus tanned by the Penn
broke, which was paid promptly.
Perry opened Japan TO trade. The
United States in 1873 and again in 1894
! led the way for the admittance of
Japan into full fellowship with the ma
! tons and to permit trade of Ameri-
cans in every part of the empire.
| After 1868, when the Shotgun was
finally overthrown and the MlKado him.
]
| tiOnal government, the japanese show
ed constant progress in peace. They
| became FESTIVE of being treated as bar
! barians and wished the removal of the
| stigma. The first effort was received
with favor by the United States, which,
| by the treaty of 1887, placedJapan upon
] exactly the same footing as Germany,
France, or any other country in rela-
ton with the United States, except
that the consular courts were contin-
ued. The treaty of 1894 was the first
to give Japan standing among nations.
| Until then the empire was closed to
foreign residence and travel.
! Corea was the last of the Eastern Ash
attic countries to be opened the world.
1.-The Hermit Kingdom" as it was
called. excluded all foreigners until
1882, when Commodore Shufeldt of the
United tSates navy opened it by much
| the same methods that had been en-
| ployed by Commodore Perry In the
case of Japan.
! The first communication the United
States and Corea had was one of force,
and in a punitive expedition 1000 Core
ans were killed This expedition was
sent because of The treatment of the
| crew of an American schooner, the
General Sherman, which had been char
tered by British trader
Coreans Whipped.
| When the General Shermans disap-
| pearance became known the United
| States demanded redress of China. but
that country denied responsibility for
affairs in the peninsula. So in January,
| 1867, the Wachusett, under the COM
mand of Commander Shufeldt, proceed
ed TO Corea. The local officials refused
! to give any information, and the
| Wachusett left. A similar mission I'M
der Commander Febiger of the Shen-
| andoah dispatched a few months later.
proved equally barren.
Finally in 1871, the American Aslat-
ic squadron, consisting of the flagship
Colorado, the coryettes Alaska and
Benicia, with the gunboats Monocaey
| and Palos, We're dispatched to Corea
under the command of Rear Admiral
| Rodgers to obtain satisfaction When
| the fleet arrived at Seoul a boat came
out to the flagship with native officials
bearing a letter from the king It was
couched in insulting terms and stated
that unless the fleet left it would be
| destroyed; that the king desired no in
tercourse with foreigners; and that the
crew of the General Sherman had com
mitted piracy and murder and had been
put TO death. Admiral Rodgers de-
manded an apology and satisfaction.
| which was not forthcoming, and he de-
| ternined to teach the king a lesson.
On June 10. 1871. he gunboats pro
! ceeded up the river landed a force of
| Gi4 men. and an attack was made upon
| the principal fort Amid a hail of bul-
lets from the enemy the Americans
| sprang up the steep incline TO attack
the citadel. They swarmed over the
ranparts or through the breeenas. and.
( in a twinkling. were at close quarters
with the garrison The Coreans fought
stubhornly to the last without asking
/ quarter. and nearly 1900 Of them were
! Slain. After that The subsidiary forts
and ISL pieces Of artillery fell into the
American hands. Three Americans
were killed and seven wounded.
Their defeat in this battle Taught the
| Coreans 2 wholesome respect for Am
orleans, who were unmolested from
that time forward The United States
/ was determined. however. 10 secure
/ trade with the peninsula. which re-
manned closed to all nations except
/ China and Japan. The negotiations
were put in charge Of Commodore
shufeldt. who had served in one OF the
expedition against the Coreans.