The Savannah morning news., 1903-10-11

Wnlle Japan ana RUSSIA are making
faces at each other across Korea, the
Land of the Morning Calm retains it's
composure and pursues an existence
comparable to nothing outside of comic
opera. A land in which the dynasty
was Matched from an egg; in which the
men dress like old women; in which
bachelor, though an old man, is regard
ed as an infant, is called by a pet name
and talked to in baby talk; in which
boys are invariably married to women;
in which men at nightfall are expected
to stay indoors and let their wives
roam the streets and gossip with their
friends; in which the poor take plain
pills and the rich have their pills dec
grated and gilded, is truly the Land of
the Libretto.
China is the parent of Korea. In
the mists of ages the favorite of the
King OF a Chinese province, wandering
by the river, saw d glistening vapor
which f1oated into her bosom and be-
came an egg. From this was hatched
boy, whom the enraged King threw
to the pigs. But the kindly pigs fed
him with their breath, and the King.
believing that heaven willed the boy
SnOOlO i've, lOOh MN tlAtO lIC lOJ GA
household, where he was called The
Light of the East"
The boy was skilled in archery
SURPRISING everyone. The King be-
came jealous, and the boy fled. Com
ing to the River Yalu, he shot an ar
row into the stream and thousands OF
fish came and made bridge of their
bodies that he might pass over. When
his pursuers arrived at the stream the
finny bridge swan away, and they
were left helpless.
The Light of the East found an
amiable people on the other side, who
made him their King. Thus, the King
of Korea is to-day regarded as the
Son of Heaven. In point of fact, he
is the son of Tai WOn-K Kun, and was
appointed to the throne by the Dow
ager Queen Che. His father and ell
der brother are his subjects, for pri-
mogeniture does not obtain in the ORR
ent.
Lii Hsi. as the Korean Emperor IS
called, is an aimable gentleman of 80,
at present widower-if a gentleman
with one hundred concubines may be
called a widower. Queen Min, VINO
was murdered by the japanese, the
Americans living in Seoul say, was a
woman whose mental powers surpassed
even those of that very remarkable
woman, the Empress Dowager of Chi
ma For over thirty years she was
the power behind the throne. Literal
" behind the throne, for the Queen. no
more than any other Korean woman,
could be viewed by mortal man other
than those of her immediate family.
The most subtle diplomacy was con-
Quoted from behind a screen. and so
ably that the only resource Of her en-
emies was to kill her.
Even this murder-one of the most
brutal tragedies of the century-had
its enlivening features. The Ameri-
can missionaries, who were the only
people in Seoul that the King could
then trust, took turns in guarding the
King and the Crown Prince while they
slept. Another missionary and his
wife cooked all the food that the hap
less pair ate, sending 1t TO them in
locked box. lest. after the Oriental
fashion, they would be poisoned.
Now enters the Lady ON. concubine
No. 1. Lady ON announced a venera-
BILE aunt with sudden cramps. 1t was
necessary that she leave the palace for
her home, and Lady ON would accom-
pany her. Two palanquins were or
dered, and in the seclusion of the wom-
ans quarters the King and the Grown
Prince bundled in and safely escaped
prisoners for a haven at the Russian
LEGATION. 1t must be understood that
in Korea not even the boldest of secret
service men would dare look inside
woman's palanquin. Naturally, ever
since Lady ON has had her hopes of
advancement.
1t is not amusing to be a widower in
Korea. For three years the unfor-
tunate must abstain from all pleasure,
and go about with a sort of gunny bag
veil screeping his face. Discipline Of
this sort facilitates marriage. Never
theless. the King has thus far evaded
the Lady ON. She has her faction.
which ascribes every national evil to
the Kings failure to take unto himself
a new queen, and has memorialized the
King in her behalf.
Memorializinfg is one of the occupa-
tons of Seoul. In front of the palace
gates the sightseer never fails to be.
hold stool on which lies roll OF
paper. This is the memorial. There
are memorials about everything under
the sun. Here they sit day after day.
for time is of no consequence in Ko-
ran. Perhaps in time the memorial
reaches the King, who in time re-
spends, perhaps in the summary fash
ion he responded to the memorial con-
corning Lady ON:
April 27th, 1897. Reply to Kim
Kon Vik and others. Your views are
quite patriotic, but the government
has laws and ceremonies which do not
require your suggestions. Therefore,
you need not confuse US any more by
sending us memorials. You are there
fore ordered TO go away
The Kings edicts might be issued