The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1904-03-05


written by American gentleman, Mr.. W.
Sands, who is residing in the country of which
writes.
The immediate occasion for this letter at
tack directed against the Catholic missionaries of kO
rea who made the subject of certain unjust ac
cusatons. Besides giving true account of the Incl
dents which served a basis for these charges, MI
Sands explains the actual condition of affairs, boil
political and religious. in Korea by this explanation
the reader is enabled TO understand fully the rea
causes of the frequent religious disturbances which
! in that country
LETTER OF MR w F SANDS
Religious disturbances are Of frequent occur
ence in Korea, and their cause can only be under
stood through closer knowledge of the country,
the attitude of the natives toward Christianity and
the system of proseyting employed by foreign mis-
sions.
The Koreans, standing for many centuries in in
innate intercourse with China, and under the direct
influence of Chinese though adopted very early the
Confucian teachings. Later, Buddhism was intro
duced and at one time very powerful at court
as to lead to the forming of two great factions the
military and the Ecclesiastical" and to a long
struggle, which ended not only III the banishment
of the monks from court and capital, but the down
fall of Buddhism a religion in Korea. Since
the beginning of the dynasty, which marks the tri
umph of the military party, the monks and nuns
have withdrawn more and more to their mountain
monasteries and temples Their following has fallen
away, and today they recruit their novces among
the orphans and abadoned children, and are cassed
with the lowest of social outcasts 1t is rare that
monk knows of his religion than the prayer
formula which he recites before the Buddha's i'm
age. Buddhism continues to exist in Korea, but
only among the nobility and educated classes as a
vague philosophy of which the principle seems to be
that religious truth only be discovered by the
individual; no teaching outside help is of any
avail in saving the SOUL therefore all religions are
useless, and can only be tolerated a mechanical
means of holding in check the passions of the ig-
norant Extremists go so far as to reject the teach
ings of Buddha himself, saying that what he says
is not the truth but merel Y an indication of the
means of discovering the truth. Christianity they
look upon as corruption of the vulgar Buddhist
beliefs.
Thus the Buddhist religion in Korea is a self
sh contemplation of the destiny of the individual
oul, taking outward form. One may, from per-
onal motives, practice any form of religion and /
till be a Buddhist. In Korea, as in China. the no
iity differs essentially from that of Japan and
europe In the first two named, the nobility is of
office" The noble is not he who supports his
eudal lord with armed force, but he who acquires
Is nobility by his cerlly accomplishments. As the
Jerk or scholar dispised In medieval Europeso
the man of arms only tolerated III China and Ko-
"a for his usefulness. He is a necessary evil
very year, until few years since, a public .ex-
mination was held under the direct supervision of
10
hics, philosophers and in statecraft at which sue
,Ssful candidates received titles and rank enabling
em to hold official position. and from these were
lected' all officials of the government. Thus the
hlcal system of Confucius became necessary
art OF the equipment of every official, though no
rt OF has teachings has passed into their daily
res but the so-called ancestor worship which
5 degenerated into mass of superstition The
wer classes having nothing of either Buddhism
Confucanism but their lowest sperstitions
We surrounded themselves with demons and spirits
d are enveloped i'll the grossest devil-worship
wi eXorclsers and witches. 'physiognomists" as
dogerS, geOmancers and other fortune tellers use
eat influence, not only among the ignorant. but
IN III the highest and best educated classes
ough the women.
This, then, Is the condition of mind which the
must face; an irreligious population.
nposed of centemptuously tolerant. Indifferent
sometimes actively hostile (Which includes all
ruling class, and an ignorant and superstitious
pie equally distrustful of foreigners and of their
4 government. .
in former times there was some sem
nee of rule, since the war between China and
Dan, and the ensuing disorders into which the
ntry was thrown having abolished most of tn,
and not yet adopted more advanced and mod z
customs and views Korea has become one of
most corrupt governments it is possible to i'm l
ne. The most unscrupulous officials are at the !
d of affairs, and the ruling idea is that of per
al gain. Honest men withdraw as far as posi-
from politics. Every official position has lrn- ?
ia time of great danger its price, and from the S
ernor of province magistrate of district a
he lowest office clerk each one expects to draw c
n his position the greatest possible profit in the T
test time The only limit to extortion is the +
ence of the people. These mild and yielding by
Ire, make no resistance to oppression unless p
en- to despair. Their only safeguard against
,tions of the nobility is in organizations so that
country is filed with 'benevolent" societies and
DIS, whose numbers, if they do not permit their
lbers entirely to escape at least make possible a Is
burdensome distribution of the assessment. NJ
f among these guilds is the |'Peddlars' Union, II
powerful that the highest prince al
lie land did not disdain to be their chief Hav IN
been used freely in the court intrigues which
eded the assassination of the queen of Korea bv oy
japanese IN 1895, this society was abolished TO Fl
e-estabhshed later and used in dispensing the a
ependence" club in 1898 whose members. com wi
d OF progressive men and largely supported bv
american Methodist and Presbyterian missions br
made themselves obnoxious to the government an
heir ultra radical utterances. Since then the ov
dlars" semi officially recognized have bv a
series OF ntrigues, endeavored to secure again wh
lost power. Their chief strength lies in their ere
foreign and anti Christian attitude which So BET
Tor them patronage of all the old conservative no
fucian) nobility. pu
he peculiar position of foreigners in Korea pir
ing, as they do entirely outside of the laws of tlo