Page:History of Corea, ancient and modern; with description of manners and customs, language and geography (1879).djvu/320

 296 COREA. difficult Corea is said to be the object of solicitude now to England, as well as to her two friends. France talks about moving, America talks about sailing, England proposes a visit ; but there is one other power never speaks but acts. What will Russia do ? We imagine that the naval power owner of Corea could not only rule the Gulf of Liaotung and Pechihli, but have a good deal of influence over all the Chinese coast ; her shadow would fall darkly over Japan ; and if that power is to be Russia, we would look for a speedy termination to the abnormal friend- ship existiug between her and America. The immediate future of Corea is certainly a riddle ; but whatever it is to be, it must be a complete severance from her past Already has the beginning of the end appeared. For not only is Russia acting magnetically upon her north, but the Japanese have at length "dared,'' in spite of the "majestic terror" of the Manchus, to inaugurate a new system, which, for the sake of the Corean people, let us hope will speedily open up Corea to modem thought and civilisation, impart the blessings of a just govern- ment, and introduce the religion of righteousness and peace. We may close this sketchy history of Corea with the treaty concluded between it and Japan ; which, however, is not mean- time loyally carried out by Corea This treaty is called " Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the empire of Japan and the kingdom of Chosen," — ^the modem Chaosien. In the^rs^ article, Chosen is declared to be on an equality with Japan; and all future intercourse is to be carried on in the spirit of this equality. The second provides for the settlement of envoys from each kingdom to the other. The third enacts that the Japanese shall use the Japanese language in official communications, accompanied by a Chinese translation ; Chosen using the Chinese language. AHide four opens Sorio, of Fusan (Fooshan), to Japanese trade, together with two other ports to be mutually agreed upon ; these article five allows to be chosen out of any of five coast provinces. The necessities of Japanese ships on the Corean coast — compelled to seek the shore for wood, water, or shelter, or driven ashore and wrecked — ^are provided for in article