ne of the Lat July, to be plucei the treaty and Corea, that what the public had in print was simply the draft tres the document had subsequently undergone Lig. #8 proposed in China, and that considerable modifications, of which the most importance was the removal of the clause declaring Ca This statement has en repeated by oudent of orary,® rites over th 2" and room to doubt character, though, unless we ken, hie, too, hus qualified himself, in the past, for classification among the folks he calls '*Seribblers on China and Japan," to whom all subjects are grist, whether technical, commercial. or political. ut whatever may have been the ulti mate form d by the document in question, coi to the draft provision ly be doubted that they were in great part suggested, if net dictated, by Li Hunychang. As we have before observed, the argument upon which the Chinese most confidently relied to combat Japan's sovereign rights in Riukiu, was the fact that the Government of the Islands had concluded separate treaties with foreign Powers, thereby at once asserting, obtaining an_acknowledgmne: pend Whatever may be the intrinsic validity of such a ple truth it la but small at best—it would plainly become alto-ther valueless in auch un event as the conclusion of similar treaties by a country over which Ciius herself claims suzerainty. One can easily understand, therefore, how Japan Gaze, 8th July, much store Li Huvg-chang must have set by the insertion of some qualifying clause into the Shufeldt trouty. His position with regard to Riukiu would thus ha been immensely strengthened, since 8 of the Corean treaty might then hi been construed into a practical acknowledyment by the world that-only @ perfectly independ mous obliga!
On the other hand, the del sion of any such clause places awkward dilemma, She must relinquish all title to the suzerainty of Coren, or confess that her reasoning with regard to fallacious, Whether the clame wus omitted by d Government of Cores, or—w!
ikely—becatise the An no reason to insert ai knowledgment of China's suzerainty side by aide with " declaration of Corea's independent com: to assume treaty obligations—whichever of these ce be correct, China will have to re-write her despateh about the Riukiuan que She can no longer pretend that to make equivalent ion, of ex-ce aa a separate Star It would appear, therefore, that the diplomatic slight which hus been placed to Inpan's credit by the hostile newspaper cannot be regarded xs un altogether o sided affair. We have been told that protons Coren's foreign policy are now definitely disposed of," und some credence might have been pt when solicited, interfered in Coren's foreign affairs at all. She has shown herself perfectly ready to assist foreign treaty-seckers to the utmost of her ability; but that ability could never have been great, seeing that to maintain her own position in the peninsula wi-hour Fecourse to arma has cost her pains.
Hor diplomacy has not, free from ar people have not treated the all the consideration they and some of hor journals have not hesitated to advocate, as applicable to the Hermit Kingdom, policy even more than that' of which Japan a bitterly complains herself. Bat there has been no asserti-n whatsoever Corea's foreign exercise of that templated 0 a dope of Japa no other hypothesis would. a desire to prevent Western intercourse be explicable. Fapan has not less reason than wish for Coren's autonomy, and she must understand fully ae well as Li Hung chan that the best way of safeguarding that autonomy is all the Western Powers bringing 8 which Jxpanese intervention had failed to achieve, But it must be remembered that thiuys had changed seusibly in Corea in the interval between the isit of the Duke of Genoa and the mission of Commodore Shufeldt. To that period may be'aseribed the develo} of whatever really progressive impulse exists in the peninsula, and from that period also dates the active interference of Li Hi chang, whose autograph letter, published by the local press more than n year ago, explicitly charged Russia and Japan with aggressive designs, and recommended treaty relations with America, England, and France as an antidote. Such warning, coming from auch an_authority, could not fail to be influential, duo one was surprised at sult, namely, that A Chinese aid in lier treaty-seokitig an, and that the Corean propre onists were thenceforth divid two parties, of which one ese the other advocated, Japanese tite: tion. Doubtless, both Commodore Schufelt and Admiral Willes the oughly apthese tions, and undotatood that whicheverintermédiary they employed, the other must be entirely ignored, Coroa has not, perhaps, more reason to be attached to the 'Tsing Tartars than to the descendants of Hideydshi, yet she en rooly forget that to her ability to repel Japanese i mn, and that all her historical al are' Chinese, Neither her course' with Jupan been #0 ' uninterruptedly pacific ut implicit neo on the stodness, In short, the Mikado's Mini have been curiously sangui looked to supplant China in Cor and it will be as well to Iny ino preruption to their charge until we have tangible proof of its " Ie is matter of total through whol peraunded to enter the comity of nations, la all that concerns her; for gh she is not,' we shall hope, incon-uly haunted by the spectre of Rus.
aggression, she must know that growth is the nomial outcome of national vigour, and that ational growth is simetin more ensily anticipated than checked particular directions.' She may, ther be qitite content with the cours things have taken} f that, if it has fallen to China's lot to be the ostensible agent in introducing Corea to the world, the introduction could scarce!
1 effected 40 ensily without Japan's preliminary nid. We are much mistaken, however, if Li, Hung-chang himeelf finde the measure of his diplomatic trifitiph over full as some people seem to Phot the clause setting forth suzerainty over Corea, though ex:
com the treaty, has been if nny such letter has beoti—will rather amba ning-li Yumen's pos to Riukiu; for if Core ing herself a dependency of the Middle Kingdom, declines to embody any such acknowledgement in her foreign tre those documents can no longer be ci any evidence of a country's political status, ye not taken a humiliating course for Japan, one phase of her relations with Corea can never be any thing bitt a reproach to her. For, though she had maintained her position there without any undue ex-excise of force or intimidation, her policy er respects has been modelled on the very lines which have proved #o irksome to he bly, the public may gerated estimate of her conduct, accurate information being almost inaccessible, but there can - be no mistake, we fear, about' the broad fact that exterritoriality as been abused by her quite as much as by any of the Western Powers: exemption from native jurisdic ion has been stretched' so asto include the obligation of obser the laws of the land; a misconstru which must m il complicatic become men who are not wi cast the first stone," neither is the j: stice of @ principle impugned by the errors of those that suffer from its neglect; but until Japan learns to treat others as she would be treated herself, she must be sutisied with w small measure of sympathy.—Japan Mull.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.