Tae letters we publish elsewhere from our Chefoo and Tientsin Correspondents suggest possibil of far. reaching consequence. China is Into in discovering the fatality of her yen-nay policy in, the matter of Corea, but she appears to have woke up at last, and we now hear that she has sent off a considerable fleet of war-vessels to assert herself on the Corean coast, while troops are being massed upon the frontier. What this may lead to may be guessed, but it would be unwise at the present juncture of affairs to indulge in any specific forecast, China has said repeatedly, and placed the assertion on record in State documents, that she has nothing whatever to do with the external relations of Corea, which is free to make what Treaties she chooses with foreign Powers. Bat when Chinacommitted herself to thi probably never entertained the possi ty of Corea making a Treaty which impaired her own integrity, and handed her over to the Protectorate of Russia, The Chinese authorities are naturally exasperated and alarmed at the Nemesis thet has come upon them, and grave disquietude must also exist. in Tokio, where the designs of Russia cannot have been entirely unsuspected however little the advisers of the Mikado may have bestirred themselves to prevent aggression. Bat it is China that is in the most embarrassed situation; for, by her present action, she violates that clause of the Ito Treaty which terbic her to send troops to Corea without first informing Jepan, and also virtually takes up arms against a friendly Powor—Russia—whoeo only act hae been to make a Trealy with a country which, by China's own showing, is perfectly independent of her control. All these events render it more than ever necessary that we should hold on to Port Hamilton, and we are glad to hear that, in spite of the scare which existed a short time ago, and to which we drew attention, there are no signs at present of our relinquishing that position. 'I'he Chinese Government will probably feel thankful, now, that we have obtained it, But what, we should like to know, has the Chinese representative in Seoul been about all this time, while Russia was negotiating her-secret Treaty Did he not keep his Government informed of what was going on, or was ho ignorant of the whole affair? The interests of the United States in China and Japan are also largely involved in the late arrangement; and here again we have a question that will crop up shortly, and lend to serious complications. In fact there is scarcely a" Power represented in the Far Enst that is not deeply interested in the Russianization of Corea, and we predict that before many weeks are over our heads questions of inter national gravity and the most urgent importance will have come up for solation.
CATS IN CHINA, ese for domesticated birds, a partiality which may be noticed any day by those who live in China, Where a Haropean takes his dog out for a walk, a Chinaman carries a cage, imprisoned in which is one of these pote; and when he site down to rest be hangs the cage upon a tree, in order that he may enjoy the flood of melody which is poured forth from the bird's throat, It doos not appear, however, as though the Chine ese made pets of any other creatures, Phe Inpdog and the fireside cat are very nearly unknown in China, The horse does not meet with that pride and affection from his owner that is 60 invariably the case in England; the mule is taken better care of, but is certainly not regarded in the light of a bumble friend. The singing or the talking bird, in fact, seems to enjoy a monopoly of all the regard which the Chinaman la cupable of feeling for the lower orders of creation, and when we consider the inherent cruelty and callousness of the Chinese in their dealings with dumb things the bird has every reason to be thankful for its Jack, And here we are met. by very curious consi That religion which is most widely spread, and exercises the greatest influence, among the Chinese' people, is not only based upon mercy as oe of its most essential principles, but Quo popular religious work goes so far as to say, "Do nob injure even:: little ingeote; or grass, or trees; " and severely
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.