While the great mass of the Corean people have no interest whatever in the Government except to escape its far-reaching tentacles, there is a group of men in the capital whom we must except: men who used formerly to belong to the Independence Club, and who have, some of them, seen considera lo of the world, and picked up. odd bits of knowledge here and there. They are rabid patriots, according to their own ideas of pa-triorism, and demand that their country ho recognised as a respectable Power by all nations of the earth, and also that Japan keep her hands off Cores's internal In this class of reformers are a few men of sense, from whom wa might hope much, but the large majority of them are youngsters, wall-eyed, wide-mouthed, ill-balanced, who have no gumption whatever, but who can make a perfect bombardment in the way of noise.
A few days ago one called on the writer. His name is Pak and he had his hair clipped short, wore a pot-hit that came down and camped on his ears, and had on tight pantaloons that refused all intercourse with his shoes.
Said he "1 have been much moved of late by the actions of Yi Chi-yang, the special ambassador to Japan, for have believed that he was really intending to sell the country.
So to rest my mind in the matter, took my revolver and went down to call on him."
Yi evidently condescended to receive the reformer, and explained away his doubts so successfully that the gun was not used.
Such is a sample of the man who thinks to face Japan and say "Thou shalt" and "Thou shalt not."
He cannot see just what concern of his this war is, or why Japan should in any way interfere with Corea, The Japanese are fighting the Russians and, notwithstanding the treaty, Corea and China are indifferent and non-interested neutrals, who are standing by to give dignity to the tussle. As for helping to pay for it with blood, land, or money, never. The thing for Japan to do isto fight all the Russians, put thei out of the peninsula, ar the land of Tonghaks, behead Yi Yang-ik, give the government a paddling or something in oriler to put sense into it, and then go home and mind her own business. If Japan fails in any of these particulars she will not be the friend of Corea. This is the programme as marked out by most of those reformers.
A leader of the party remarked the other day "The Japanese are no better than the Russians."
How do you make that out?" I asked.
"Because they have not strangled Yi Yang-ik, turned Yi Kern-tak and other rascals out of power, or put a straight-jacket on the Emperor."
"But. these little matters are Corea's affair and not Japan's. Why expect Japan to do your house-cleaning for you?"
Tt was all in vain; not only should Japan fight the Russians, but she should set Corea's government in order, and then go away and let the Hermit be at! peace to tangle himself up once more.
There is in the mind of the Corean! reformer, as well as in that of the old) conservative, the thought that he is indeed and in truth' the only gentleman in the Far East, and that others, be they! Japanese ur Manchu, are inferior in! texture, and by nature servants, to do his bidding and not to bother or disturb him.
With this: thought in mind, and at the! same time haunted by a dim suspicion that the Japanese may mean to try some reforms or other, the Corean govermnei has plumed, since the opening of war, to do the very thing that Japan dislikes, so as to prove to the world that she is altogether independent.
The Japanese politely suggest that there be no sympathy shown for Russia. At once the Corean Goveniment's heart goes out secretly for the much-damaged Bear, praying that he may live long and come quickly.
The Japanese bring about a treaty by which Corea is to make no agreement with foreigners without Japan's knowledge. In a few days we hear of a very secret con-, lies; eight heads to it. In comnteutin g thereon, one of the Japanese Corean papers says: Yon (the Government) think that you have drawa up these eight heads secretly, and that no one knows about it, but let me say that the whole thing is out, for, Ch'iin-ji, Shinji, Na-do ji, God knows, the devils know, and I know.
Japan suggests that his Majesty move away from the blackened and charred remains of the Chiing-dong Palace to Ch'ang-tick Kung, where a wide open space and a lovely forest of trees encitolo the royal residence. In response the Emperor calls in all the carpenters available, and goes at building Chiing-dong once more. To yield to the Japanese or any of their requests would be to lose face, dignity, and independence.
Thus has Corea gone step by step, preparing for herself a rough and thorny way. Of course Japan will take reforms in hand, and go into all the little details of them thoroughly for the helpless Corean's sake. When she puts a curb-bridle on the government and drags it through the sandy deserts of real reform, how it will sigh for the leeks and garlic of the laud of Egypt? Yet every well-wisher for Corea can only hope that Japan will take a free hand, for the Emperor and his minions have had every opportunity and have failed persistently.
Mr. Hayashi is now in Japan, we trust with this thought in mind.
To the Corean it was like the touch of a live wire the other day when word came that Japan had asked the use of all her waste land for fifty years, taxes to be paid from the third year on. It is Corea's great awakening in the year 1004. What commotion it has made. There are hot editorials daily in the native papers on Sal-lim-chun-t ak, mountains, woods, fields anil lakes, which is Corea's inter pretation of "waste land." It is understood that the Government has asked the people to join in the shoutings about itand so everywhere in all keys of the gamut we hear these four syllables.
What will the Japanese do in the way of reforms? This we cannot answer. They have already had scrubbed and cleaned many parts of the old pestilential city, but the Augean stable lies still before them. With its accumulation of cwnuchs, magicians, wise-women, sorcerers, dancing-girls, astrologers, ground-doctors, whisperers, tale-bearers, fortune-tellers, it will need a strong' hand: to wash out the Palace, and then " uew government must be taught—from the fundamentals, for Corea knows alittle of what twentieth century government means, as she knew twenty ceux turies ago.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.