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No. 146.]

No. 233.

Mr. Foulk to Mr. Frelinghuysen.

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,

Seoul, Corea, January 31, 1885. (Received March 16.) SIR: I have the honor to submit the following relative to the situa tion in Corea :

His Majesty the King is authoritatively stated to have yielded the administration of the Government exclusively to the Oi-jöng-pu (or ministerial body) upon the demand of the conservative faction of the Government. This faction has also demanded the execution of Kim-Ok-Kiun and four other of the late conspirators, all of whom are now in Japan, to which country they escaped immediately after the late revolutionary attempt.

His Majesty, exhausted with care and business consequent upon the recent difficulties, and augmented by exposure, has been quite ill, but is now recovering.

The torture and trial of twelve persons implicated in the conspiracy were concluded on the 27th instant, and they were sentenced to death. Six were executed a few hundred yards from this legation and five on the main street of the city on the 28th and 29th instant.

These persons were placed face down in the streets and decapitated by from six to ten blows of a dull instrument, while a rope secured to the ques served to open the wounds. The bodies were all dismembered and distributed about the streets for exposure for three or four days. The twelfth victim died in prison from voluntary starvation and the ef fects of his torture. Of these twelve persons one was a student of high birth, the others underlings and headmen of the houses of the conspirators.

A great number of other persons had been hunted down and tortured. This augmented the consternation which already existed after the émeute, and thousands of citizens fled from the city; these are now returning and the populace in general is quieting down.

The two Chinese ambassadors yet remain in the city with a considerable body of troops. The Japanese legation, temporarily outside the west gate of the city, is in charge of a chargé d'affaires, and is the headquarters of six hundred Japanese soldiers under the command of a colonel. Japanese civilians come into the city, but through distrust on the part of the Coreans, may not rent quarters within the walls.

The other powers (except Russia and Italy, who have no representatives in Corea), namely, England and Germany, are represented by an acting consul-general and an acting commissioner, respectively. I have reason to believe that active foreign intercourse of the Corean foreign office is as yet confined to this legation. This I inaugurated as soon as the foreign office had recovered sufficiently from the paralyzing effects of the émeute in attempting to ascertain the position of the Government and His Majesty with regard to contracts made with Americans before the attempted revolt. These were exclusively originated in the King's name, I find, and by his authority. While the way is not entirely clear as to their fulfillment the outlook to this effect is favorable, precluding, of course, any new difficulties.

I am, &c.,

GEORGE C. FOULK, Ensign, U. S. Navy, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim.

No. 148.]

No. 234.

Mr. Foulk to Mr. Frelinghuysen.

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,

Seoul, Corea, February 10, 1885. (Received March 16.)

SIR: On the morning of the 8th instant the Chinese ambassadors, dispatched to Corea upon the occasion of the late revolutionary attempt, took their departure from Seoul to return to China, removing, from the city at least, the major part of the Chinese troops which have been stationed there.

On the day before their departure they were visited by His Majesty, the King of Corea, who moved to their headquarters, nearly a mile distant from the royal palace, in an imposing procession. The interview lasted upwards of two hours.

As to the character of the negotiations of these ambassadors during their prolonged stay in the capital, it has been impossible to ascertain, but it is not unlikely that they were of much significance.

On the 2d instant a board of high officers, forming a part of the department of justice, memorialized the King for the lives of the womeu of the houses of the conspirators who are now in Japan. This created considerable excitement, and it was generally believed the women, who are as yet hiding in the mountains, would be arrested; however, on the following day the Official Gazette announced that the offices of the memorialists would be taken from them, and that their memorial had been disapproved of by His Majesty.

I have, &c.,

GEORGE C. FOULK,

Ensign, U. S. Navy, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim.

No. 150.]

No. 235.

Mr. Foulk to Mr. Frelinghuysen.

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,

Seoul, Corea, March 1, 1885. (Received April 27.)

SIR: On the night of February 23 ultimo a conflagration broke out in the district adjoining this legation on the north, and a quantity of valuable timber, together with the buildings which contained it, all the property of the Corean Government, were totally destroyed. The fire is supposed to have been the work of an incendiary, and to have some bearing upon the intended removal of the royal family to a palace, for repairing which the timber was intended.

Owing to the very close proximity of the fire to this legation, and the fact that fires are not unfrequently started as signals, or to draw people together as preliminaries to acts of violence in Corea, considerable apprehension was felt, more particularly among the natives of this district; this, however, appears to have been groundless. Several hundred soldiers were dispatched, and the fire subdued in an orderly manner. The special object of this communication is to inform you that upon the breaking out of the fire the commandant of the Japanese force sta

tioned here promptly dispatched a guard of soldiers to this legation for its protection. With my understanding of the times and this country, I deem this to have been a highly commendable act, and have addressed a special letter to the Japanese representative here, expressing for it my thanks and appreciation on behalf of our Government.

I am, sir,

GEORGE C. FOULK,

Ensign, U. S. Navy, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim.

No. 151.]

No. 236.

Mr. Foulk to Mr. Frelinghuysen.

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES

Seoul, Corea, March 5, 1885. (Received April 27.) SIR: There is residing at Seoul au American physician, Dr. H. N. Allen, who has been sent here to render gratuitious service as such purely, and with the view of establishing for the Government or people of Corea a hospital, by the American Presbyterian Board of Missions. Immediately following the revolutionary attempt of December last Dr. Allen rendered great service to a large number of Coreans and Chinese soldiers who had been wounded.

In January last I brought the subject of establishing a hospital before the notice of the Corean Government and proposed Dr. Allen's scheme. This has met with high approval from the Government and been accepted. A large house is nearly ready for use as a hospital, of which Dr. Allen will be in charge, assisted by a second American physician, soon to arrive. The only foreign expense incurred will be about $300 per year for medicines.

I am, &c.,

GEORGE C. FOULK, Ensign, U. S. Nary, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim.

No. 35.]

No. 237.

Mr. Bayard to Mr. Foulk.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
Washington, March 19, 1885.

SIR: I have received your No. 146 of January 31 last, concerning affairs in Corea subsequent to the recent revolutionary attempt, and although your dispatch has been read not without interest as showing the true situation, yet the torturing punishment in putting to death those implicated in the conspiracy cannot but be looked upon by civilization everywhere as the most brutal and inhuman.

I am, &c.,

T. F. BAYARD.

No. 38.]

No. 238.

Mr. Bayard to Mr. Foulk.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, April 30, 1885. SIR: I have received your No. 150 of March 1 last, concerning the detail of a Japanese guard to protect the United States legation at Seoul during a conflagration which occurred on the night of February 23 last.

I have communicated a copy of your dispatch to the United States minister at Tokio, Mr. Bingham, and have requested him to supplement your acknowldgment of that courteous act by a formal note to the Government of Japan, conveying an expression of the sincere and grateful thanks of the United States for this sigual and friendly service. I am, &c.,

T. F. BAYARD.

No. 176.]

No. 239.

Mr. Foulk to Mr. Bayard

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,

Seoul, Corea, May 30, 1885. (Received July 13.) SIR: It gives me pleasure to report that the Government hospital which formed the subject of my dispatch No. 151, dated March 5, is in. successful operation, and promises to be a permanent institution of the Corean Government. The buildings were fitted up in the Corean style, with only such innovations as were absolutely necessary to accommodate fifty in door patients, and to admit of a dispensary, waiting rooms, and rooms for surgical operations.

The opening of the hospital was announced in a general proclamation to the whole country. The opening, of an informal character, took place on February 25, when some thirty patients were treated. Since then the daily applications for treatment have been very numerous, and the average number of cases treated daily, except Sundays, has been about sixty. The diseases presented are in a great measure of the most horrible orders, and with their great number show the most deplorable sanitary wretchedness of the Corean people.

The readiness with which people of all classes, ages, and sexes patronize the hospital is very remarkable when it is considered how distrustful Orientals are in other countries in accepting Western medical treatment and the early stage of Corean development. It may be largely due to the fact that His Majesty and the members of the royal family repeatedly were treated by Dr. Allen.

At the time of establishing this hospital there yet existed in name a hospital called "Hei-min-so," founded some four hundred years ago, but for more than a century past entirely obsolete so far as its service was concerned; nevertheless nearly a thousand persons held positions under this old system and have been drawing salaries from the Government. With the establishment of the new hospital, the Hei-min-so was abolished by decree, only a few of its attaches being retained for service in the new hospital. It is natural to suppose there would be much feeling engendered by sweeping away thus an ancient institution upon which

so many livlihoods were dependent, but no such feeling whatever has been apparent.

A small sum of money is exacted from each patient who can afford to pay for medicine or treatment, and in this way the hospital is already made more than self-supporting. A number of bright young men and women have been attached to the hospital to study medicine.

I have, &c.,

GEORGE C. FOULK,

Ensign, U. S. Navy, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim.

No. 177.]

No. 240.

Mr. Foulk to Mr. Bayard.

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,

Seoul, Corea, May 30, 1885. (Received July 13.) SIR: I have the honor to report that affairs in Corea are in a more peaceful and harmonious state than at any time heretofore since the disturbances of December last. Serious apprehension, which had been giving rise to disturbing rumors, was allayed by the happy termination of the conference at Peking between Japan and China.

At present the chief topic of speculation among the Government officers and the nobles is the expected return of the Tai-wen-kun, the~ father of the King and ex-regent, who was carried to China after the revolt of the troops of Seoul in 1882; his return is expected as one of the results of the Peking conference. By a large class of the most powerful nobles, who are influential through connection with the family of the Queen, the return of the Tai-wen kun is greatly dreaded, as his having been carried to China was due to his attempt to cut off their influence in 1882, and even to remove the Queen. An embassy of three members was appointed by His Majesty to go to China to bring back Tai-wen-kun early in this month, but it has not yet started, the delay being stated to be due to the opposition of the Queen's party to the return of the Tai-wen-kuu.

By the masses of the people the possible return of the Tai-wen-kun would seem to be hailed with pleasure. He is known to be a man of much firmness of character, of great ability, and great power among the people, and more particularly as being an intensely patriotic Corean. While foreigners in Corea are unable to foretell the effect of his return, they generally express satisfaction at its possibility under the hope that he may introduce the spirit of firmness and decision now so lamentably absent in the Government. The Tai-wen-kun is now about sixty-seven years old, but yet physically and mentally sound and energetic.

In March last the people of the district called Yö ju arose in arms against the local governor or pusa in an attempt to resist excessive and illegal taxation; they destroyed the governor's house and seriously injured a number of his agents. The governor was a member of the Min family of nobles, against which feeling is strong all over the country. Troops were promptly sent to Yö ju, the rebellion quelled, and the gov ernor removed and punished.

During the present month a similar rebellion broke out at the capital of Kang wou province, directed here also against the governor, who was also a Min. A stockade was built about the yamens, three of the agents

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