禮部를 통해 접수한 Low 서신에 대한 답신
江華鎭撫使送美國公使照覆
竊詳貴來文殊多出於意望之外者還爲慨歎貴大憲旣稱和好而來妻朝廷本擬以禮相待所以先遣三品官員勞問風濤利涉且請商辦事件卽相禮之道詎意貴員便謂大人之非大員而拒阻逐回乎勞問之官未及回京貴船遽入隘港雖云意非相害所駕者兵船也所載者兵器也百姓軍人安得不驚惑駭怪乎以和睦之道入他國之禮恐不當如是本地曾經兵火恒存戒嚴忽覩非常之擧致有鳴砲之事驚動左右雖深歉愧關隘防範易地皆然今來責以任咎實所未解貴員之必欲會大員商辦者今春信凾專爲丙寅年間二隻商船一救一害欲得根由及嗣後美船如有在境遭難設法相救等事也一隻之爲貴國商船本國之所未諳而載來兇悖之崔蘭軒自取其敗也初非弊國之故害也辨惑文案前後非一今無足更論至若貴商之遭難相救國有成例無庸更事商確本國之於貴邦相去幾萬里天外別界兩相安靖則不待講約而和在其中矣說短說長爭多爭少則雖欲友睦而轉生事端矣以此論之得失利害灼然可判貴憲之任意施行惟在深思熟計耳菲品却之何其隘也不勝歎惜爲此照覆云云 四月二十二日
竊詳貴來文殊多出於意望之外者還爲慨歎貴大憲旣稱和好而來妻朝廷本擬以禮相待所以先遣三品官員勞問風濤利涉且請商辦事件卽相禮之道詎意貴員便謂大人之非大員而拒阻逐回乎勞問之官未及回京貴船遽入隘港雖云意非相害所駕者兵船也所載者兵器也百姓軍人安得不驚惑駭怪乎以和睦之道入他國之禮恐不當如是本地曾經兵火恒存戒嚴忽覩非常之擧致有鳴砲之事驚動左右雖深歉愧關隘防範易地皆然今來責以任咎實所未解貴員之必欲會大員商辦者今春信凾專爲丙寅年間二隻商船一救一害欲得根由及嗣後美船如有在境遭難設法相救等事也一隻之爲貴國商船本國之所未諳而載來兇悖之崔蘭軒自取其敗也初非弊國之故害也辨惑文案前後非一今無足更論至若貴商之遭難相救國有成例無庸更事商確本國之於貴邦相去幾萬里天外別界兩相安靖則不待講約而和在其中矣說短說長爭多爭少則雖欲友睦而轉生事端矣以此論之得失利害灼然可判貴憲之任意施行惟在深思熟計耳菲品却之何其隘也不勝歎惜爲此照覆云云 四月二十二日
별지: 英譯文
Cheng, guardian of Kang-Hoa-fu, Corea, ex-officio general and governor, makes a reply to his excellency the American minister.
I beg to observe that your honorable dispatch contains many things I had not anticipated. I am still as when writing you before perplexed and pained. As your excellency said you were coming on a peaceful and friendly errand, our court proposing to treat you in a befitting manner, before receiving from you information of your arrival, sent officials of the third rank to inquire whether your voyage had been prosperous, and further to ask what the business was which you wanted to discuss and arrange.
This was the course of politeness, but contrary to expectation your subordinate officials said that those persons were not of high rank, denied them an interview, with your excellency, and sent them back. Before the officials who had been sent to inquire of the fatigues of your voyage got back to the capital, your honorable vessels suddenly entered our narrow pass from the sea. Although you had said that you would inflict no injury, yet, as the vessels on board which you came up the river were vessels of war, and were full of implements of war, our people and soldiers could not but be filled with alarm and suspicion, and knew not what to make of it. Now, I apprehend that the way of concord and the rule of propriety in entering another country do not justify this. As this place has before been the scene of battle, it is always strictly guarded. Although I deeply regret the firing affair ― induced by the sudden sight of an unusual thing ― and the alarming of your people, still, to defend a pass leading into your territory is what you would do were the case your own.
Your blaming us recently ― as is shown by the demand for an apology is truly incomprehensible. Your excellency’s insistance upon meeting a high official with whom to consult and settle matters, I presume from your letter of last spring, had reference solely to the affairs of the two merchant vessels in the year 1866. Of these, one was destroyed, while the crew of the other was rescued; and you wished to get at the reason for this difference of treatment, and to make provision for future cases of disaster to American vessels on our coast. That one of the vessels alluded to was a trader of your country was not known to us; and the violent and lawless Tsuy-Lanheen, who came in her, himself brought on the destruction that occurred ― it was not our people who maliciously commenced it. The dispatches that have passed first and last to clear up your suspicions in this case have not been few, and it is not now worth while to discuss it further.
As to rescuing American vessels in distress, our country already has a regulation on this point, and there is, therefore, no necessity for going further and laying it down after consultation.
Again, as our country and yours are separated several myriad li, as if our borders were under a different heaven, we do not interfere with each other’s tranquillity; then without waiting to lay it down in a definitive compact peace exists already in the very fact of our distance and non-interference
To go into a lengthy discussion and debate for more or less, while friendship is what is wished for, will only lead to trouble. With these considerations your excellency can clearly decide which course would be advantageous and which the reverse. Instead of taking such steps as you please, you should rather reflect and consider well that I have said.
Why should you have been so narrow as to decline the trifling presents offered? I cannot sustain my regrets at this.
A necessary communication, 10th year of Tung-Chih, 4th moon, 22d day, June 9, 1871.
I beg to observe that your honorable dispatch contains many things I had not anticipated. I am still as when writing you before perplexed and pained. As your excellency said you were coming on a peaceful and friendly errand, our court proposing to treat you in a befitting manner, before receiving from you information of your arrival, sent officials of the third rank to inquire whether your voyage had been prosperous, and further to ask what the business was which you wanted to discuss and arrange.
This was the course of politeness, but contrary to expectation your subordinate officials said that those persons were not of high rank, denied them an interview, with your excellency, and sent them back. Before the officials who had been sent to inquire of the fatigues of your voyage got back to the capital, your honorable vessels suddenly entered our narrow pass from the sea. Although you had said that you would inflict no injury, yet, as the vessels on board which you came up the river were vessels of war, and were full of implements of war, our people and soldiers could not but be filled with alarm and suspicion, and knew not what to make of it. Now, I apprehend that the way of concord and the rule of propriety in entering another country do not justify this. As this place has before been the scene of battle, it is always strictly guarded. Although I deeply regret the firing affair ― induced by the sudden sight of an unusual thing ― and the alarming of your people, still, to defend a pass leading into your territory is what you would do were the case your own.
Your blaming us recently ― as is shown by the demand for an apology is truly incomprehensible. Your excellency’s insistance upon meeting a high official with whom to consult and settle matters, I presume from your letter of last spring, had reference solely to the affairs of the two merchant vessels in the year 1866. Of these, one was destroyed, while the crew of the other was rescued; and you wished to get at the reason for this difference of treatment, and to make provision for future cases of disaster to American vessels on our coast. That one of the vessels alluded to was a trader of your country was not known to us; and the violent and lawless Tsuy-Lanheen, who came in her, himself brought on the destruction that occurred ― it was not our people who maliciously commenced it. The dispatches that have passed first and last to clear up your suspicions in this case have not been few, and it is not now worth while to discuss it further.
As to rescuing American vessels in distress, our country already has a regulation on this point, and there is, therefore, no necessity for going further and laying it down after consultation.
Again, as our country and yours are separated several myriad li, as if our borders were under a different heaven, we do not interfere with each other’s tranquillity; then without waiting to lay it down in a definitive compact peace exists already in the very fact of our distance and non-interference
To go into a lengthy discussion and debate for more or less, while friendship is what is wished for, will only lead to trouble. With these considerations your excellency can clearly decide which course would be advantageous and which the reverse. Instead of taking such steps as you please, you should rather reflect and consider well that I have said.
Why should you have been so narrow as to decline the trifling presents offered? I cannot sustain my regrets at this.
A necessary communication, 10th year of Tung-Chih, 4th moon, 22d day, June 9, 1871.
색인어
- 이름
- 崔蘭軒
- 지명
- 美國, 美
