Legation of the United States
Peking

Confidential
My dear Commodore: ――

Thanks for your note of the 1st instant with Irescots/Prescots letter which I return herewith. I am anxious to see you and talk over the Corean matter before long. I am convinced that Li’s main idea in sending an officer of his over to Corea with our Commissioner is to thereby control to a large extent the course of negotiation and practically to dictate the nature of the treaty to be made. I have private information that he has drafted and sent to Corea a scheme for such a treaty as he thinks Corea should make with us and that this document is already in the hands of the Government at Seoul. I even know in a general way what source of its provisions are.
I am afraid that if our Govt. gives any very definite instructions to its commissioner they may hinder quite as much as keep him, partly from the peculiar situation of affairs in Corea, and partly because of the fact their source of the most natural things to ask are just the last things which Corea would grant. For example, the right to travel under passport in the interior; and the so called “religious toleration article” will, so I am informed, not be conceded by Corea, and there is even danger of difficulty on the exterritorial question. Yet these are all points which our Government would naturally expect to be conceded, and the concession of the last she must of course insist upon. On the whole business I am strongly of opinion that the best course for the department to take would be to give only very general instructions to its Envoy in advance reserving naturally the right to accept or reject the treaty made upon a close examination of its details accompanied and explained by the reports of its Agent. But I want to talk over all this with you, and if you are agreeable perhaps you had better come up as soon as Levitts and his party go back. I will write you officially to this effect at a later moment.
Thanks for the information about Sir Thomas Wades’ talks with Li on opium. It is safe to assume that neither England nor China will accept such a scheme.

You know of course that Frelinghuysen is Secretary of State.
With best regards to Miss Shufeldt and yourself in which Mrs. Holcombe joins,
Yours Sincerely,
Chester Holcombe