Sir H.S. Parkes to Earl Granville.—(Received May 20)

(No. 66 Confidential)Peking, March 31, 1884

My Lord,

IT is unsatisfactory to me to have to inform your Lordship that I have received some indications, which appear to denote that the exchange of the ratifications of the Treaty with Corea may not be effected as smoothly as could be desired. Japanese newspapers have several times declared that the Corean Government do not intend to carry out the Treaties they have concluded with Great Britain and Germany, but I should not attach much significance to such statements coming from that quarter, were it not that the Grand Secretary Li Hung-chang spoke strongly against those Treaties in a conversation which he held with Mr. Davenport, Her Majesty’s Consul at Tien-tsin on the 11th instant.
I had instructed Mr. Davenport to endeavour to learn from his Excellency whether there was any truth in a report which had become prevalent, that the Chinese Government intended to send back to Corea the Tai-Yun-kun, or ex-Regent, with a additional force of Chinese troops. This Prince—the father of the King of Corea—was carried away as a prisoner to China, as your Lordship is aware, in consequence of having instigated the revolt and massacres, and the attack on the Japanese Legation, which occurred in July 1882. He has since remained in exile at Pau-ting-fu, the capital of this province, in the charge of Li Hung-chang. Being the head of the Conservative party in Corea which is opposed to foreign relations, and intolerant of any other ideas than those which Corea has for centuries past derived from China, that party naturally desires the restoration of the Prince, and his adherents are constantly intriguing to effect that end.
Li Hung-chang observed to Mr. Davenport that the Prince had committed no offence, which, if true, would utterly condemn the course taken by the Chinese Government in making him a prisoner, and his Excellency added that it would not be right to keep him in confinement for ever, which was a more reasonable observation. He admitted that there was some trouble in Corea which he was taking measures to pacify, but he declared that the recent British and German Treaties were the cause of that trouble, and that the Coreans were greatly dissatisfied with them. That although Corea was a subject state of China, I had not consulted him as I should have done before negotiating the British Treaty; that I had secured all sorts of advantages to foreigners without corresponding benefit to the Coreans, and had acted altogether too precipitately, swallowing, as he expressed it, the whole cupful at one draught. The Coreans would have been quite content with Admiral Willes’ Treaty, but they were opposed to mine, and wanted the ex-Regent to return in order to extricate them from the difficulty which I had created.
This adverse criticism of that Treaty is wholly at variance with the favourable opinion of it which his Excellency expressed on my return from Corea, and which I reported to your Lordship in my despatch No. 43 of the 7th December.
The Japanese Chargé d’Affaires has also informed me that the Japanese Legation at Söul had reported to Tôkiô that endeavours were being made by the opposition party in Corea to obtain the release of the ex-Regent, and that the Legation had been warned that if these endeavours should succeed civil commotion might ensue, which would probably be directed against the Japanese as well as against the authority of the King.
These circumstances determined me on receipt of your Lordship’s telegrams Nos. 8 and 10 to proceed to Shanghae, in order to meet there the ratifications and my credentials as Minister, and thus be able to go on at once to Corea, if it should be desirable to do so. It appeared to me important, however, that before proceeding there myself I should endeavour to obtain information as to the state of affairs in Corea, and also some assurance that the Corean Government would not offer objections to the exchange of the ratifications.
I have therefore sent Mr. Hillier to Söul with this purpose. I furnished him with the inclosed letter to the President of the Foreign Board who negotiated the Treaty, informing him that it had been ratified by Her Majesty, and that I trusted it had also been ratified by the King. That I had been appointed Her Majesty’s Minister to Corea, and should be prepared to proceed there to exchange the ratifications and deliver my credentials on hearing from his Excellency that his Government were prepared to receive me for this purpose.
I also add a copy of the instructions I gave to Mr. Hillier. He will be conveyed from Chefoo to Söul and back to Chefoo in a gun-vessel which the naval Commander-in-chief, Sir William Dowell, had been so good as to send on this service. The reply which he will bring me from the President or the information he will obtain will enable me to judge whether the Corean Government are ready to adhere to their engagements. They may perhaps have been told that as Her Majesty’s Government declined to ratify Admiral Willes’ Treaty, they may exercise similar liberty in regard to the Treaty concluded by myself. If they are disposed to act upon such unwise counsel it is obviously desirable that I should be warned of their intention, and that I should seek the instructions of your Lordship before attempting to deal with the very unpleasant position which would thus be created.

I have, &c.
(Signed)　　HARRY S. PARKES

Inclosure 1

Sir H.S. Parkes to Mr. Hillier

Sir, Peking, March 27, 1884

AS it is necessary that I should communicate with the Government of Corea for the objects with which you are acquainted, I have to instruct you to proceed to Söul for that purpose.
I conclude that you will find on your arrival at Chefoo that the Commander of Her Majesty’s gun-boat stationed at that port is in readiness to embark you on your arrival there, as the naval Commander-in-chief informed me by telegraph on the 24th instant that he had ordered that officer to take you from that port to Corea, and to bring you back to Chefoo.
On reaching Chemulpo you will at once proceed to Söul, and apply for and interview with the President of the Foreign Board, to whom you will deliver the despatch which I have addressed to his Excellency. You are at liberty to use your own discretion as to whether this despatch should be delivered at or prior to the interview.
You will request his Excellency to set on foot at once the arrangements which should be made for my reception, and you will endeavour to secure for the accommodation of myself and suite the buildings we occupied on our former visit. You will charge Mr. Scott, who accompanies you, with the supervision of the details of these arrangements, and he will remain at Söul to carry out your directions.
You will use your best efforts to obtain from the President, as early as possible, a reply to my despatch of the character I have requested, and as soon as you have received it you will return to Chefoo, where I expect to arrive about the 10th proximo. In case I should have left Chefoo before you return there, you will follow me to Shanghae by the first opportunity.
I inclose a letter to the Commander of Her Majesty’s ship “Cockchafer,” requesting him to embark yourself, Mr. Scott, and servants.

I am, &c.
(Signed)　　HARRY S. PARKES

Inclosure 2

Sir H.S. Parkes to Min Yöng-nok.

Sir, Peking, March 27, 1884

I HAVE the honour to inform Your Excellency that I shall shortly proceed to Corea in order to exchange the ratifications of the Treaty which I concluded with Your Excellency on the 26th November last.
I have also the satisfaction of informing your Excellency that my Sovereign the Queen and Empress has been graciously pleased to appoint me to be Her Majesty’s Minister to Corea.
I feel confident that your Excellency will see in these acts of Her Majesty’s Government, a distinguished proof of their desire to cultivate the most friendly relations with the Government of His Majesty the King, and to promote the development of mutually advantageous intercourse between the people of both countries.
I consider it to be due to your Excellency to give you the earliest intimation in my power of my approaching visit, and I accordingly depute my secretary, Mr. Hillier, who is already well-known to your Excellency, to proceed to Söul for the purpose of delivering to you this note.
As Her Majesty the Queen and Empress has already ratified the Treaty, I trust that your Excellency will inform me, in reply, that it has already been ratified by His Majesty the King. Mr. Hillier will wait for this reply, and as soon as I receive it I shall proceed to Söul to exchange the ratifications, and deliver my credentials as Minister.
I gladly take advantage of this opportunity to renew to your Excellency the assurance of my highest consideration.

I have, &c.
(Signed)　　HARRY S. PARKES