sake of argument that the Japanese people
were far superior in intelligence to the other people of Asia, or that
they possessed a peculiar characteristic which impelled them to the
adoption of the Western civilization, or even both, our position will
not be altered, for the progressive idea of Japan has already reached
across the sea to the continent of Asia, giving rise to an event in
Korea. In December, 1884, the two political factions of that country,
one of which was liberal and the other conservative, respectively,
representing the Japanese and the Chinese principles, disputed for
supremacy. The positive and negative currents, as of electricity, met
at the peninsula, and produced a spark of revolution.[10]

[10] There was another agitation in Korea in 1882, but this was
a mere uprising of the mob against the Japanese staying in
that country, and not of grave political importance. For
the details of both these events, the reader is referred to
"A Korean _Coup D' Etat_," an entertaining article by
Perceval Lowell, _Atlantic Monthly_, November, 1886. This
poverty-stricken country, with an imbecile sovereign at the
helm of state, and with no organized array, is practically
under the control of the Chinese government, though
nominally she is independent. Some European powers, who seem
to consider that the greatness of a nation is commensurate
with its success in its territorial aggrandizement are
casting eyes at her, in vain let us hope, for the sake of
Korea. While the influence of China is so predominant, she
cannot accomplish much. A _coup d' etat_ might be needed a
few times more, before she can become an independent nation
in the fullest sense of the words. At any rate, her prospect
is dubious enough at present.

Although, unfortunately for Korea, the liberals were vanquished, and
its chief leaders were banished from their native country, the
significance of the phenomenon does not lose its weight on that
account. The tidal wave of progress, once repulsed, is not likely to
subside forever. Meantime, it is worth while to notice, that even
under the undisputed administration of the victorious conservatives,
the nation could not remain aloof from the rest of the world. Besides
entering into treaties with some western and eastern nations, Korea