Page:Japan by the Japanese (1904).djvu/227

Commissioner, with Kin-ban-shoku as associate High Commissioner, and Jo-ko-han as secretary, with letter and presents from her King to the Emperor of Japan, who received them in audience in the palace in Tokyo. At the same time the Corean Minister of Finance Bin-ei-yoku, Kin-giok-kin, and Li-fuk-kwan, also came, and were received by the Emperor in private audience. The intercourse of these men with the high circles of Japan doubtless led to the strengthening of the Japanese party in Corea.

Lord Iwakura, who had been obliged to retire from active politics on account of illness, died in July, 1883. A fortnight later Ito returned from Europe after having studied the constitutional systems of England, Germany, and Austria, and he and Inouye became the centre of political life in Tokyo. The study of German law, politics, and administration now came into vogue, and Inouye began systematically the work of Europeanizing Japan, in order to place her on the same level with Western nations, and thus facilitate the last work of the new Imperial Government, namely, the revision of the treaties with foreign Powers.

On the 7th of July, 1884, were instituted the five classes of nobility, and, besides the nobles of the old Imperial Court and the ex-Daimyos already ennobled in the beginning of the New Era, many new nobles were created among the Samurais who had rendered service to the new Imperial Government. Lord Sanjo and the successor of Lord Iwakura were created Princes, and Ito, Inouye, Yamagata, Soyejima, Okuma, Matsukata, etc., were made Counts (of these Ito and Yamagata were afterwards made Marquises).

As to Corea, many Western Powers followed Japan, and entered into treaty relations with her, such as England, America, France, and Germany in 1883, and Russia in 1884.

Some Japanese politicians, like the ex-Councillor Count Goto and Fukuzawa, founder of Keiwogijiku, a private school of politics and social science, now formed the idea of reforming Corea through the aid of Japan, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Count Inouye, was not entirely adverse to the idea. A certain sum of money advanced by the Yokohama Specie Bank was put at their disposal for the purpose of founding political newspapers in Seoul, for training Corean soldiers, and the like; and the disciples and agents of Count Goto and Fukuzawa went out to Corea to write the papers or corroborate the schemes of reform.

The Japanese Government appointed Takezoyé, a Chinese