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scene occurred. As the Japanese demand for satisfaction was very modest, the Corean Minister was inclined to accept all, when suddenly the Chinese Commissioner, Go-dai-cho, introduced himself into the chamber of negotiations without notice or invitation, and wanted to know the substance of what was being negotiated. Count Inouye refused to do anything with him, and then Go-dai-cho, taking a piece of paper, wrote the following words and gave it to the Count:
‘Mediation of a third Power between two nations in conflict has precedents; but if not accepted, I will not force it. I only wish that the terms imposed in Corea be fair and moderate.’
On another piece of paper he wrote down some threatening words, and, giving it to the Corean Minister, silently walked away.
On the next day was signed the Treaty of Seoul, by which Corea accepted five things, namely: (1) To send a special Mission to Japan to express regret for the late event; (2) to pay 110,000 yen as indemnity for the Japanese killed or wounded in Corea, as well as for the properties of the Japanese subjects destroyed; (3) to punish severely those guilty of the murder of Captain Isobayashi, who had been in the interior when the disturbance occurred; (4) to offer ground and pay 20,000 yen for the rebuilding of the Japanese Legation; (5) to rebuild a barracks for the Japanese soldiers at the expense of the Corean Government. As no provision was made for obtaining amnesty for the political crimes of the Japanese party, and as the indemnity was also much less than the sum obtained in 1882, the treaty caused some dissatisfaction in Japan; but it must be remembered that the chief care of Count Inouye was fixed upon quite another point—namely, that of obtaining official recognition from the Corean Government that the Japanese Minister, Takezoyé, was not implicated in the crime committed on the 4th of December.
Corea sent Jo-so-u and Mollendorff to Japan, as stipulated in the treaty, and also decapitated the murderers of Captain Isobayashi in the presence of the members of our Legation. Thus the account with Corea was settled, but there still remained the most delicate portion of the affair, namely, the necessity of making China responsible for the conduct of her soldiers in Corea, which was tantamount to making her disavow her claim to suzerainty. This difficult task was confided to Count Ito, lately returned from Europe, and actually filling the post of the Councillor and Minister of the Imperial Household. He was appointed Ambassador on a special mission to China in February, 1885, and the Councillor Count Yorimichi Saigo accompanied him.