2
1st. Sunday. (11th of 26th Moon).
3
A beautiful New Year's Day
4
The Emperor moves the hour hand of the clock to suit his convenience. For instance, a certain event, say some sacrificial ceremony, is to come off at 12 p. m. He gets up at, say, 2 p.m. By the time he gets through toilet, eating, and chatting with his fortune-tellers etc., it is 4 or 5 or 6 p.m. He orders to have the hour hand of the clock moved back to 12 and struck that number. That is, 5 or 6 p.m. is proclaimed by the Imperial order to be 12 a.m. He is a most shameless bag of beggarly vanities. Is he going to live forever? Looks very much like it.
7
In the p.m. made a few New Year calls. Went to see Miss Sontag. It amuses as well as hurts me to notice the efforts she makes to show me how indifferent she is to the struggle between Russia and Japan; that she has not heard any news from or of the Waebers; that to her the Japanese is the same as the Russian, etc. Does she suspect that I am a Japanese spy? or that I am pro-Japanese to the extent of hating everybody having the least sympathy with Russia? When I told her of the surrender of Port Arthur―as I heard of it from General Hasegawa this afternoon―Miss Sontag seemed to be sick. She quietly left the room and did not return. I fully understand her feeling and have sympathy for her mental sufferings.
8
Her room is the rendezvous for all pro-Russian persons in Seoul.
11
the funeral of the Crown Princess. Port Arthur surrendered the day before yesterday. What a glorious event for Japan! While such great events―great events that affect Korea's destinies too-are taking place just across the narrow sea that separates us from the Lyo-Tong peninsula, the Emperor and his ministers are wasting their days and nights in childish ceremonies, in petty intrigues, in sucking the blood of the miserable millions under their damnable power. It is sickening to think of this.
12
Now that Port Arthur has fallen, Japanese will be able to devote their whole strength to the attack of Kuropatkin in Mukden. Japanese's domination of Korea is growing more and more absolute.
13
Mr. Lyon from Shanghai has been helping Mr. Gillet to put the Seoul Y.M.C.A. on a surer basis. But I fear his efforts are not responded to by the Koreans. When the Association first began, many Koreans joined it, being attracted by the novelty and fun. But the novelty wore off and no excitement. They have gradually fallen away. Mr. Gillet tries to raise funds to cover the current expenses to the amount Yen 600. But I fear he can not succeed. Most of the young men who have joined the Y.M.C.A. are either poor or under the power of their parents; they have no money to give. If they have, they are tired of constant and repeated calls for contributions. Tonight after Mr. Lyon's talk, I appealed to the sense of honor of the members to support the association by Koreans. But the most striking remarks seemed to fall on indifferent ears. This race, so dead to all higher motives and principles, is incapable of feeling anything like shame or patriotism.
16
Fine weather continues, neither rain nor snow, regular spring days. Drought felt all over the city. Wells dried up, water famine in consequence.
17
The Japanese Army Headquarters issued proclamations on the 4th, or thereabout, to the effect that the Japanese gendarmes would henceforth assume the responsibility of maintaining order and peace in the City of Seoul and its environs. On the 9th inst., the Il-Chin-Hoi had a big meeting in the old Independence Club, under the protection of the Japanese gendarmes and soldiers, no Korean police or gendarmes allowed to go near the meeting, a practical or concrete illustration of the meaning of the late proclamation
18
According to certain Seoul papers Hayashi sent instructions to the Japanese Consuls at different ports to notify Koreans to appeal to the Japanese Legation through the Consuls in case of being maltreated or squeezed by Korean local authorities. That this was no more rumor is proved by a report of the Kamni of Chinampo who had been requested by the Japanese consul of that port to notify officially the neighboring magistrates to tell their people to appeal to the Japanese authorities in case of being wronged by Korean Officials. The Japanese Consul says in the letter to the Kamni, that the Kong Chin Hoi committing disorderly acts, the Korean governmen used force to disperse the Kong-Chin-Hoi and the Il-Chin-Hoi thus provoking a serious disturbance in Seoul; but that through the intervention of the Japanese Minster and the Japanese gendarmes, order was restore on the 29th ult.
19
By virtue of the Korean-Japanese Agreement, says the consul, Japan is responsible for the maintenance of order in Korea―hence the Consul is instructed by his superior authorities □ notify if they have any grievances. They can get □ress by appealing to the Japanese authorities―hence no need of organizing societies such as Il-Chin or Kong-Chin which is a foolish waste of money and time!
20
Here we have the whole explanation of the Japanese motives for getting up and supporting the Il-Chin-Hoi viz. Japanese got them up throughout the country in order to have the pretext for proclaiming martial law all over the land and for assuming the open attitude of a civil protector. That is by utilizing the ignorant Il-Chin-Hoi, Japan has finally proclaimed military and civil protection over Korea.
21
While the country thus quietly slips away from the control of Koreans, the Emperor and his Ministers are busy with sacrificial rites and oppressive measures.
22
Japanese are trying to take over this control of the Korean postal and telegraph system. When all the mechanisms of internal administration shall have been seized, Japanese will openly ask the Foreign Powers represented here to withdraw their diplomatic representatives from Seoul. Korea then will be, both internally and externally, the dependency of Japan.
23
The steps by which Japanese have arrived at this result are unrivalled for their crookedness and treachery.
24
In the meanwhile, there is nothing sacred in the eyes of Japanese in Korea. The lower Japanese behave exactly like so many wolves among sheep.
25
My cousin, Chisung who has just returned from Japan, thinks that the Japanese oppression and tyranny and meanness, driving every Korean anti-Japanese, is rather a blessing in disguise, as hatred alone will keep alive the seed of independence in the bosom of a Korean so willing to be a slave.
26
Put in record on the 3rd March.
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