very kindly treated by the people, and handed over to the officers in Manchuria, whose treatment was, on the other hand, in utter contrast with that of the Coreans, very harsh, the poor men not having enough to eat. However, owing to the exertions and expostulations of Père Gillie, a French missionary at Mukten, they were sent to the consul at Niuchwang. I have to request, therefore, that orders may be immediately sent to the officers in Manchuria that if the Coreans should deliver over these 24 men to them, to treat them with kindness and protect them, and not with the harshness shown to the former company. All expenses incurred by the authorities there on account of these men will be repaid by the government of the United States. I have, &c., S. WELLS WILLIAMS. Notice of blockade of the river Seoul by the French naval squadron. [Translation.] The undersigned, rear-admiral and commander-in-chief of the naval forces of his Majesty the Emperor of the French, in the China and Japan seas, in furtherance of the measures which have been deemed necessary in consequence of the murder of many French missionaries by the government of Corea, and by virtue of the powers belonging to me as commander-in-chief, hereby declares, that after the 15th day of this month the river Seoul, by all its entrances, will be held in a state of effective blockade by the naval forces under my command. All vessels which shall attempt to violate this blockade will be treated according to international laws, and the treaties in force with neutral powers. Given on board the Guerrire, Chefoo roads, October 5, 1866. G. ROSE. Mr. Williams to Mr. Seward. No. 45.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I have the honor to send you a communication (translated) from Señor V. F. Arminjon, the plenipotentiary of the King of Italy, and my reply, (enclosures A, B,) relating to his mission to China. Prince Kung immediately responded to his proposal to negotiate a treaty, and appointed Tang Ting-siang, one of the members of the foreign office, and Tsunghau, to arrange the details. A treaty was signed on the 26th instant, at Peking, which places the Italians on the same footing as the most favored nation. It contains 55 articles, whose stipulations include all the advantages which have been gradually obtained from the Chinese government by other nations, and embodied in their several treaties, disposed in such an order as to exhibit the present relations between China and other countries. The Italian envoy and suite left to-day for Tientsin, where he is to complete the signing of the treaty with Tsunghau, the other commissioner on the part of the Chinese. I may state, in this connection, that the Portuguese treaty which was negotiated in 1862 has not yet been ratified, nor has any new proposition been received from them respecting the adjustment of differences. The Spanish treaty which was arranged in 1864 has not yet been ratified, but the exchange of ratifications will ere long be made, and also those of the Belgian treaty. China has now entered into treaty relations with all the European powers except Austria, Turkey, and Greece. I have the honor to be, sir, your most obedient servant, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C. Mr. Arminjon to Mr. Williams. PEKING, September 30, 1866. M. LE MINISTRE: I have the honor to inform you of my arrival in Peking as plenipotentiary from his Majesty the King of Italy to his Majesty the Emperor of China. My mission has for its object to negotiate and sign a solemn treaty of friendship commerce and navigation. The government of his Majesty my august sovereign has decided that it can delay no longer to aid in the success of the cause of civilization that most of the nations of European origin are desirous should prevail in eastern Asia, and it wishes to bring to this work all its own influence so far as the means now at its disposal permit. It justly thinks that to accomplish this end the concurrence (intente) of Christian powers should be unreserved in this place in order to bring it about as soon as possible. Italy has arrived in China at the last hour. But then it will be unjust if she cannot obtain all the advantages possessed by other powers, which have made sacrifices to establish themselves in this part of Asia, and if the same consideration is not accorded to her in everything. In Europe Italy has been the cradle of science and arts, and the home of their revival; its claims to the recognition of humanity are as noble as they are ancient. It is with these views, sir, that I have come to claim the efficacious support of the diplomatic corps now residing in Peking. The commercial interests of Italians are not yet extensive in Chinese ports; but it is not alone the spirit of speculation and trade which has given rise to the expedition of which I am the head. The government of King Victor Emanuel cannot doubt that Italy will, without difficulty, obtain the material privileges which the subjects of all other nations really enjoy; but it will not put its hand to a convention by which the country shall be placed in a position of relative inferiority. I have the honor to present to you, sir, the sentiments of my high consideration. V. F ARMINJON, Plenipotentiary of his Majesty the King, and Post Captain His Excellency DR. WILLIAMS, Mr. Williams to Mr. Arminjon. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, M. LE MINISTRE: I have great pleasure in acknowledging the despatch of the 30th ultimo which your excellency has done me the honor to address to me, informing me of your arrival in Peking as the plenipotentiary of his Majesty the King of Italy to negotiate a treaty of peace, commerce and navigation with the Chinese. I desire to heartily congratulate you on your arrival in this capital on such a mission of civilization, and to assure you that I shall be most happy to aid, as far as I can, in your efforts to negotiate such a treaty as shall place the Italian nation on the same footing in China as other Christian powers. The United States must especially rejoice at the progress of Italy in every essential element of prosperity and stability, and your presence in this city on your high mission furnishes additional proof of her advance in national greatness. Your excellency's arrival recalls the ancient days when the Emperor Antonius sent his envoy to seek China, but how changed now are the positions of Europe and China! A higher progress in international comity, and a better appreciation of her own position, are likely to result to the latter. I can hardly suppose that you will have any difficulty in placing the diplomatic relations of the two countries on an honorable basis by arranging the terms of a treaty from which may flow many benefits. I avail myself of this opportunity to assure your excellency of the high consideration with which I am, sir, your obedient servant, SIR: The Messrs. Baring, in reply to a letter from the department on the subject, have stated that it would not be convenient for them to purchase bills on you for the surplus of the Chinese indemnity. They suggest that you be authorized to purchase bills on London with that surplus, and remit the same to them. The department has informed them that this suggestion, if adopted at all, probably would not be carried into effect until after the next session of Congress. obedient servant, . I am, sir, your ANSON BURLINGAME, Esq., &c., &c., &c. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. No. 122.] Mr. Burlingame to Mr. Seward. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I have the honor to inform you that, on the 20th of November last, I had an interview with Prince Kung, at the Tsung li Yamen, of more than ordinary interest. After the usual formalities and felicitations, the Prince dismissed, with the exception of his official suite, his attendants, and proceeded in a disturbed manner to speak of his relations with foreigners. He said they were excellent with all but the French, but that with these, in spite of all he could do, they were not such as he desired. The causes of irritation were their claims on account of their missionaries, and the nature of a correspondence touching affairs in Corea; that the missionaries, not content to spread their faith, to which there was no objection, were political agents, and undertook to absolve their Chinese converts from obligations to their own government, and that they were supported in their pretensions by their diplomatic representatives at Peking; that when he sought, on behalf of a kindred and once tributary people, (the Coreans,) to secure, in the interests of peace, an investigation into facts, before proceeding to extremities, he had been charged with complicity with them, and his own people menaced with attack. I replied, as I had often done before, that I could not interfere between them and others, more than to proffer my good offices when they might serve to restore friendly relations. I urged the Prince strongly to instruct his officials in the provinces to treat the missionaries with the utmost kindness, so as to avoid all occasion for armed intervention. I said to him that my colleague, M. Berthémy, the French minister, now absent on leave, had said to Sir Frederick Bruce and myself that he did not, nor did his Emperor, sustain any such pretensions as those mentioned by the Prince on the part of the missionaries; that he had informed them that he, and the officials under him, alone represented the political and diplomatic power of France in China, and that I thought, with patience and caution, an amicable solution of their difficulties might be reached. With regard to Corea I said that, if the Prince had done no more than to proffer his friendly offices, I did not see that he had done more than his duty; and that, if such action called forth menaces, he could rest strong in the consciousness of good intentions, and submit, with confidence, the correspondence to the impartial judgment of the civilized world. That very evening the despatch marked A, covering a long correspondence with M. de Bellonet, French charge d'affaires, was sent to each one of the foreign legations, and I submit it (with the subsequent despatches marked B) without one word of comment. I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, ANSON BURLINGAME. Secretary of State, Washington, D. C. [Enclosure A.-Translation.] Prince Kung to Mr. Burlingame. Prince Kung, chief secretary of state for foreign affairs, herewith makes a communication. It is well known that since the ratification of the treaties between China and western countries, I have endeavored, by a constant adherence to truth and good faith, in every transaction connected with those countries, to maintain amicable relations with them. A serious quarrel having arisen last summer between the French and Coreans, M. de Bellonet, the French chargé d'affaires, addressed two communications to me respecting it. In my replies to them, I endeavored to act as a mediator, and so to explain the points of the affair that there might not, after all, be any loss of life to either party. This laudable desire was my only motive. Much to my surprise, I have just received a despatch from M. de Bellonet, iu which he quotes the verbal statement of a Corean attendant, together with the gossip of market-places, for the truth of which there is not the shadow of evidence, and brings them up to cast suspicion on me. Seeing, therefore, that he does not meet my laudable desire [to prevent a collision] with the same spirit, but, on the contrary, throws out a suspicion that I am screening and excusing the Coreans, and even have other designs in view, I cannot but be exceedingly dissatisfied with him. He expressly states in his despatch that he thus obtained these rumors, and yet to make from such unsupported rumors charges implicating and upbraiding others, is certainly what I cannot assent to or see the justice of. I have been on friendy relations with both these countries, and have deemed it best to copy the three despatches of M. de Bellonet. with their replies, and enclose them for your excellency's information. From them you will no doubt see the merits of the case; copies of the same are also sent to the other foreign ministers resident in Peking. His Excellency ANSON BURLINGAME, United States Minister to China. NOVEMBER 21, 1866, (Tungchi, 5th year, 10th moon, 14th day.) [Enclosures in Prince Kung's despatch.] CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN PRINCE KUNG AND M. DE BELLONET, FRENCH CHARGÉ D'AFFAIRES, RELATIVE TO THE MASSACRE OF FRENCH MISSIONARIES IN COREA. No. 1. M. de Bellonet to Prince Kung. [Translated from the French.] JULY 13, 1866. SIR: I grieve to bring officially to the knowledge of your imperial highness a horrible outrage committed in the small kingdom of Corea, which formerly assumed the bonds of vassalage to the Chinese empire, but which this act of savage barbarity has forever separated from it. In the course of the month of March last, the two French bishops who were evangelizing Corea, and with them nine missionaries, seven Corean priests, and a great multitude of Christians of both sexes and of every age, were massacred by order of the sovereign of that country. The government of his Majesty cannot permit so bloody an outrage to be unpunished. The same day on which the King of Corea laid his hands upon my unhappy countrymen was the last of his reign; he himself proclaimed its end, which I in my turn solemnly declare to-day. In a few days our military forces are to march to the conquest of Corea, and the Emperor, my august sovereign, alone, has now the right and the power to dispose, according to his good pleasure, of the country and of the vacant throne. The Chinese government has declared to me many times that it has no authority or power over Corea; and it refused on this pretext to apply the treaties of Tientsin to that country, and give to our missionaries the passports which we have asked from it. We have taken note of these declarations, and we declare, now, that we do not recognise any authority whatever of the Chinese government over the kingdom of Corea. I have, &c., His Imperial Highness PRINCE KUNG. H. DE BELLONET. No. 2. Reply of Prince Kung to M. de Bellonet. [Translation.] JULY 16, 1866. SIR: I had the honor, yesterday, to receive your excellency's despatch, in which you inform me that the authorities of the kingdom of Corea had suddenly killed several French bishops and priests, together with a great number of native teachers and Christians, in consequence of which the French government had ordered the commander-in-chief to move his forces; and that seeing that Corea is a dependency of China, and sends tribute, it was proper that I should be informed of these things. I may here observe, that as Corea is an out-of-the-way country, lying in a secluded corner, and, as is well known, has always strictly maintained its own regulations, I am quite unaware what has led them to put these missionaries and Christians to death. Still, I am sensible of the friendly feelings which have led your excellency thus to communicate to me the reasons for the French government in moving its forces [against that country.] Seeing, however, that when two countries come to war it involves the lives of their people, as it will in this case-and, therefore, I cannot but endeavor to bring about a solution of the difficulty between them-as the Coreans have killed a number of the missionaries, it seems to me that it would be best to inquire beforehand into the proofs and merits of the affair, and ascertain what reasons there were for this step, so that, if possible, a resort to arms may be avoided. I make this reply for the purpose of suggesting such a course to your excellency's consideration. SIR: I have the honor to bring to the knowledge of your imperial highness the official notification of the blockade of the river Seoul, and the west coast of Corea, by the naval forces of his Majesty the Emperor of the French. I beg your imperial highness to be pleased to give this document all the publicity possible, to the end that none may be ignorant of it, and that the interests of the Chinese who trade with Corea may be entirely safe. I have, &c., His Imperial Highness PRINCE Kung. HENRI DE BELLONET. [Enclosure translated from Chinese.] Rose, rear-admiral and commander-in-chief of the French naval forces in the Chinese and Japanese seas, herewith issues a notification to all concerned: Whereas the King of Corea, in a spirit of of inhuman barbarity, having seized and killed several French bishops and missionaries, together with many native Christians, male and female, old and young, I think that his numerous crimes cannot be suffered to pass with impunity. I have determined to proceed against him for his notorious crime, and shall take the forces under my command to attack and subdue his country. All ports and embouchures on the western shores of Corea, leading to the capital, are immediately to be blockaded by the ships under my command, and the vessels of all other nations are for the present forbidden to resort there. If any of them attempt to violate this order and break the blockade, they will be dealt with according to the laws acknowledged among nations in such cases. A special notice. OCTOBER 5, 1866; (or, Tumgchi, 5th year, 8th moon, 27th day.) No. 4. Prince Kung to M. de Bellonet. [Translation.] NOVEMBER 4, 1866. SIR: On the 16th of July last I had the honor of replying to your despatch respecting the murder of missionaries and others by the Coreans, and suggested the desirableness and |