handed to Commodore Shufeldt, in which it was stated that "Chosen has been from ancient times a state tributary to China," but that the United States had no concern with this relation, and that he entered into the treaty as an independent sovereign, and on terms of equality. And upon negotiating treaties with other Western powers a similar notification was given.
The attitude of China in this respect has been most inconsistent. When the French government was proposing to call Korea to account in 1866 for the execution of the Catholic missionaries, the Tsung-li Yamen explicitly disavowed any responsibility for the acts of Korea, and stated that in its relations with other nations it was entirely independent. The same attitude was assumed by China when the Japanese treaty was made in 1876 and the American treaty in 1882. An attempt had been made by treaty between China and Japan in 1885 to regulate their conflicting relations as to Korea. While denying responsibility for the acts of that government towards foreign powers, China was constantly seeking to control its intercourse with them.
The king of Korea, alarmed lest China should make his action a pretext for war, sent a humble petition to the emperor asking for his gracious approval of the appointment of the two ministers to the United States and Europe, at the same time assuring the American representative at Seoul that he was resolved to send them. The emperor gave his approval, but through Li Hung Chang the king was notified that he must appoint only ministers resident, or of the third class, so as to be lower in rank than the Chinese representative;
