"We, by the grace of heaven, Emperor of Japan, seated on a 
throne occupied by the same dynasty from time immemorial, do 
hereby make proclamation to all our loyal and brave subjects as 
follows : We hereby declare war against China, and we command 
each and all of our competent authorities, in obedience to our 
wish, and with a view to the attainment of the national aim, to 
carry on hostilities by sea and land against China, with all the 
means at their disposal, consistently with the law of nations. 

" Over twenty years have now elapsed since our accession to the 
throne. During this time we have consistently pursued a policy 
of peace, being deeply impressed with a sense of the undesir- 
ability of being in strained relations with other nations, and have 
always directed our officials diligently to endeavor to promote 
friendship with all the treaty powers. Fortunately our inter- 
course with the nations has continued to increase in intimacy. 

" We were therefore unprepared for such a conspicuous want 
of amity and of good faith, as has been manifested by China in 
her conduct towards this country in connection with the 
Corean affairs. Corea is an independent state. She was first in- 
troduced into the family of nations by the advice and under 
the guidance of Japan. It has however, been China's habit to 
designate Corea as her dependency, and both openly and secretly 
to interfere with her domestic affairs. At the time of the recent 
civil insurrection in Corea, China dispatched troops thither, 
alleging that her purpose was to afford succor to her dependent 
state. We, in virtue of the treaty concluded with Corea in 1882, 
and looking to possible emergencies, caused a military force to be 
sent to that country, wishing to procure for Corea freedom from 
the calamity of perpetual disturbance, and thereby to maintain 
the peace of the east in general. Japan invited China's co-opera- 
tion for the accomplishment of that object; but China, advancing 
various pretexts, declined Japan's proposal. 

" Thereupon Japan advised Corea to reform her administra- 
tion, so that order might be preserved at home, and so that the 
country might be able to discharge the responsibilities and duties 
of an independent state abroad. Corea has already consented to 
undertake the task, but China has insidiously endeavored to cir- 
cumvent and thwart Japan's purpose. She has further procras- 
tinated and endeavored to make warlike preparations, both on 
land and at sea. When these preparations were completed, she 
not only sent large re-enforcements to Corea with, a view to the 
attainment of her ambitious designs, but even carried her arbi- 
trariness and insolence to the extent of opening fire upon our 
ships in Corean waters. 

" China's plain object is to make it uncertain where the respons- 
ibility resides for preserving peace and order in Corea, and not 
only to weaken the position of that state in the family of nations 
— a position obtained for Corea through Japanese efforts — but 
also to obscure the significance of the treaties recognizing and 
confirming that position. Such conduct on the part of China is 
not only a direct injury to the rights and interests of this empire, 
but also a menace to the permanent peace and tranquility of the 
Orient. Judging from her action, it must be concluded that 
China from the beginning has been bent upon sacrificing peace to 
the attainment of her sinister objects. In this situation, ardent 
as our wish is to promote the prestige of the country abroad by 
strictly peaceful methods, we find it impossible to avoid a formal 
declaration of war against China. It is our earnest wish that b}' 
the loyalty and valor of our faithful subjects, peace may soon be 
permanently restored, and the glory of the empire be augmented 
and completed." 

China promptly accepted the issue thus formally raised, and 
published a declaration in substance as follows : 

" Corea has been our tributary for the last two hundred odd 
years. She has given us tribute all of this time, which is a matter 
known to the world. For the last dozen years or so Corea has 
been troubled by repeated insurrections ; and we in sympathy 
with our small tributary have as repeatedly sent succor to her aid, 
eventually placing a resident in her capital to protect Corea's in- 
terests. In the fourth moon (May) of this year, another rebellion 
was begun in Corea, and the king repeatedly asked again for aid 
from us to put down the rebellion. We then ordered Li Hung 
Chang to send troops to Corea, and they having barely reached 
Asan, the rebels immediately scattered, but the  Wojen ' 
ancient epithet for the Japanese expressive of contemp trans- 
lated • pigmies ' or more strictly according to usage * vermin '), 
without any cause whatever sent their troops to Corea and en- 
tered Seoul, the capital of Corea, re-enforcing them constantly 
until they have exceeded ten thousand men. 

" In the meantime the Japanese forced the Corean king to 
change his system of government, showing a disposition in every 
way of bullying Coreans. It was found a difficult matter to 
reason with the ' Wojen. ' Although we have been in the habit 
of assisting our tributaries, we have never interfered with their 
internal government. Japan's treaty with Corea was as one 
country with another. There is no law for sending large armies 
to bully a country in this way and to tell it to change its system 
of government. Various powers are united in condemning the 
conduct of the Japanese, and can give no reasonable name to the 
army she now has in Corea. Nor has Japan been amenable to 
reason, nor will she listen to an exhortation to withdraw her 
troops and confer amicably upon what should be done in Corea. 
On the contrary, Japan has shown herself belligerent without 
regard to appearances, and has been increasing her forces there. 
Her conduct alarmed the people of Corea as well as our mer- 
chants there, and so we sent more troops over to protect them. 
Judge of our surprise then, when half way to Corea a number of 
the ' Wojen ' ships suddenly appeared, and taking advantage 
of our unpreparedness opened fire on our transports at a spot on 
the sea coast near Asan, and damaged them, thus causing us to 
sutler from their treacherous conduct which could not be foretold 
by us. 

" As Japan has violated the treaties and not observed the inter- 
national laws, and is now running rampant with her false and 
treacherous actions, beginning hostilities herself, and laying herself 
open to condemnation by the various powers at large, we, there- 
fore, desire to make it known to the world that we have always 
followed the paths of philanthropy and perfect justice through- 
out the whole complications, while the ' Wojen ' and others have 
broken all the laws of nations and treaties which it passed our 
patience to bear with. Hence we command Li Hung Chang to 
give strict orders to our various armies to hasten with all speed 
to root the i Wojen ' out of their lairs. He is to send successive 
armies of valiant men to Corea, in order to have the Coreans 
freed from bondage. We also command Manchoo generals, vice- 
roys, and governors of the maritime provinces, as well as the 
commanders in chief of the various armies to prepare for war and 
to make every effort to fire on the ' Wojen ' ships if they come 
into our ports, and utterly destroy them. We exhort our generals 
to refrain from the least laxity in obeying our commands, in order 
to avoid severe punishment at our hands. Let all know this edict 
as if addressed to themselves individually."