GREATHOUSE, CLARENCE RIDGEBY (c. 1845-Oct. 21, 1899), journalist, lawyer, diplomat, was born in Kentucky, the son of Dr. Ridgeby Greathouse, an early emigrant to Ca1ifornia. In 1870 he went to San Francisco. He practised law with Louis T. Haggin, then, upon the latter's retirement, in the firm of Greathouse & Blanding--finally Wallace, Greathouse & Blanding. He was also active in local politics as a Democrat and in 1883 he became the general manager of the San Francisco Examiner, a Democratic daily. He continued in this position until 1886, when he was appointed consul-general at Kanagawa (Yokohama), Japan. Upon the confirmation of his appointment he left Washington May 31, 1886, and served successfully at his post for four years. At this time events and conditions in Korea were largely an enigma and a challenge to discovery to most foreigners in the Far East. Korea was also the one Asiatic country in which American influence and American participation in governmental affairs was at least the equal of that of any other Occidental nation. The successive American representatives in the Korean capital succeeded in so impressing the Korean King with the friendly and disinterested nature of the policy of their government that he was led to secure a comparatively large number of American advisors and on Sept. 12, 1890, Greathouse was engaged to serve as legal advisor to the Korean government. At that time there were eight Americans serving in Seul in various advisory capacities. The extent of American influence in Korea displeased the Chinese, but despite positive suggestions by the Chinese Resident against the employment of further foreign advisors, on Jan. 3, 1891, the Korean government gazetted Greathouse as a vice president of the home office and gave him charge of matters pertaining to foreign legal affairs. Gen. Charles Le Gendre [q.v.] at this time was a vice-president of the same office as foreign advisor to the King.
It is difficult to evaluate the work accomplished by Greathouse during his eight years in Korea. It is certain, however, that he secured the confidence of the King, and that for a time he was given complete charge of the trial of important political cases. He is also said to have acted as head of the Korean post-office department, but since during most of his service this department was weak and struggling he cannot be said to have accomplished much in this direction. His legal knowledge was often called upon in the drafting of conventions, in the constant negotiations with foreign representatives in Seul, and in the revising of Korean law and the reorganizing, at least on paper, of the Korean judicial system. His best-known work was in connection with the trial of the Koreans implicated in the murder of the Queen of Korea by Japanese and Korean conspirators on Oct. 8, 1895. After the King had escaped from his Japanese and Korean captors to the safety of the Russian legation, he asked Greathouse to supervise the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of the Queen. Greathouse attended all sessions of the court, examined the witnesses, and had the trials conducted in a thoroughly modern manner. It was owing to his influence that the trials were free from the gross faults which customarily disfigured the proceedings of all Korean courts, and that for general approximation to Western notions of justice and integrity they were in every way remarkable. During the last few years of his life Greathouse acted as confidential advisor to the King on foreign affairs. As far as the records show, he was never married; his mother remained with him until his death. While he was in Japan he secured the services of a young Goanese, H. A. Dos Remedios, as his secretary. When he went to Korea he took his assistant with him and Dos Remedios came practically to occupy the position of son as well as secretary, although he was never officially adopted. Greathouse died in Seul while still in the service of the government of Korea. (그는 서울에서 죽은 것이 아니고 미국 캔터키에서 죽었습니다)
[The only trustworthy sources on the life of Greathouse are in the archives of the Department of State, and in the former American legation in Seul, Korea. Unfortunately, these are very meager.(불행하게도 이 기록들은 매우 빈약하다) For printed sources see theKorea Repository, Mar. 1896, aud the Examiner (San Francisco), Nov. 18, 1899.] H.J.N.
|
첫댓글 저도 한국의 역사의 진실이 무언지 다 아는 것이 아니고, 일부를 이해한다고 생각하며, 세계 역사 속에서 한국사를 탐구하며 진실 찾기 여행하는 중이니, 궁금한 것들은 서로 댓글이나 본글로 대화하며 가는 것이 좋을 것 같습니다.
앞으로 전개되는 저의 글에 어떤 의견도 다 환영합니다.
요 며칠간 flat earth를 뒤로하고^^, 역사이야기 글을 좀 보았습니다. 이것또한 흥미롭고 더욱 궁금해지게 만드네요. 우리가 사는 이 땅과 바다, 그리고 하늘... 이 모든 피조물들과 우리의 살아온 역사와 지금, 또 앞으로 살아갈 모든 날들까지, 하나님께서 직접 만드시고 이루어 오셨고 또 이루실 것이기에 '하나님의 말씀'과 떼어놓고는 논할수 없는 주제라고 생각합니다. 하나님의 말씀에 역사의 진실이 더해 진다면 더 큰 깨달음이 있지 않을까 합니다. 앞으로도 좋은 글들 부탁드려요. ^^
잠간 쉬신다는 내용의 글을 보았는데 부담이 되는 글을 올렸네요. ^^ 쉬시는 동안 영육간의 힘과 평강을 회복하시길 바랍니다.
민트님이 어제 쉬는 동안에 역사 관련 글에 댓글을 몇 개 달아놓았네요.. ㅎㅎ 감사합니다.
조금 쉬면 마음도 몸도 좋아질 것이라고 생각해요.. 가족 부양과 생업이 아주 바쁜데, 틈나면 카페에 들어와서 글 쓰고 댓글 남기고 하니까.. 갑자기 내가 뭐 하는 거지?? 이런 생각이 들었습니다.. 카페 정리도 대충 했으니 가족들 챙기고 경제적 걱정 안심시키고 그리고 다시 카페 운영 열심히 하려고 합니다. 참 민트님 댓글 반갑고 고맙네요~~ 감사합니다.
3일 뒤에나 가을님의 댓글이 달릴거라 기대했는데 벌써 달아주셨네요. 감사합니다. ^^
예. 이틀만에 와서 댓글 알람을 봤더니 민트님의 글이 있었어요 ^^