Mr. Pruyn to Mr.
Seward
No. 31.]
Legation of the United States in
Japan, Kanagawa,
April 8, 1864.
Sir: I have the honor to inform you that an
embassy has proceeded to Europe, which is also accredited to the United
States. As it is certain that it will fail to accomplish the result
desired in Europe, it is possible that it may not think it desirable to
visit our country.
As I have already informed you, such purpose was made known to me
verbally, and I now enclose, No. 1, copy of a letter of the Gorogio,
announcing their intention, and, No. 2, copy of my reply to that
letter.
Being satisfied that “the means to tranquillize the public feeling, and
the measures to perpetuate the good relations of peace and friendship
between the two countries,” veiled a purpose to ask further concessions,
I embraced the opportunity afforded by an appeal to me, to assure the
governor for foreign affairs that it was necessary I should understand
precisely what was desired, to enable me to be of any service.
I thereupon addressed a letter to the Gorogio, of which I enclose a copy,
(enclosure No. 3,) and received in reply a letter, of which I enclose
translation, (No. 4,) which discloses the object of the embassy to be
precisely what I had imagined.
I consider it unnecessary to make any comment on so extraordinary a
proposition. It is scarcely possible to conceive that the government is
serious in making the request, while it may be that the embassy is sent
simply for the purpose of quieting the hostile Daimios, and of gaining
time, which will either enable them to prepare for contemplated
hostilities, or altogether avert them, as may be their purpose; it may
also be possible that the facility with which they have obtained past
concessions, on their statement that it was necessary for the
maintenance of tranquillity and peace, may have encouraged them to hope
for still further success. This government has no idea of the large
sacrifice of property such a concession would involve.
It is scarcely necessary for me to say, that I am confident no further
concessions of any character whatever should be made.
I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your most obedient
servant,
ROBERT H. PRUYN, Minister Resident in
Japan.
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, &c., &c., &c.
[Page 489]
No. 1
The Gorogio to Mr. Pruyn
We have to inform your excellency that the great departure from the
ancient custom in entering upon foreign intercourse led to much
trouble of various kinds; public feeling became unsettled, and civil
commotion was the result, as you have heard and witnessed. Though we
strenuously exerted ourselves in devising and taking measures to
quiet the public feeling and bring it in harmony with the change,
yet the result thus far has not been satisfactory; and hence we lost
some of the good will of your government, and the relations of peace
and amity are not as heretofore, owing to the firing upon the
American ship in the principality of Nagato.
We feel much displeased about this, as the action of our government
may be deemed unjust. Wherefore, having selected the governors for
foreign affairs, Ikeda Tskungo-no-kami, Kawadze Idlu-no-kami, and
the Ouretske (censor,) Kawada Kwannosuke, as his envoys, his Majesty
the Tycoon, sends them on a special mission to your capital.
As all the circumstances how the inconveniences kept increasing until
now cannot be stated in a letter with sufficient accuracy, they will
verbally represent this to your government, and frankly confer with
it about the means to tranquillize the public feeling in our
country, and about the measures to perpetuate the good relations of
peace and friendship between the two countries without injury to
many human beings. We therefore request your excellency fully to
make known the foregoing to your government.
With respect and esteem.
The
24th day of the 12th month of the third year of Bunkiu,
(February 2, 1864.)
MIDSUMO IDSUMI-NO-KAMI.
ITAKURA SUWO-NO-KAMI.
INOWUYE KAWATSI-NO-KAMI.
His Excellency Robert H. Pruyn, Minister Resident of the United States of
America, &c., &c., &c.
Mr. Pruyn to the Gorogio
No. 18.]
Legation of the United States in
Japan, Kanagawa,
February 4, 1864.
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your excellencies’
letter of the 2d instant. So much of said letter as refers to your
domestic difficulties relates to a subject of which the President
has already had full information. And, while it will afford him
great satisfaction to learn of the adoption of measures which will
entirely tranquillize the public feeling of Japan, he will advise
your envoys, as I have already advised your excellencies, that the
restoration of tranquillity depends upon your own internal policy
and management, and is not to be effected by holding out to the
hostile and dissatisfied hopes of further concessions by the treaty
powers, which will not be given.
While it will doubtless afford the President much satisfaction to
receive your renewed assurance of regret that the American steamer
Pembroke was fired upon by the prince of Nagata’s batteries, it will
not surprise your excellencies if he attach less value to those
assurances while you are occasioning daily loss to the owners of
that ship by witholding the indemnity you have promised to pay.
The President will ever be solicitous for the preservation of the
most friendly relations between the two countries, and he will be
highly pleased to receive the assurances of the government of his
Majesty the Tycoon, that it is animated by
[Page 490]
the same desire. But the only sure basis on
which peace can rest is, that each country avoid injury to the
citizens and subjects of the other; or, if by the acts of lawless
men such injury is done, prompt reparation be made to the party
aggrieved.
No country is disgraced when excited or bad men violate the laws.
Offenders against law, unfortunately, exist in every country. It is
only when offenders are permitted to escape punishment, and injuries
are done to friendly powers for which no reparation is made, that a
government fails in duty to those who repose in their good
faith.
The assurances of your excellencies of your desire to cultivate
friendship with the United States, however pleasant they may be to
the President, will lack the essential quality of value derived from
treaties fulfilled and wrongs redressed; and it will be no excuse
which the President can accept, “That it will be a disgrace to Japan
to admit that criminals have done these injuries,” because criminals
do exist here as elsewhere. The President has the right to insist on
their punishment, and compensation for their acts, when these
lawless acts injure citizens of the United States, and such cases
have arisen and now exist.
While, therefore, I say to your excellencies that you have a perfect
right to send embassies to the United States as often as you think
proper, I am bound to say, with the same frankness, that while these
envoys will be received in a friendly manner, as coming from an
avowedly friendly power, they can scarcely expect that warm and
friendly reception which was accorded to your former embassy,
because your excellencies will have failed to redress injuries of
which the President has felt obliged to complain. And there will,
therefore, be a sad difference between the professions and the
action of the government of his Majesty the Tycoon.
With respect and esteem,
ROBERT H. PRUYN, Minister Resident of the
United States in Japan.
Their Excellencies Midsumo Idsumi-no-kami,
Itakura Suwo-no-kami, Inowuye Kawatsi-no-kami, Ministers for Foreign Affairs, &c.,
&c., &c., Yedo.
Mr. Pruyn to the Gorogio
No. 32.]
Legation of the United States in
Japan, Kanagawa,
March 2, 1864.
Not doubting that your embassy which recently left Japan has for its
object the extension of friendly relations with the treaty powers, I
have the honor to request your excellencies to furnish me, for the
information of my government, with a list of the names of the
persons comprising that embassy, the rank they hold, their probable
time of arrival at each of the places they are instructed to visit,
and such other general information, in relation to this embassy, as
will enable me to explain the object of their mission,
With respect and esteem,
ROBERT H. PRUYN, Minister Resident of the
United States in Japan.
Their Excellencies Itakura Suwo-no-Kami,
Inowuye Kawatsi-no-kami, Makino Bibren-no-kami, Ministers for Foreign Affairs, &c.,
&c., &c., Yedo.
[Page 491]
The Gorogio to Mr. Pruyn
We received your letter, No. 32, of the 2d March. We have only to
state again, that we have no other object in sending an embassy to
the treaty powers than that which was fully communicated to you and
the consul-general of the Netherlands in our interview at the naval
school, on the 14th day of the ninth month, (26th October,) and also
in our letter to you of the 18th (should be 24th) day of the twelfth
month of last year, (2d February, 1864.) We transmit herewith, for
your information, a list of the names and the rank of the persons
composing the embassy.
We are unable to say when the embassy will reach the various
countries to which they have been sent, as this will depend upon the
circumstances of the negotiations with all the powers.
Which we have to state in reply, with respect and esteem.
The
9th day of the third month of the first year of Genji, (14th
April, 1864.)
ITAKURA SUWO-NO-KAMI,
INOWUYE KAWATSI-NO-KAMI,
MAKINO BIDREN-NO-KAMI.
List of the names of the personnel of the
embassy.
Ikeda Tskungo-no-kami, first envoy; Kawadsa Idsu-no-kami, second
envoy; Kawada Sagami-no-kami, censor; Tanabe Taitski, vice-governor;
Tanake Lorentan, superior officer; Nishi Kitsiguro, interpreter,
with the rank of superior officer; Ludo Tokiitshiro, superior
officer; Sayto Jirotaro, censor of rank.
The five last-named officers are of the first class.
Eleven subordinates, interpreter and officials, and some servants; no
more than sixteen.
