Mr. Van Valkenburgh to Mr. Seward.
No. 33.]
Legation of the United States,
Yokohama,
April 3, 1868.
Sir: With reference to my dispatch No. 25, of
the 11th ultimo, you will perceive that at 12½ o’clock at night, or in
the morning, of the 9th ultimo, on the occasion of the communication
being made to me by the commissioners of the Mikado, of the collision
that had occurred on the previous afternoon at Sakai, the particulars of
which were then withheld from me, I received a verbal invitation to
visit the Mikado at Kioto.
In reply, and while expressing my extreme gratification at the
invitation, I reiterated my determination, as announced two days
previous, to proceed to Yokohama on the following Monday, (the 11th,)
where, in view of the approach of large bodies of armed men on the way
to Yedo, I deemed it important to look in person to the protection of
American interests in anticipation of collision between those armed men
and the forces of the Tycoon.
The invitation to visit the Mikado was accepted by me, for some future
day, and as soon as I could have completed my preparations to that
effect. In this decision the representatives of France, Prussia and
Italy concurred; the representatives of England and Holland, however, at
once agreed to proceed to Kioto at the time, appointed by his Majesty
the Mikado.
After my return to Yokohama, and also after the reparation demanded from
the Mikado’s government for the Sakai murder had been rendered, the
French minister deemed it proper to change his mind, and those
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three representatives, namely,
of England, France and Holland, accordingly proceeded to Kioto.
On Sunday, the 22d ultimo, the French and Dutch representatives had an
audience from the Mikado, and on the following day the British minister,
on his way from his temporary residence to the Mikado’s palace for the
purpose of having his audience, was suddenly and savagely attacked by
two fanatics, apparently abetted by others, who, however, did not
actively participate in the assault.
I have the honor to transmit herewith, No. 1, a detailed account of this
attack, also showing the number of wounded and the reparation tendered
at once by the Mikado’s government.
The English minister then had his audience on the next day, the 24th
ultimo, but no account of what transpired on that occasion has as yet
been furnished me.
I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your most obedient
servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.
Attack on the English minister, Sir Harry
Parkes, and guard, at Kioto.
Our readers are aware that an attack of a singularly desperate
character was made upon the British minister, as he was proceeding,
on the 23d instant, to have an audience of the Mikado at Kioto.
In order to understand what occurred it is necessary to hear in mind
the order in which the procession left the temple which had been set
aside for the British legation. First rode the inspector of the
legation escort, accompanied by Nakai Kozo, an officer of the
Mikado, formerly belonging to the Satsuma clan. Next came the
mounted escort of the legation, immediately preceding Sir Harry
Parkes, by whose side was riding Goto Shojiro, an officer of high
rank iu the new foreign department. Sir Harry was also accompanied
by Mr. Satow. A detachment of the 9th regiment, under the command of
Lieutenants Bradshaw and Bruce, followed, and Mr. Mitford, who,
having no horse, was riding in a kango, brought up the rear. By
great good luck, Dr. Willis, of the legation, and Drs. Purves and
Ridings, of her Majesty’s navy, who had accompanied the minister to
Kioto as guests, had followed to see the procession enter the
palace.
As the leading files of the procession turned the corner of the
street, only a few hundred yards from the temple, several armed
Japanese sprang suddenly out of houses on both sides of the street,
and commenced cutting all around with their two-handed sword, with
fearful rapidity and force. The horses, of course, became wildly
excited, and little opportunity was afforded to the men of the
escort of using their lances with effect in such a narrow street.
Nakai Kozo jumped from his horse and engaged one of the assailants,
but stumbling fell and received a severe cut on the head. Another
ruffian—and it is probable that only two presisted in the
attack—rushed madly down the line, cutting and hewing on each side
of him, and dealing terrible wounds at each stroke of his two-handed
sword. At this moment Goto Shojiro, who, with the minister, had not
yet turned the corner, seeing the confusion ahead, dismounted and
ran to the front, which he reached in time to rescue Nakai Kozo from
his assailant, whom between them they killed and decapitated on the
spot. The second man, springing about like a wild beast and still
slashing about him, was stopped at last, after nine out of eleven of
the escort, one man of the ninth, and a Japanese betto, had been
wounded, besides four horses. He received several wounds from lance,
bayonet, sword, and pistol, but so rapid was his action, and so
surprised were the objects of his attack, that he was able to take
refuge in a back yard, where he was fortunately secured alive but
exhausted.
Of course going on to the court was out of the question. The first
care was to get the wounded men, who, one and all, behaved nobly,
back to the temple. All the men behaved with the utmost steadiness—a
quality greatly needed in the case of a party hemmed in narrow
streets, not knowing the extent of the attack or the number of the
enemeis who might have been contained among the throng who hovered
around them. The doctors made such temporary shift as they could to
stanch the blood, which in some cases was flowing with a rapidity
that threatened to be fatal. Some time was lost
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in getting coolies for those who,
faint from the loss of blood, could not stick to their horses; but
all of the men who were not physically incapacitated from so doing
insisted pluckily on riding home. As for the prisoner, no more
coolies being forthcoming, a couple of shopkeepers were pressed to
carry him.
No praise is too high for the energy, kindness, and skill displayed
by the surgeons in their attendance on the wounded men, and it is
easy to see how the difficulties of their labors were enhanced by
the total absence of skilled assistance. In an incredible short
space of time the wounds were temporarily dressed and the men laid
comfortably in their beds.
In the mean time a preliminary examination of the prisoner was held,
who at that time was believed to be dying. He at first stated that
he had no accomplices; that he was originally a priest, from a
temple near Osaka; that he had come to Kioto to enlist in the
shimpei, a corps which is being raised as a nucleus for the Mikado’s
army, and which is recruited from a class of ronins and idlers for
whom the government is anxious to find employment and means of
livelihood. He afterwards admitted having an accomplice, and said
that they had set out to kill foreigners. On being shown the head of
the man who had been decapitated by Goto Shojiro he recognized it as
that of his accomplice. He said that he had never seen foreigners
before. At a third examination he confessed to having three more
accomplices, who were to have followed up his action, should it have
failed. These men were immediately arrested.
It appears almost miraculous that two desperadoes should have dared
to attack some seventy armed Englishmen, and have been able to do so
much bloody mischief before they were stopped. Sir Harry Parkcs had
a remarkable escape. A man in front of him was severely wounded, and
being himself in full uniform, and mounted on a large horse, he
presented a conspicuous object for the blow aimed at him by the
second ruffian, as he rushed round the corner. Fortunately the man
tripped as he. was in the act of delivering the blow, and falling
forward he missed his aim. It took partial effect, however, on the
minister’s betto and on Mr. Satow’s horse, which was wounded by the
same cut in two places.
The betto who was near Sir Harry’s side was wounded in the leg.
It is pleasing to record the action of the Mikado’s government upon
this occasion. Of their own spontaneous action, without demand and
without prompting, they have offered every reparation in their power
for the insult offered the English minister.
During the evening, messages of condolence from the Mikado himself
were received by the minister, and several of the members of the
court and principal Daimios, called in person, and visited the
wounded men. Their sympathy and regret were evidently genuine and
unaffected.
The best proof of sincerity, however, which the government has given,
is the promulgation of a proclamation which makes it known
throughout the empire that the Mikado regards attacks upon
foreigners as infamous and detestable. Samurai who may be guilty of
such a crime will be degraded, their swords will be taken from them,
and their names struck off the roll of gentlemen. In grave cases
they will be beheaded by the common executioner, and after death
they will be subjected to the further indignity of having their
heads exposed for three days. Such an act, taken in conjunction with
the public evidence which the Mikado has given of his personal
friendship towards foreigners, will, it may be confidently hoped, go
far to root out the fanatical hatred with which a certain party in
Japan regard us. It is to this spirit that the attack which we
record to-day must be traced. The murderers rushed upon certain
death in the exaltation of patriotic frenzy. This is evident from
what fell from the prisoner, who afterwards, When he found himself
being treated with the greatest kindness by those whom he had tried
to kill, expressed deep contrition and shame for a crime which, up
to that time, he had regarded as an act of piety.
The Japanese government having perfectly satisfied Sir Harry Parkes
and those of his colleagues who were present at Kioto of their good
faith and regret for what occurred, a second day was fixed for Sir
Harry’s audience of the Mikado. The 28th, the third day of the third
Japanese month, an auspicious day was chosen, and this time,
happily, nothing occurred to mar the proceedings. Extraordinary
precautions had been taken by the Japanese, and an attack would have
been almost impossible.
The minister was much pleased with his visit to the Mikado, who
personally expressed his regret for the murderous attempt upon Sir
Harry’s life on the 23d.
The foil owing day the legation left Kioto. The wounded men were
carried down to Fushimi in long litters, which were transferred to
the river boats that were to carry them to her Majesty’s ship
Adventure. At Fushimi the minister was met by a high officer of the
Mikado’s court, who announced to him that the prisoner had been
executed that morning, and that his head and the head of the man
killed by Goto Shojiro had been exposed in the manner above
described. Full publicity had also been given to the sentences
passed upon the prisoners. The punishment of the three accomplices
was still under consideration, as the degree of their complicity had
not yet been clearly ascertained.
