No. 308.
Mr. Bingham to Mr. Evarts
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Tokei, Japan , December 17, 1877. (Received January 19, 1878.)
Sir: A full legation has been accredited by the Chinese Government to this court, consisting of a first and second minister, the first having the title of envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary, two secretaries of the legation, one of whom is a native Chinese and reported to be a learned man, the other Dr. D. B. McCartee, a native-born citizen of the United States, a gentleman of very high character, of liberal education, and a good Chinese and Japanese scholar, who has spent many years in China, and also some three years in Japan (since I came here) in the capacity of an instructor in His Japanese Majesty’s Imperial College in Tokei. The legation is also supplied with four interpreters and nine attaches to perform clerical duties, &c., and is also attended by a number of servants. The legation arrived yesterday. It would seem, from the fact that Japan has established a legation in Peking and that China for the first time has accredited permanent ministers to this court, that these two powers seek by friendly and intimate relations to co-operate for their mutual interests in the correction of so much of the policy which by the co-operation of the Western powers has been fastened upon them to the hurt of their respective interests. It seems to me that it is fortunate that Dr. McCartee, upon the invitation of the Chinese government, accepted the position of secretary to the Chinese legation. When the doctor parted with the Chinese minister at Nagasaki, the minister said to him that he desired especially a letter of introduction to the American minister. When the doctor made mention of this to me, it seemed not improper to say to him that possibly the minister had learned the fact that Prince Kung, in 1874, had said, in an official communication to our chargé d’affaires ad interim at Peking (Dr. Williams) of my action in relation to the employment by Japan of an American vessel and of American citizens in the Formosa expedition, that it met the approval of the Government of China and showed “clearly that the United States is ready to maintain its peaceful relations with China, and this effort of the American minister in Japan to uphold treaty obligations is very honorable to him, and we (the prince and high officers) are deeply sensible of it, and shall feelingly remember it.” (See inclosure No. 7 with my dispatch No. 98, of date July 16, 1874, to Mr. Fish).
I have, &c.,