No. 41.] Mr. Seward to Mr. Morris. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, November 18, 1862. SIR: Your despatch of October 16 (No. 32) has been submitted to the President, and is approved. You will take an early occasion to express to the Sultan the satisfaction which the President has derived from the good faith which his Imperial Majesty has so manifestly shown in bringing to just punishment one of the felons who so causelessly and so mercilessly assassinated the revered American missionary, Mr. Coffin. The President sincerely hopes that the efforts which the imperial government is making to secure the arrest and punishment of the accomplice, who is yet at large, will prove successful. Painful as these examples of justice are in themselves, they are nevertheless humane in their character, since there is no other means of securing the safety of innocent and unguarded men in their journeyings through certain portions of the Turkish empire. The fidelity, zeal, and perseverance which Mr. Johnson, our consul at Beyrout, has exercised, are highly appreciated by the President, and you are authorized to express that approbation to the consul. I am, sir, your obedient servant, E. J. MORRIS, Esq., &c., &c., &e. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. JAPAN. No. 26.] Mr. Harris to Mr. Cass. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: The clause of the third article of the treaty of Yedo, which gives American citizens the right of residence in this city for the purposes of trade, after the 1st of January, 1862, has occupied much of my thoughts for some months, and has caused me not only solicitude, but anxiety. The population of this city is widely different from that of any other place in the world. Its chief elements consist of the hereditary princes, the nobles, and the high officers of the government, with the retainers of the princes and nobles, and the followers of the high officials. The aggregate number of these retainers and followers, all of whom are armed, is very great. It is said to be over 300,000 men. The character of this class is an important consideration. They lead a life of idleness, and many of them are exceedingly dissolute. Towards those whom they regard as being their inferiors, they are arrogant and aggressive. They haunt the streets in great numbers, frequently in a state of intoxication, and, being always armed, are not only prompt in taking offence, but ready to seek it. The feelings of these men towards foreigners are a mere reflex of the opinions of their masters, and as a majority of the latter are opposed to the presence of foreigners here, it may be fairly assumed that an equal proportion of their followers are hostile to us. I cannot conceal from you my serious apprehensions that, with the present state of feeling, very grave difficulties might arise from the presence here of American citizens for the purposes of trade. I have no cause of complaint for myself, but whenever I leave my residence I am attended by a retinue that commands respect; and, in addition to this, my official position is well known. But the merchant could have no such protection; he could not afford to support such an escort, and even if he did retain one, his social position would deprive him of nearly all the benefit of it. If all the foreigners in Japan were prudent and discreet men, the danger arising from their residence in this city would be diminished, but not entirely averted. Unfortunately, a portion of them are neither prudent nor discreet, and they are numerous enough to imperil the safety of the orderly and well-disposed, and seriously endanger the amicable relations that have been established with so much difficulty and labor with this government. Yedo is neither a commercial nor manufacturing city; the imports are confined to the supply of the inhabitants, and of exports there are none. The manufactures are limited to the production of the coarser articles for common use, which are of too little value to allow of charges for transport. Kanagawa is now, and must remain, the seaport of Yedo, as, after leaving Kanagawa, vessels can nowhere approach the shore nearer than three miles, and at Yedo they must anchor at the distance of five miles from the shore. The business of this city is exclusively a retail one, and it is carried on in a manner which would apparently prevent a foreigner from conducting it. The class of persons who would be the principal purchasers of foreign productions never enter a shop to make purchases; the vendor carries his goods to the resi dence of his customer, and there, kneeling on the ground, he exhibits his wares. The trade already developed gives a promising hope of the ultimate establishment of a large and beneficial commerce with this country, but these hopeful prospects may be seriously damaged, and possibly utterly destroyed, by a collision between the foreigners and Japanese, and I greatly fear that the indiscriminate admission of foreigners, at the time fixed by the treaties, to the righ: of residence in this capital, will lead to the most deplorable consequences, and to a state of affairs fatal to the best interests of all. I have endeavored to lay before you a concise statement of the prospect before us in reference to this matter, and I respectfully request your serious consideration of it. I have had frequent conferences with my colleagues, the English and French ministers, and we are united in our opinions on this subject. It has been agreed between us that we should write to our respective govern ments asking for discretionary power to postpone the opening of this city for one year, with the power of renewing the postponement from time to time as actual exigencies might require. I address you thus early, not only on account of the importance of the subject, but also in view of the great delay that frequently occurs in the transmission of my despatches to you. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. LEWIS CASS, Secretary of State, Washington. TOWNSEND HARRIS. Mr. Harris to Secretary of State. No. 20.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES IN JAPAN, SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith a letter from his Majesty the Tycoon to the President of the United States, and a letter from the ministers for foreign affairs addressed to you. I have enclosed English translations with the foregoing. These letters express the desire of this government that the opening of the cities of Yedo and Osacca, and the harbors of Hiogo and Neegata, should be postponed, for reasons that are set forth in the letter of the ministers for foreign affairs. In my despatch No. 26, dated August 1, 1860, I expressed my opinion that it would be judicious to postpone the period fixed by the treaty for the opening of the city of Yedo, and not having found any reason to alter my views since writing that despatch, I respectfully request you to reperuse the same. I have never been able to visit Ösacca, and am therefore unable to say what may be the actual state of feeling in reference to the permanent residence of foreigners in that city; but I am aware that it is in the district called Tien, or Heavenly, by the Japanese, from the fact of its being the residence of the Mikado, or spiritual ruler of Japan, and it may well be that the residence of foreigners in that district would be regarded with dislike by a portion of the Japanese people. Hiogo is simply the seaport of Osacca, and its opening naturally depends on that of the city, and Neegata is a minor consideration. The present action of this government would seem to be a retrograde move ment, but this opinion will be somewhat modified when the present and the past are compared. Since July, 1859, the prices of all articles of export from this country have risen from 100 to 300 per cent. A change so great and so sudden could not fail to press heavily on all official persons of fixed and limited incomes, and it is from this class that the loudest complaints are heard; and these complaints will continue while they are in a transition state towards a higher rate of salary. The Dimios receive a large portion of their revenues in kind, and as they dispose of all their surplus, they find their incomes greatly increased. The effect of this is clearly shown by the fact that when I first came to Yedo, in November, 1857, only thirteen of the Dimios out of some three hundred were in favor of opening the country, while at the present time about one-half of them are in favor of the new order of things. I would respectfully suggest that discretionary power should be given to the diplomatic agent of the United States in this country to act in concert with his colleagues in such manner as he may deem most advisable for the interests of both countries. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your most obedient servant, TOWNSEND HARRIS, Minister Resident in Japan. Hon. SECRETARY OF STATE, Washington. To his excellency the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of the United States of America, &c., &c., &c.: We have to state to your excellency that his Majesty the Tycoon has addressed a letter to his Majesty the President on the subject of the treaty concluded with the United States, and by his order a full and clear statement of the fact therein set forth is to be made by us to your excellency. It was for a period of nearly three hundred years that foreign intercourse was excluded from our empire. That ancient law, owing to the pressing recommendation of his Majesty the President of the United States, was somewhat altered, and it was resolved to allow ships off our coasts to be furnished with wood, water, provisions, and what they might be in need of at the two ports of Simoda and Hakodadi. Since the arrival in Japan of the minister of the United States, his excellency Townsend Harris, we became gradually better informed upon all that relates to foreign countries as at present situated, and our government, taking this into consideration, concluded the treaties of amity, recently gone into operation, first with the United States, and subsequently with Russia, France, England, Holland, &c., thus establishing freedom of trade. This, however, carried into effect led to a result generally experienced and very different from what was anticipated: no benefit has been derived, but the lower class of the nation has suffered from it already. The prices of articles of general consumption are daily advancing, owing to extensive exportation to foreign countries, while but little is imported into our country; and the people of the humbler class, not being able to supply their wants as heretofore, attribute this to foreign trade, and occasionally express themselves to that effect. Yea, even the higher and wealthier classes are generally not favorably disposed towards commerce; so that soon there may be those who will condemn the abrogation of the prohibition of former times, and desire the re-establishment of the ancient law. The policy of exclusion of foreign intercourse was like an established custom, and had deeply taken root in the national mind, that knew nothing of intercourse with foreign powers. It would, therefore, be a matter of great difficulty to allay the feeling of uneasiness with which public opinion regards the change of policy, even if the difficulty already mentioned did not exist. While this disadvantage has made itself felt throughout the empire, a general uneasiness is created by referring to the stipulation according to which the ports of Hiogo and Neegata are to be opened, and foreign trade is to be carried on at Yedo and Osacca, which stipulation is to be found in the 3d article of the treaty, and published accordingly. As the time approaches that this stipulation is to be carried out, a greater anxiety manifests itself from an apprehension that the disadvantage and the loss already experienced are to be further increased. In the present state of public opinion it would be a matter of great difficulty for the government to exert its power and authority for the purpose of demonstrating the benefits to be realized at some future day, and thus causing it to submit to the present uneasiness for some time longer. To look at things in their present and not in their prospective state is the habit of ignorant people. Should recourse be had to strong measures to accomplish the purpose, the extent of the calamity to result from such action, in direct opposition to public opinion, could not well be estimated. And as for Neegata, there are several sand banks at the entrance of that harbor, which render it unfit to be visited by ships of foreign nations. The minister of the United States, his excellency Townsend Harris, is also of opinion that that place lacks the requirements for commercial purposes. Another suitable port ought, therefore, to be selected and opened on the west coast, according to stipulation. This has not yet taken place, and the selection has been delayed, owing to adverse winds and currents at the time of examination of that coast, which examination had then to be discontinued. In view of the present state of affairs, the proper time to make suitable arrangements should be waited for. Therefore the opening of the two ports and the two cities should be postponed; public opinion reassured and gradually prepared; commerce organized by degrees; prices of things find their level, and the old custom changed in such a manner that a prosperous intercourse with foreign countries may become the wish of the nation. Under such circumstances it would not be difficult to open the two ports and the two cities. Like the sailor under a head wind, who waits until the wind becomes favorable, so should there be patience in waiting for the proper time for perfecting the matter without pressure or compulsion of any kind. For the above-mentioned reason it is desired to postpone the opening referred to for a period of seven years, according to the Japanese era, until the close of the year of the next Hinoto, corresponding to the year 1868 of your era. It may be expected that such arrangements, allowing time for preparation, will soon bear good fruit and prevent difficulties. Should, however, any pressure be brought to bear upon this matter, the evil consequences of such a course could not well be averted, though it be in accordance with the treaty. This is the true state of affairs. People are apt not to heed the recommendation of others, but to be in favor of all that they themselves originate. This is a common thing in human nature. The best course to be pursued is to take into consideration the true nature of men and things; to use no compulsion; to enlighten the people by degrees, and to prepare the time when of their own accord they will look to the future with confidence; and surely there will be no other means to meet the present emergency. As, however, the postponement of fulfilment of any treaty stipulation may lead to a disagreeable impression being formed, we hesitated until now to make this communication. We have taken the subject repeatedly in mature consideration, and feel confident that there is but one way to arrange the matter, |