244 DUBOIS— JAPANESE EMBASSY OF i860. [April 21. 



Perry. We rightly glorify the tactful, gallant and picturesque 

 manner in which he punctured the screen which shut out the 

 western world from the eye of the Rising Sun. We have a suffi- 

 cient feeling that he took the initative in securing friendly, to be 

 followed by trade, relations in advance of all other nations — what- 

 ever slippery foothold the Portuguese, English and Dutch had at 

 one time or another acquired only to lose again. We are sure 

 enough that Japan's introduction to the circle of commercial nations 

 was an American performance and that Perry took the initiative 

 hand in it. 



And there we stop. We know that American training goes back 

 to Japan in the person of many a university graduate and we know 

 of other influences, military, naval, industrial, commercial educa- 

 tional, professional, ethical, religious, which Japan has sought and 

 obtained from both Europe and America. But we do not seem to 

 realize that to certain impressions made upon the barbaric and 

 wondering embassy of i860 may be traced definite and continuous 

 lines of development through the vitalizing of more or less latent 

 Japanese powers and ideals. The work which Perry began in 

 1853-54 was only completed in the visit of the embassy of i860 to 

 this country. Indeed the embassage is the one signal factor in 

 making the Perry incident permanently effective. Nor was it com- 

 pleted in the signing of the treaty in Washington, whatever might 

 be officially held to the contrary. It is safe to say that the Japanese 

 learned more xuhich has proved germinal in their re-making, from 

 their visit to the United States — but especially to Philadelphia, im- 

 mediately following the diplomatic formalities in Washington, in 

 i860, than from any other one American source since Perry 

 anchored in the Bay of Yeddo. Indeed I propose here to show 

 such a historical continuity and persistence of certain formative 

 elements of modern progress now accepted as the fixed order of 

 things in Japan, and even incipiently in China, as can be traced to 

 no other visible historical source than the embassage of i860. And 

 this, notwithstanding the complete revolution in the government and 

 policy of Japan eight years later. 



And yet, as I said at the outset, this embassy seems to have 



