1910.] DUBOIS— JAPANESE EMBASSY OF i860. 247 



overthrowing the Shogun's supporters they at once advocated the 

 poHcy of opening the country to strangers, also. It is important to 

 note this as it goes to show that although the embassy of i860 was 

 sent out by the boy Shogun, lyemochi, yet the American impress 

 which it carried back was in accord with that progression which 

 ultimately triumphed even though the Shogunate was abolished. 



Perry landed his men at the little village of Uraga in the Bay of 

 Yeddo in July, 1853. For two hundred and thirty years no stranger 

 had entered the feudal empire of the Rising Sun. Perry delivered, 

 through messenger, President Fillmore's letter and sent word to the 

 Shogun lyeyoshi that he would return the next year for an answer. 

 When Perry returned in February, 1854, lyeyoshi was dead and 

 lyesada reigned in his stead, and the treaty of amity was signed, 

 March 31, 1854, opening two ports to us, Shimoda and Hakodadi, 

 for trade and all ports for ships in distress. As a matter of fact 

 Shimoda was not opened but Kanazawa was selected as the first port 

 to be opened to trade. 



In 1858 the Shogun lyesada died and was succeeded by a fifteen- 

 year-old boy Shogun, lyemochi, and his regent prince ; and it was 

 under this rule that the embassy of i860 was sent to the United 

 States. This period suffered from internecine strife on questions 

 of alien influence, feudalism and dynastic ambition. Moreover, the 

 Mikado was being pressed by certain feudal lords to close the ports, 

 abrogate the treaties and expel the strangers. But the foreign 

 powers were also pressing the regent to stand by the agreements. 

 Then, just after he had sent out the embassy, the regent was 

 assassinated. This was in March, i860. The country was in a 

 ferment but the great embassy was on its way across the Pacific. 



The thin edge of the wedge inserted by the Perry compact in 

 1854 was chiefly one of amity and of hospitality to our seamen. 

 Nevertheless it was to pave the way for closer commercial relations, 

 through another treaty. This latter treaty was negotiated by our 

 Consul-general Townsend Harris, July 29, 1858. 



Mr. Harris had raised the United States flag over an ancient 

 Buddhist temple at Shimoda September 44, 1856, and established our 

 legation there, being " the first of the diplomatic representatives of 



