66 INTRODUCTION. 



Article V. The stipulations above mentioned shall he suhmitted to every foreign poiver that 

 desires to make a treaty with Jajian, and shall form the bases of such treaty. 



Article VI. In case treaties are made with foreign powers on tlie foregoing bases, the Dutch 

 shall have all the privileges granted to the most favored nation. 



This draft was accompanied by a document from his Majesty the King of the Netherlands, 

 entitled "Explanatory note to the draft of the treaty to be concluded between his Majesty the 

 King of the Netherlands and his Majesty the Emperor of Japan." 



This commences with the declaration that "his Majesty appreciates the difficulties which 

 exist in the Japanese institutions, in satisfying the demands of foreign powers for entering into 

 commercial negotiations with that Empire, and foresees the dangers to which Japan is inevitably 

 exposed, if the government of that Empire does not listen to reasonable demands of that kind," 

 It then proceeds to state that "his Majesty, by the communications of his subjects, who have 

 long navigated to Japan, and are well acquainted with the aifairs of that Emjjire, esteems 

 himself, indeed, better able than any other firince to make propositions to the sovereign of that 

 Empire, in order to mitigate the severe laws against foreigners." "Therefore, the King has 

 taken the resolution to cause to be drawn up and presented a treaty between their Majesties the 

 King of the Netherlands and the Emperor of Japan, in which, in respecting the laws and the ancient 

 customs of the Empire of Japan, is indicated the way, by means of which, for the future, may 

 be maintained, not only friendly commercial relations with the subjects of his Majesty the King 

 of the Netherlands, but also with those maritime nations who desire commerce with Japan, or 

 who, having peaceful purposes, are thrown by accident on the coasts of the Empire." "For 

 the elucidation of a treaty drawn up in that spirit, his Majesty causes the following lines to be 

 written." Then follows a separate comment on each of the articles of the treaty, and particu- 

 larly on each of the bases enumerated under Art. IV, recommending and enforcing them all. 



These documents were all prepared and placed in the hands of the Dutch officials as soon as 

 possible after the government of the Netherlands became certain that an expedition would sail 

 from the United States, and some months before Commodore Perry left our shores. 



In anticipation of the contemplated enterprize, the government of the United States, in July, 

 1862, (at which time the Dutch draft of a treaty had been sent out on its way to Dezima,) 

 applied respectfully to the government of the Netherlands, announcing officially that the 

 American squadron would be sent, that its visit was meant to be friendly, and that its object 

 was, if possible, to obtain from Japan some mitigation of her system of exclusion ; it asked, 

 also, that instructions might be given to the Dezima chief to afford, if it should be desired by us, 

 his official co-operation in furthering the accomplishment of our object. This request was 

 answered by a promise that such instructions should be given ; and, by request, copies were 

 furnished to the United States of the letter of William II, of 1844, and of the Emperor's answer 

 to it of 1845 ; but of the draft of a Dutch treaty then on its way to Japan, or of any 

 accompanying instructions to the Dutch officials in the east, the United States, of course, 

 heard and knew nothing. 



Thus affairs stood when our squadron sailed on the 24th of November, 1852. Long before it 

 arrived in the Japanese waters, the Dutch chief at Dezima had been endeavoring to carry out 

 his instructions, and negotiate loith the Japanese the treaty of tc?iich the draft had been sent to him. 

 But the authorities of Japan persisted in their refusal to appoint a person of consideration as 

 their confidential agent to negotiate any treaty at all. In this state of affairs, the Dezima chief, 

 " rightly resolving not to sacrifice the business to a more matter of form," as the Dutch document 



