74 INTRODUCTION. 



establish, and such henefit may he honestly desired, even while we seek our own interest. This 

 is not selfishness. But further, we heg distinctly to state the fact that Commodore Perry did 

 express to the Japanese commissioners the desire that other nations might have the benefits of 

 our treaty, or of one similar to it, and received for reply that there were many commercial 

 nations on the globe ; and that if they wished to have a treaty they should do as we had done, 

 visit Japan and seek to make one. 



That our late President (Mr. Fillmore) should have been wanting in the courtly proprieties of 

 diplomatic etiquette, and prove himself ignorant of the dignified language in which it became him 

 to address a sovereign, is certainly very lamentable. But we are comforted by the reflection that 

 his Japanese majesty was not offended by the manly, yet respectful, frankness of our republican 

 chief; that the Emperor seems perfectly to have understood what he said, (which is something 

 unusual in diplomacy ;) and that, through his commissioners, he responded in a very friendly 

 and cordial manner to the propositions made by our President. At all events, we made a treaty 

 with Japan satisfactory to hath governments. Our rude ignorance of propriety was thus kindly 

 overlooked ; and we, therefore, hope that M. Von Siebold, the self-constituted court chamberlain 

 of Japan, will henceforth generously forbear to speak of the shortcomings of such a semi-civilized 

 people and government as ours. It may indicate our barbarism, but we would rather be clowns 

 than calumniators. 



We plead guilty, too, to the charge that Commodore Perry went to the bay of Yedo and 

 refused to go to Nagasaki ; and that he added to this enormity the very plain declaration that 

 ' ' the Americans will never submit to the restrictions which have been imposed upon the Dutch 

 and Chinese, and any further allusion to such restraints will be considered ofiensive ;" to which 

 we will add that the Japanese commissioners put in writing, as one of the points agreed upon 

 between them and Commodore Perry, that "the citizens of the United States will not submit to 

 degradations like those imposed upon the Dutch and Chinese." And Commodore Perry's coun- 

 trymen expected him to say precisely what he did say, and are quite satisfied with the result. 



It only remains to be added that, until since the return of our expedition, neither the Dutch 

 nor Eussians were able to effect a treaty. England and the United States alone succeeded ; and 

 England readily admits that, in point of time, ours was the first. This is all we have ever 

 said ; and we conclude with the wish that all the powers of Europe, seeking commercial treaties 

 with Japan, may succeed as well as England and ourselves, and that most interesting Empire 

 thus be opened to, and enriched by, free communication with the civilized world. 



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