JAPAN. 



367 



and interesting discussions turned upon the 

 following questions from the " Foreign Office : " 



1. On the question, if the country was to he closed 

 or to he opened, the different parties have had many 

 discussions since olden times. Some say that no 

 relations ought to be entertained with the barbarians, 

 the birds and beasts, as they call them ; others that 

 now, when our country is not yet sufficiently rich 

 and powerful, we ought to make our own their ad- 

 vantages and make up our defects through them, and 

 that when this is done we ought to drive them away. 

 Others, again, desire that we should completely adopt 

 the customs of foreigners, that our schools ought to 

 be open to their sciences, and that we ought to prac- 

 tise the use of ships and cannons, and then proceed 

 to a thorough expulsion of them ; others say that we 

 ought to kill the barbarians. If, now, it should be 

 resolved upon to open the country, shall then the ex- 

 isting treaties forever remain as they are, or shall 

 we follow another line of policy with regard to the 

 treaties? 



2. If the closing of the country should be de- 

 manded, shall we then proceed to a systematical ex- 

 pulsion, or shall the foreigners residing in our 

 country be killed ? But if the foreigners wage war 

 against us for this, what shall we do to resist them ? 



3. If they attack us by land and sea without our 

 having sufficient soldiers to oppose them, are you 

 then content that the country and the nation, to- 

 gether with the imperial family, be destroyed ? 



4. If in case of a war it should be decided to oppose 

 the foreigners with open force, and if some did not 

 approve this decision, in what manner should they 

 be brought over to your opinion ? 



5. If the closing of the ports were decided upon 

 and war became imminent, where shall our imperial 

 family find a refuge, and with what troops will you 

 protect them ? What measures will you take in that 

 case ? 



6. Lately innocent foreigners have been killed in 

 our country, bad gold and silver coins have been 

 brought into circulation, large loans have been con- 

 tracted, and if the number of such facts should aug- 

 ment from day to day, and all the nations together 



Sat their troops in motion to make war against our 

 overnment and demand peremptorily satisfaction 

 for these deeds, or if they should take possession of 

 the open ports, seize our ships, occupy our islands, 

 how can we prevent this ? W hat measures do you 

 intend to employ to prevent this ? 



7. If we look at the present state of affairs, we find 

 that the partisans of the opening of the ports are also 

 in favor of the propagation of foreign (religious) sects, 

 while their opponents are in favor of the Japanese 

 and Chinese doctrines. If we wish to arrive at a 

 fusion of both opinions, what steps have we to take 

 in order to arrive at a certain and stable situation ? 



8.^ How do you think that the propagation of the 

 [Shinto) doctrine of our gods could be brought about 

 in the whole country for the instruction and guidance 

 of our people? 



9. If unanimity should be arrived at with regard to 

 these questions, do you believe that the opening or 

 closing of the ports would be more in accordance 

 with the spirit of the age, and eventually what prof- 

 its or disadvantages would we have from the exe- 

 cution of these measures ? 



10. Our treaties with the foreign countries have 

 been concluded for commercial purposes. Now, dur- 

 ing these last years the foreign, powers have vied 

 with each other in stationing troops and ships in our 

 country for the protection of their countrymen: if 

 difficulties arise, they immediately draw out their 

 troops for the protection of the different places ; Encr- 

 lish soldiers are at this moment nearly 3,000 men in 

 our country ; the next in number are the French ; 

 America and other countries have men-of-war sta- 

 tioned here. Our holy empire, which never since the 

 oldest times has been despised, has provoked these 



humiliations, and just at this moment we feel them 

 very much. What law shall we make to wipe away 

 this stain ? 



11. According to our views the state of affairs is as 

 follows : Except in conquered countries the law of 

 nations does not allow that theatres should be im- 

 posed by military force ; but after, in former years, 

 several tens of merchants had been killed, the foreign 

 countries concerned have, as soon as any one was 

 killed, augmented the number of soldiers, so that it 

 has arrived at the extent now existing. If new murders 

 should take place at the present time, the number of 

 soldiers will also be augmented in proportion thereto, 

 until it has become large enough to guarantee suffi- 

 cient safety. What are the means to put an end to 

 this state of affairs ? 



12. If, in consequence of new murders of foreigners, 

 their troops should be so much augmented that they 

 occupied all our ports, what country will be then 

 more despised and humiliated than our heavenly 

 country ? Even now, there are many grievances the 

 foreigners have against us. How can we clear our old 

 and sacred laws and religion from this stain in the 

 eyes of foreigners ? What are we to do ? 



13. It is because our Government can neither pro- 

 tect their own people nor the foreigners that the for- 

 eign countries have sent their troops to us, and they 

 declare that they will not withdraw them until the 

 Government has obtained the power over life and 

 death, and to punish and reward. And this power the 

 Government must have enough authority to pro- 

 tect their own people and the foreigners. That, as is 

 now the case, the foreign countries punish them- 

 selves crimes committed in our country, is a shame 

 and an insult. How can we wipe it out ? 



14. Because under the former Benkfu Government 

 the power over life and death and to reward and 

 punish had passed into the hands of low people, a 

 change of government has taken place. How can we 

 paralyze these old hereditary evils ? 



15. How shall we prevent the foreign representa- 

 tives going everywhere, under the protection, not of 

 our soldiers, but of their own ? Or shall we forbid it ? 



16. If the foreigners now ,ask how the kerais or 

 regular troops of the provinces, clans and districts, 

 shall be prevented from molesting foreigners they 

 meet on the road, or if the Government has power to 

 prevent such things, what shall we reply ? 



17. If we desire that you should decide now over 

 peace and war, you ought to do so with zeal and pru- 

 dence. Only a small mistake on one side or the other 

 will cause us great difficulties and miseries, and the 

 power of Government will fall necessarily into the 

 hands of bad officers. Therefore your decision ought 

 to be clear and to the point. 



18. The debts toward foreign countries taken over 

 by the new Government from the old one amount to 

 about $6,000,000 (one dollar being equal to three and 

 a half boos).. The immediate payment of them has 

 often been demanded from us, but, as the expenses 

 for interior and foreign affairs are so very heavy at 

 this moment, we address ourselves to you in order to 

 learn how to satisfy these claims. 



From the Simonoseki affair with Choshin, part of 

 the indemnity to be paid to England, France, Amer- 

 ica, and Holland, $1,500,000. is still unpaid. 



The Oriental Bank of Yokohama has made us a 

 loan of $500.000. One million dollars have been lent 

 by the English merchant Oruto to the imperial mint. 



Debts from daimios to foreigners have been guaran- 

 teed by the Government to the amount of $230,000 to 

 $240,000. 



Further expenses for the factory at Nagasaki, the 

 dock at Yokotska, light-houses, mines, and men-of- 

 war, to be paid for to foreigners, make up the total 

 amount before mentioned. To specify exactly the 

 different items is not possible. 



19. Bad silver and gold coins circulating in the 

 country, a large quantity of bad silver and gold has 

 come through trade into the hands of foreigners. The 



