416 



JAPAN. 



intentions there. During the year 1872 Corea 

 sent more threatening letters to Japan. Sail- 

 ing-vessels convoyed by a man-of-war were 

 sent to Corea for the purpose of bringing back 

 all Japanese in the country, preparatory to 

 further measures on the part of the Japanese 

 Government. Several foreign war-vessels con- 

 gregated at Chee-foo, in anticipation of trouble 

 to the Japanese. China was believed to sym- 

 pathize with Corea. 



The Overland China Mail has published 

 what purports to be a translation of the treaty 

 and trade regulations agreed upon, in 1871, be- 

 tween China and Japan, which gave so great 

 offence to foreign powers. In framing the ar- 

 ticles, the contracting parties have drawn 

 largely on the foreign treaties as their models, 

 and, hence, the opening passages teem with 

 general expressions of good-will, to the extent, 

 even, of saying that, in case of either experi- 

 encing injustice or wrong from another state, 

 the one so injured shall " be entitled to assist- 

 ance or good offices from the other." It is 

 then solemnly agreed that "ambassadors of 

 each country shall, with their families and 

 suite, have access to Peking and Yeddo, respec- 

 tively, either for permanent residence or on a 

 visit," and, further, that it shall be lawful for 

 the two states to appoint consuls at the ports 

 open to trade. Each state shall " prohibit its 

 consuls from engaging in trade." Article IX. 

 provides that, if " either state have no consul 

 at a treaty port, its subjects who may be resi- 

 dent there shall be subject to the local authori- 

 ties." It is especially agreed that the books 

 of either country may circulate freely in the 

 other, and natives of Japan are prohibited from 

 presenting themselves at the Chinese competi- 

 tive examinations. The Chinese ports declared 

 open to trade are the same as those known to 

 us as the treaty ports, with the substitution of 

 Kinchau in the Canton Province for Kiung Chau 

 in Hainan ; but the only ports at which China- 

 men are to be allowed to trade in Japan are Yo- 

 kohama, Hakodadi, Osaka, Niegata, and Pezo. 

 At these places convenient sites are to be 

 pointed out by the local authorities for the 

 erection of houses either for residence or busi- 

 ness. It is agreed that, if false entries or 

 omissions be discovered in ships' manifests pre- 

 sented by Japanese captains to the Chinese 

 custom-house, the goods shall be confiscated, 

 and the captain fined 500 taels; but "in Ja- 

 pan omissions shall incur a fine equivalent to 

 the duty, and for false entries the fine shall be 

 $125." If a Japanese captain "presumes to 

 land cargo before the manifest has been ex- 

 amined, he shall be amercad 500 taels, and the 

 goods shall be confiscated." If a Chinese cap- 

 tain is guilty of the same offence in Japan, the 

 goods shall be confiscated. The same restric- 

 tions are to be enforced with regard to the 

 trade in nitre, sulphur, and white copper, as 

 are laid down in the English treaty with Chi- 

 na, and rice is not to be transported from 

 either country. 



A report was extensively circulated in May, 

 1872, that the Japanese edicts against Christi- 

 anity had been abolished. It appeared to have 

 come directly by mail from Japan. A state- 

 ment was also made in the newspapers of the 

 United States that the members of the Japan- 

 ese embassy, who were then in Washington, 

 received notification from their Government 

 of the abolition of the edicts. These reports 

 were without foundation. The missionaries 

 and official residents in Japan first heard of 

 them from Europe and America. As late as 

 August missionaries of the American societies, 

 in their correspondence, stated that placards, 

 warning the people to beware of Christianity, 

 and threatening punishment to those who ac- 

 cepted it, were still to be found posted in pub- 

 lic places. But, while the laws againt Christi- 

 anity have remained nominally in force, the 

 administration of them has been varied, and 

 even capricious. A company of sixty-five 

 Roman Catholic natives were arrested near 

 Nagasaki, in December, 1871, and subjected to 

 severe hardships for several months, notwith- 

 standing the remonstrances of European and 

 American ministers. A number of converts 

 to the Russo-Greek Church, near Hakodadi, 

 were arrested and imprisoned, but were re- 

 leased upon representations being made by dip- 

 lomatic agents. The missionaries who have 

 been permitted to reside in Japan have been 

 restrained within the bounds which the Gov- 

 ernment has prescribed for them. In the few 

 instances in which they have ventured to speak 

 or hold meetings in other places, they have 

 been rebuked, and those natives who attended 

 their meetings, or associated with them, have 

 been subjected to annoyance and persecution. 

 The Rev. Mr. Gulick, of the American Board, 

 visited Kioto during the exposition which was 

 held there in 1872. A man in that city be- 

 came acquainted with him, assisted him in 

 renting a house, and attended with him daily 

 at family prayers. This man was afterward 

 arrested, and brought to trial for the offences 

 of wishing to have Christianity spread in 

 Kioto, and of assisting the missionaries. Mr. 

 Ballagh, missionary at Yokohama of the Re- 

 formed Church in America, on one occasion, 

 visited a point on the opposite side of the bay 

 from that city, and held religions services, at 

 which two Japanese converts offered prayer. 

 The Japanese Government complained to the 

 American consul that Mr. Ballagh had gone 

 beyond the treaty limits without a pass, and 

 had held religious services ; and it made great 

 exertions to discover who the two natives 

 were who had participated in the worship. 

 Mr. Gulick, while at Kioto, sought permission 

 from the Government to remain there, nnd 

 teach the English language gratuitously. The 

 Government would not grant it, unless he 

 would sign a contract to refrain from the men- 

 tion of Christianity. v>. 



On the other hand, the missionaries have 

 been allowed, end even encouraged, to estab- 



