Chap. XVII. 
AS TO OTHER PORTS. 
responsible for our safety in a country where it is 
so weak as not to be able to protect itself. Taking, 
therefore, into consideration the dangers attending 
the opening of Yedo to foreign merchants, and the 
fact that we have already a port of trade within a 
few miles of it to which its produce can be easily 
brought, where we can reside and trade in compa- 
rative security, I think it will be wise to waive our 
right to the opening of that city, at least for the 
present. 
It seems doubtful, however, whether we should also 
give way to the proposal of deferring the opening 
of Hiogo and Osaca, in the Inland Sea, as also of 
a port on the west coast, should a suitable one be 
found there, to take the place of Ne-egata. Al- 
though the ignorance and prejudices of the people 
may be as great against us in these places as at 
Yedo, yet the same dangers to life and property 
are certainly not So apparent. And if it be worth 
our while to have a footing in these places at all, 
it is almost certain that the difficulties in our way 
will be as great seven years hence as they are at 
the present time. We might, therefore, meet the 
Japanese Government half-way, by insisting that 
the provisions of the treaty be carried out in so far 
as these places are concerned, while we waived, for 
the present, our right of residing and trading in 
the capital itself. 
But it seems doubtful whether the Tycoon’s 
Government has the power to ratify the treaties 
made with foreign nations without the sanction of 
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