The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-09-18

TAYLOR 10 the EMPEROR or JAPAN, intimatin
his desire to open friendly and commercial rea
tons with that Empire; submitted to Hon. JON
NJ CLAYro>. Secretary of State. March "a, 1919
ZACHARY TAYLOR, PrcadeHtCt the United State
Of Amcr,ca and Commande'-'n-chicf Of h'
Army and Nary thereof
TO
HIS TnDcriaI Hajcdyhe SEoGooN, and Supreme
Ruicr Of JaPoa and ats Dependencies.
SALVATION AND PEACE!
fo,crcd and solemnly inaugurated President
a - - - - Awcrca haze greet
satisfaction in transmitting to Your Imperial
Majesty the enclosed copy of my recent lnau-
gural Message to Our two Houses of Congress,
which pray Your Imperial Majesty will receive
rs IA mark of my respect = and | avail Of this
occasion to intimate my desire to open friendly
relations and commercial intercourse with ia
pan upon such a basis as shall be considered
mutually beneficial TO the interests Of both ma
tons
Oar Empire Republic is at present composed
of Thirty Independent Sovereign States, and
five Territories not yet organized into State
Governments. Most of our States are larger
than many Of the principal Kingdoms of Eu-
rope, and contain, with the Territories, an ag
gregate population of more than twenty-three
millions They are all united under one Fede-
raj or Supreme Government established ut
Washington and which, among its constitu-
tOnal attributes is solely invested with the
Power of making War, Peace and Treaties Of
regulating Commerce. and maintaining DiplO-
matte Intercourse with foreign nations.
We have n seacOast Of nineteen hundred
L., A o. b,ndrnl
miles on the Gulf of Mexico, and eighteen hun
bred miles on the great lakes which divide us
from the adjacent British possessions, and six
teen hundred miles of maritime frontier on the
western coast of the Pacific Ocean. The city
of New York, our chief Port and Emporium,
has upwards of five hundred thousand inhabit-
ants It is now reckoned next to London and
Liverpool in the extent of its foreign commerce
and internal trade, and the magnitude of its
business transactions The other principal
ports are Boston, Philadelphia Baltimore,
Charleston Savannah, Mobile, and New Or
leans besides these, there are numerous large
commercial and manufacturing cities and trad
ing towns ON the seaboard, and on the great
rivers and lakes of the interior.
The discovery, last year, of extensive aurifer-
GUS deposits, and rich mines of gold and quick
silver, in California, is attracting thither an inn
mense number of immigrants, both from the
United States and other countries. San Fran
cisco, the chief port Of the Territory, from its
favorable position and superior local advantages,
will shortly become the great mart and entire
pot for the commerce of the Pacific with Asia,
Polynesia, Oceanica, and Austral Asia We
have already opened steam communication be-
tween it and our ports on the Atlantic Uid
Chagres and Panama. Another line Of Amcri-
can steamers is to be established between Cali
fornia and China, by which it is calculated the
transit of mails, passengers and merchandise,
will be made between New York and Shanghai
within forty-fye days.
Lines Of magnetic telegraph are now in act
i've operation in nearly all our States; and it is
even contemplated to extend line TO San Fran
cisco. A project is pending before our Congress
for the construction Of railroad from the
Mississippi River to that port, to connect with the
railroads already constructed or in progress
throughout our country all which, when COM
pleted are destined to make New York the great
centre of business, trade, and commerce, cx-
change and banking transactions, for the whole
world.
We have treaties of amity and commerce.
and maintain diplomatic relations with all the
soyereigns of the maritime and commercial
States of Europe with Mexico Central Amer
lea, the Empire of Brazil aud the Republics of
South America with the Sultan of Turkey. the
Emperor of Morocco, the Barbarv States. the
Imam of Muscat, the Emperor Of China, the
King of SIAM and the King of the Sandwich
Islands.
While tranquility rcgns within we are a
peace and friendship with all the world, anC
our merchants carry ON an extensive and profit
able commerce with the four quarters of tn,
globe Foreign merchants Of all nations ar,
freely permitted TO visit our ports and cities io
trade and ours resort To theirs for the like oh
ject
We have between six and seven hundre,
ships engaged in the whale fishery, principally
in the Northern Pacific Ocean The capita
invested therein amounts to about thirty mil
lions of dollars, and it gives employment to up
wards of twenty-five thousand officers and yea
men In the pursuit Of their gigantic game
our whalers are now beginning to frequent il
large fleets, the seas and coasts of Japan, tn,
LoO-Choo, and Meaicosma groups the Bays O
Yeso, the Kurile Islands the Island of Tarakay
or Saghalien. Sea of Kamtschatka, Cuffs o
Okot-k and Tartary and the Arctic Ocean.
A. we consider the whale fishery of grea
Importance 10 our navigating and commercial
interests we are DESTROYS of fostering and pro
iecting it by all legitimate and proper means
/ would therefore specially commend to the pro
lection of Your Imperial Majesty's Government
and provincial authorities such of our mariner
employed in whaling, the naval or merchan
service as may be compelled by stress of wealth
er, in want Of repair and assistance to put int
any Of the ports Of the Empire, that they bc
aided and provided with necessaries 10 refit n
the current prices of the country and in cas-,
Of shipwrcck that they receive kind and hos
pitable treatment and be forwarded rs sOon IA
possible 10 the care of the American consul al
Batavia, who will promptly reimburse all the
incidental expenses.
Distressed japanese mariners have. on yari-
GUS occasions been rescued from shipwreck,
and restored TO their native country, by cap
tains of our whaling and merchant ships.
notably in the instance of Captain Mercator
Cooper, of the ship Manhattan, in April lSl5
TWAS highly gratifying TO the American Govern
ment and People 10 observe that Captain Cooper
received the thanks of Your Imperial Majesty
for his kindness and humanity towards twenty
two japanese seamen, in rescuing whom, in a
destitute and furnishing condition. from des
ert island and sinking junk, he was necessarily
compelled 10 make considerable deviation IN
his voyage From such examples, Your I'm
perial Majesty may always rest assured OF the
alacrity and promptitude Of our naval officers,
whaling and merchant captains in the rescue,
and return t0 their country, of all distressed
japanese they may find in want Of their assist
auoa