Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-11-13

the whole western world and the seat OF hourshnl
and promising church Before, therefore we are so es
pecay angry with the Japanese for their secuson iron
the world the inquiry is Of immense interest," how the pre-
sent state Of things came about and who is responsible
\ for it.
1t Is pain that two hundred and fifty years ago the
japanese ports open TO all ordinary commerca In
tercourse The Portuguese had monopoly OF IT. chiefly
because they had competitors Such however present
ed themselves with the seyenteeth century One William
Adams an Englishman sailed ms pilot TO fleet of ol
landers equipped for the Indian trade in 1898 During
this VOYAGE storm brought him to the japanese coast
But strange vessels had at that period become suspicious
Ii is undeniable that Dutch and English ships if not
ayowedy buccaneers, acted very practically. The obi
CATION Of treaties ceased the line On the Spanish
main it was simply Rob Roys law We can quite, there
fore for and admit the evil report made by the
Portuguese of the English and Dutch The Portuguese
could esteem them other than pirates The con-
sequence that William Adams detained in Japan
until the day of his death But he did his work he
opened the trade his Dutch friends who in 1909,
to the court of the Emperor where they in
great friendship received conditioning with the Emperor
to send yearly ship or two the first of which, arriving
in 1911 was well received, and with great kindness en-
tertained"
When we say that the japanese ports and commerce
open to oil traders must not be understood that two
hundred and fifty years ago. either in Japan any where
else trade carried with that freedom from local
restraints which generally prevails What mean
is, that, under regulations, any European community
might have got commercial footing in Japan Trade
then generally conducted by corporations and fac
tories rather than by individual enterprise Even in
East India trade up to comparatively recent pc
riod the quantity of exports and imports fixed 1t
at that time considered necessary to keep up prices
by restricting trade To throw and spices overheard
is practice not yet forgotten il quite conceivable
therefore, how early in the seventeenth century
eiai intercourse with Japan might be Free and yet with
restriction the number of vessels and amount Of
commodities permitted to enter its ports.
Before the year 1920, then the Portuguese and Dutch
Inv do land
called Firando looking the Corean straits. They
were not likely to prove themselves pleasant neghbors
agreeable guests Of in those days the Dutch in
Portuguese eyes appeared only heretics if not ahe-
its while the Dutch returned the compliment by stig-
mazlng their brother Christians idolaters The
mutual hatred and suspicious existing between Holland
and Portugal likely impress the calm and in
curing japanese with exalted notions either of Christians
general Europeans in particular Nor were the ma
tive Christians such had kndled under Xavers words
of fire. or had melted before his glow Of love- Persecu-
ton had commenced on the part of the heather the
Christian orders divided against each other Do
1nIncan and franciscan were mutually msrepresented
and stumblngbocks nnumerabe thrown in the Ja-
panese path to the Gospel and this fear by Christian
hands The sad history of the prescription of the Gospel
IN Japan may be told in few words. The Christians may
have become rapacous but is certain that old power
full heathenism last found that liberation of Chris
any was in the end treason to Buddhism and Sntooism
No religions could co-exist with the Christianity
must be accepted destroyed The japanese national
A9es Oh Ine The
rival of more missionaries first forbidden; then con-
versions were prohibited mt last persecution terrible
as that OF Decus commenced In 1914 the native con-
yerts who would not recant cruced and tortured
the churches destroyed the schools closed and the
profession of Christianity in Japanese declared illegal
Hitherto the foreign Christians had been prosecuted
but Portuguese missionaries constantly eyadng the
law The commercial result the restriction of foreign
trade TO the little island of Desima.
But worse remained real or suspected plot against
the Japanese Government said have been entered into
by the japanese Christians implicated the Portuguese
II curious to say the least that the documentary evil
denee Of this plot was found in "a Portuguese ship cap
tured by the Dutch Whether the Dutch invented the
plot only took advantage of it we cannot pronounce
indspuabe that they denounced it to the Japanese
Government and the result was that the Portuguese
were banhed forever from Japan and its dependencies
Nor was this all From 1857 commenced the exclusive
policy Of the Japanese of which Europeans complain
The proclamation which decreed that the whole race of
the Portuguese with their mothers and whatever
belongs TO them shall be banished forever" goes on to
forth
" That no japanese ship boat or any native Of Ja-
pam should henceforh to quit the country under
pain of forfeiture and death that any Japanese return
ing from foreign country should be put death thai
no nobleman or soldier should be suffered to purchas,
any thing OF foreigner that any person presuming
bring letter from abroad return Japan after he
had been banished should die with all his family ant
that whosoevcr presumed to nercede for such offenders
should be put 70 DEATH &C. that all persons who propa
Il
dalous name should be seized and mmured in the com.
mon Jail, &c reward was offered for the discovery Of
every padre priest and smaller reward for the disco
very Of every native christian. Ibid p. ~.
Here is obvious to remark that whichever version
Of this incident is true whether the Portuguese did enter
into political plot against the japanese Government
whether the Dutch, out of jealousy Portugal in.
vented the conspiracy, and the Portuguese completely
with it, the result is the same The Japanese expelled
Europeans and restricted their intercourse with the
whole world account Of European intrigue. They
acted in self-defence Their policy might be short
ed and bgoed; but the Europeans compelled it. We
are only witnessing and suffering under the untoward
suits Of the dupcity and nrgues the reachery and
bigotry Of the seventeenth century.
This the hour Of temptation 70 the Dutch and they
were not proof against Bitter rivals both in
and religion 70 the Portuguese they did all they could
exasperate the contest between the Portuguese and Ja
panese If they did not the Portuguese expulsion
they mainly contributed it and this under the mos
discreditable and degrading circumstances. Though
nomnaly dispute between Japan and Portugal it was
IN fact controversy between Heathenism and Christi
anity. The Dutch took their side and kept it. They
ranged themselves wiz 1c~secution and apostacy. W.
avail ourselves of Mr.. MacFarlanes judgment in tho
case, and he is not prejudiced witness
Though deprived Of their padres or European teach
ers, and though menaced, not only with imprisonment
but also with torture and death the converts
IA their faith. Oppression drove them into open rebel
lion and they took refuge, and made herocal stand
against the troops Of the Emperor in the province
Simabara The Imperial Government called upon III,
Dush TO assist them in their war against these Chris
tans and the Dutch promptly gave the aid required
them. The fact is admitted by al their own country
men who have written about Japan from their first wr
ers in the middle Of the seventeenth century down
the year 1873. NJ Fischer, the very last on the list
says that the Dutch compelled TO Join in the perse
cuton against the stubborn remnant Of that Christian
host Others would soften the by saying that tn,
Dutch oRiy supplied the heather Japanese with