Washington telegraph., 1853-11-30

from New York, all parts-that the Pres;
dent of the United States lived in Wash
lngton." "What is the name of the sh;,
now many people, guns, &c?" Tell him
SIR that we are no traders; we seek nc
trade; we are armed ships, and our custom,
Is never to answer such questions
ne questions We're again repeated in
pretty much the same way, when told Mr.
Fosfman to make the same reply. and add
that Lhad no curiosity to know how many men
are either in the Emperors army or in his
navy and also that he could see for himself
that We had four ships-that we had others
IN those waters. when will the others
come - Il don't know it depends upon
the answer of the letter. what are the
contents of the letter !'' "Tell him. sir that
the letter is from the President of the Uni
ted States to the Emperor of Japan, and it
would be most indelicate in me to INQUIRE
into its contents This rebuke was re-
celved In an apologetic manner, and this
questioning dropped | then again alluded
to the boats which were still CLUSTERING
around our ship and the other ships told
them that it was absolutely necessary that
they should be kept of, that this must be
done. eve shall be sorry, with our kind
and friendly feelings to you, to do you any
harm. or to come into collision with YOU :;
bat, if you do not order your boats off, we
shall fire into them and drive them off
Our boats are now armed and ready, and
we cannot allow you more than fifteen min
utes to give your orders and to keep them
OF. At the end of that time you must suf-
fer"
Mr. Mandarin went out, told this to the
boats, sent word to the other boats and came
in. 'Now | must have an answer. What
have you decided about the boats ?' Il
have ordered them off from all the ships,
and with orders only to communicate with
this. Yes from all the ships; and if
any come around you, send word to the
Goyernor, and he will punish them" Thus
was this point, never before yielded, conce-
ded. After few more remarks, bowed
Mr. mandarin off, and away he went ON
shore, taking the boats off with him.
My interview with my friend was again
renewed in the evening" and in rather "a
different phase, which does not promise to
end peacefully; but tomorrow viii tell
SUNDAY, July 11-12 a. m. This hol-
lowed day Of quiet has again come round,
and hnds US lying quietly at our anchors,
enjoying day OF rest: our broadsides upen
the town and rts on the shores; our glasses
watching the marches aud couutermarches
OF their troops on shore. paraded by the dif-
Ierent mandarins. The spirit Of preparation
for resistance and defence is evidently ru-
ling them The sounds of many guns away
towards Jeddo come frequently booming ca
the ear The country is evidently awake
from its long sumbers OF peace.
Let me renew my narrative Of the events
OF the 9Th In about one hour after the
Mandarin left again received him. with d.
rections not to palaver much In long,
windy, set speech. he said that the Governor
did not feel himself justified in receiving
the letter from the President to the Empe-
ror--that he had not the power--that Ma
gasaki was the place for the conduct of all
foreign affairs--that it was not japanese
custom that, indeed, the Governor was
much bothered to think why four ships
should have come together--that he appre-
ciated very highly the great trouble we had
taken to come so very far to deliver the letter
but that he could not receive it. To which
| repled-''The distance, to be sure. was
very long, ard that we had come a great
wav-that we could not think Of going to
Nagasaki-that the letter was an important
one, and that our President had ordered Us
10 deliver it as near The city IF Jeddo as
possible; therefore We were here, and [ trust
ed that the letter would be received in the
morning"
To this he answered. No one here can
receive it. 1t would bring harm upon him.
Negasaki is the only place that he did not
believe, if the letteE was received, that the
Emperor would answer it To this | re-
Piled Does your governor dare to take
upon himself the responsibility to refuse to
receive a letter written TO his sovereign, and
to forward it to him 1t is very grave
responsibility to receive the letter sent from
one sovereign to another lie then said
The Governor may receive 1t; but we can
tell when the answer may come :; but then
added, ''that he had not the power to receive
it, and must wait and refer it,
Ireplicd that '.this letter was very i'm
portant one--that it wonld be great insult
to the President of the United States not to
receive it. That as to the Emperor's not
answering it, that was not our business now;
that would be settled hereafter lie said,
'.This is Japanese custom you Americans
don't understand Japanese CUSTOMS DC. |
replied, 1--WE Americans do business decld-
edly, promptly" At this point l went out
and referred this new phase of the discussion
to the commodore. and by his order broke
up the interview, telling him that if the
Governor did not send off for the letter in
the morning, we would ourselves deliver it
in the town of Orogama. He was rather
taken aback by this decision and requested
permission to come off in the morning.
To this | assented. He then took his leave