Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1854-07-06
From the New York Commercial Advertiser.
Commodore Perry's Second Visit TO Japan.
INTERESTING NAnR.r1yE-


in better order the priests well as the people
were distinguished for their courtesy. The cities
visited were not only very extensive ESTIMATED
to be six miles long, but, with wide, well formed
streets. Kassacca is some fifteen to twenty miles
distant by land. from the ships and Mr Bit;inger
being thus necessarily long absent, some anxiety
was felt about him As he returning, Jap
anese officer put into his hands an order from the
Commodore for all officers return on board and
| shortly afterward courier mounted on splendid
black horse, delivered similar dispatch and find
ing il was understood and acted on turned round.
and gailoped back again TO report the approach OF
the American officer, who concluded his journey
by torch ght, and found that everything that had
occurred had been noted, even the number OF but
tons on his coat being recorded
One officer contrived 10 get mp to Je3do, or suf-
ficieny il 10 inform himself that there Is five
fathoms of water close up 10 the city. 1t was eX-
pected when the treaty was signed. permission
would be given TO the strangers to visit the CAPT
toll OF the two ports, Matsma Osaka, the open
ing of which the treaty provides for, the Hong
Kong Register gives a brief account Niatsma is
the chief city OF the Island Yeso and is situated at
the south end of the island the Straits of San
gar, between Yeso and Nippon. Osaka is a capt.
tol in Npaon, or Japan proper, and is situated on
the western side. about half way between Jeddo,
the CAPITOL and Nagaski, the Dutch port Of trade.
4 correspondent OF the China Mail gives the fol-
ors of the American squadron:
One of the standing opinions about the Japan
ese destined TO be thrown down by Commodore
Perry, has been that they nviucibly intoler-
ant of Christianity. Indeed this has generally
been assigned as main reason for their exclu-
sveness. To the emblem of the cross they still
object, but the story OF the expelled Portuguese,
that every Christian landing at Japan requir-
ed 10 trampe on ii, or on representation of the
Virgin and Savior, must, if true, have been al
most entirely confined to themselves and their
co,reigiorists More recent writers, who have
been able 10 deny that such is the custom,
tell US the practice of religious rites is prohibit
ted by lrreyocable japanese laws" but the fol-
lowing narrative of the funeral of marine of
the United States squadron, shows THAI there is
as little foundation for the statement for the
other.
On the 9th of March, the day following the
first meeting between Commodore Perry and the
Imperial Commissioner from Jeddo, TO negotiate
the terms OF commercial treaty, soldiers and
Christian burial was given to marine, Robert
Williams, who had died a few days before on
board the steamer Mississippi. The party de-
tailed for this purpose consisedof several officers
one OF them the chaplain in his gown, an escort
of eight marines in charge OF corporal, and
four marines bearers of the corpse. Two
boats left the ship-one containing the officers
and the other the body and escort Upon
reaching the shore the party met by sever
al japanese officials, ready TO conduct them to the
grave. The escort landed first and received the
body with the usual honors The little process
ION was then formed; first, the escort, followed
by the music, drum and fife next the body. borne
on the shoulders of four messmates; and then the
chaplain with the other officers and few sailors
from the boats bringing up the In this or
der, with the music playing a dead march, the
party moved TO the grave-wInding through the
streets OF village the distance of nearly half a
mile. On either side of the road, and on the sur
rounding hills. at the foot of one OF which the
grave had been made, thousands of people, men,
women and children. could be seen, all manIesting
eager curiosity.
| could but think, as we passed along, how
strange not only the procession, but each Of US
individually, must appear to that eager throng,
not one OF whom, probably, had ever before look
cd upon the face OF stranger from a foreign
country and yet there was no undue noise, or
apparent alarm, on the part of any of them
only intense interest in observing what mas pass
ing before them
As we neared the grave (Which occupieda very
pretty spOt,) the voice of the chaplain could be
heard-"l am the resurrection and the life, saith
the Lord he that believeth in me, though he
were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoeyer iveth
and beiieveth in me shall never lie"
As gathered around the grave, and the
reading of the burial service proceeded the scene
was one Of unusual interest for the time and
place, and circumstances, all conspired TO make
II, as an incident honorable to short sojourn
IN land where for centuries, it is said, the sym
boil Of our religion has been trodden under foot.
The church burial service ended, the escort fired
three vollevs the grave. / had expected
that this there would be some commotion
among the crowd. bat noticed only at the first
discharge, that for a moment there was Slight
movement as of surprise, and then all were again
quiet and attentive observers
IL, Lii
due honor, the remains of our deceased shipmate,
the procession was formed, and with music to
the front, again passed through the village and
the thousands OF spectators, to our boats on the
beach. Here we took leave of the officials. who
throughout the entire ceremony had conducted
themselves with great propriety and extended to
US every clvlty, and returned to the ship, pleased
with the consciousness of not only having
but assisted in giving such honors, in such
place. to deceased brother
The writers in the China papers take excep-
ton to one feature OF this negotiation, viz that
the japanese refused to admit into the proposed
treaty clause granting to all other countries the
same privileges as those granted to the United
States. The gentlemen who made this objection
are we presume, EDglishmen, and their disappro-
val is natural 1t is to the honor of the Adj
ministration that sent out the expedition, and 10
the Ambassador himself, that the liberal propo-
sition was made by the United States The
Japanese may not deem it expedient to admit at
one time all the nations OF the earth to such in
tercourse. The treaty with the United States is
but an experiment, and may very possibly be re-
garded by the japanese Government as hazard
Gus experiment considering the long years OF Sc
clusion in which the people have dwelt. 1t may
be, indeed that they have made the concession
only because they believed it would be forced
from them if they refused, and they therefore
wisely determined to yield ii with good grace
and cheerfully, as of their volitiou; and
thinking that this will for the present satisfy such
claims upon them, prefer to see how the arrange
ment works before they extend it to other coan-
tries And IN this we think they are right. But
that ultimately other nations will be admitted 10
the same privileges cannot reasonably b. doubted
The superintendent pressure once removed, the
germ of popular enterprise will spring up and
grow until 1t viii connect itself with every COM
merciai power.
And how vastly superior, how much nober
are such conquests and triumphs than those OF
the bayonet and the How much more
Of -ha IS