Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-07-27
Correspondence Of the Charleston Mercury.
YEDo BAY. NEAR fEDo CRY, JAPAN
Ill IasA

| this reaches Won, that treaty of aufty and IN
| tercourse was signed and delivered between tie
| United sfates and Japan ON the 3lst March last,
a. the fruit of Commodore ifRRYs mission Ia
| this far off portion of the world. 1t may not
| seem strange to YOU that this has been accom-
plished But 10 those who IN the midst OF IT,
more has been effected, than the most sangaine
| had dared to anticipate. From the reception III
July, of lust year.no could foresee or foretell
what the reception would be on the second visit.
| Nor did any one know what answer the Emperor
of Japan would make TO the Presidents letter.til
we had been in Ycdo Bay three weeks. But the
answer came as soon as arrangements could ht
mnde TO deliver and receive it, containing the
| gratifying Intelligence that the Presidents letter
most acceptable, and granting any request
made in it. They have gone farther, and gran
| ted two ports instead of one, with the promise of
others SO soon they can make arrangements.
| These ports to be selected by the Commo-
dore, and will probably be Samodi, fine port,
few miles south of the entrance of this bay. and
the kakadadi, said to the more favorably situated
| for stopping place between China and san
| Francisco, than any other in the Empire. Samodi
| is near the middle of the eastern side of this,
| Nippon, the largest and most important island OF
| the Empire. While Kakadadi is at its northern
extremity, near Matsmai, and on the Straits OF
Hangar, the great passage way from northern
| China into the Pacific A treaty of commerce Is
| to be made the details can be arranged,
| and this is matter that should be well weighed
and considered before any steps is taken. There
are many difficulties connected with it that no
understand, till more time has been al
lowed, TO learn the laws and customs of the coun-
try, or rather what the laws and customs of the
nation should be, before we can hope to have ad-
yantageous commercial relations with it then
the most judIclous course TO be pursued to bring
about these necessary changes. Making trea
ty of commerce will not make trade,and if trade
is urged on, it ,may be anything but advantage
ous,on account of the thousand restrictions plac-
ed t,and these restrictions all rising from the
peculiar and inherent institutions ofth country.
At present no individual is allowed to trade with
foreigners except by special license, and then the
profits divided between the Governor of the
city and the Prince Of the Province, who has again
to pay over n large part TO the Emperor This Is
"A peculiar internal policy, which at present we
do = Ut understand, and il we did, what government
has right to alter and amend it This amounts
TO import and export duty on every article brought
into or carried out of the country, and may, with
out the least inconvenience to JAPAN be made SO
great that no one can venture engage in the
trade The country is so favoraby situated that
it produces In abundance almost every valuable
product that can be found in the world. The coil
is so fertile, that it is capable of maintaining
more dense population than any other space of
the same size on the face of the globe. Their
industry and skill in agriculture great that
they are said to surpass any other people land from
what we have seen in walking the country
for miles around this bay, the half has not been
told la some of the mechanical arts we know
that they surpass all other nations and although
we have not seen their finest lacqaered ware, per-
haps we have seen finer than has gone out of the
country for two centuries. Their skill in work
ing the precious metals and iron and copper is
quite equal to that of vanishing and identifying
OF wood. We see daily and in common use, sa-
tins and silks and grapes and velvets us good and
as handsome can be made anywhere. The
| fabric is peculiar, and seems to he more durable
than IN our world. The patterns and colors
varied and tasteful rs the most exquisite fancy
could desire. Who can venture TO say what this
country wants Who could make up cargo
and bring it here, and have any sort of assurance
that lac had one single article that the people re-
ally required. or that they would be anxious to
purchase Some would fix ON yankee notions"
but they would find that the japanese did not
fancy notions. Some would select cotton goods.
These they could sell cheaper than the japanese
can make them but they must make the cloth as
good and as handsome as the japanese domestic
manufacture, and besides it must have on it the
hundreds and thousands of badges and coats of
arms of the serfs and slaves worn constantly by
them to designate their grade, and to whom they
belong. There is, perhaps, not am individual in
the Empire who does not wear on his dress
badge of distinction, woven died in the cloth.
They admire and look inquisltiyey at our railroad
and locomotive, presented to them by our Gov
ernment They are anxious to understand the
engine. for they curious and very nquisitiye;
but really they have for Railroads and
gines, a yet, except as curiosity. Their present
rate OF distribution of products is equal to their
wants; for although they have horses and under
stand the use of wheel carriages, they seldom or
never use wheels, but pack their boxes &c. on the
horses backs. They must learn the use of road
| mud bqfnrp thpy feel tan
want of Railroads They look at the telegraph
with wonder and sort of curious incredulity, as
though they thought it would be convenient for
Government to know at Yedo when any of those
uninyited ships came up to Nagasak. But were
this the only they could have for it, it is too
expensive for the end to be accomplished. They
express pleasure and appreciation at the ingenu
| ty of some ottle agricultural implements presen-
ted To them, and may at some future day, initiate
some of them that are neat and simple, provided
they do not prove to be labor saving machines
But they do admire our steamships. They look
with awe and dread at our large cannon. These
they appreciate fully land they would hk to pos
sess them, for they are more bold and warlike,
! and independent than any Eastern naton,an in
this point they fell deeply their inferiorty TO US
| These they will initiate well as they can,and
our visit will make them stronger, though they
may be more weak in the end Though We
have little that they want, yet we may by
degrees create wants, and make trade advan-
taeeous to both. Much of their labor which is
now expended unproftably might be directed to
those mechanical arts in which they excel to sup
ply IA demand already existing, while the rest oil
the world could supply at Il cheap rate those
toles which they now expend 50 much labor in