Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1854-08-13

which will be read with great interest. If the door
is open let us enter without delay, and give them
the richest of all books the blessed Gospel of the
Prince of Peace.
| Correspondence of the n. Y. Observer
SAN FRAScIsco, June 80, 1854
The result Of the Treaty with Japan, it is most
difficult to predict. One may take dark view of
the question and fear that the provisions of the
treaty, yielded without bloodshed or experience of
our real power, will be evaded BIZ verbal construc-
tons, by official interferences with interior trade,
by reiterated delays; has been the case so far as
| the Chinese have been able; in their intercourse
with western powers. Our officers were allowed
when at kanagawa to make no purchases, even of
the smallest trihe. They report the Japanese
prices as higher than our own for their products,
and think trade must be slow in ehecting an en-
trance. l do not see that word was said in re-
ference to permission to preach the gospel From
the spirit Of President Filmore's instructions orig
naiiy, aud the then manifested to disavow any
connection of the expedition with religious Objects
it is greatly be feared that the matter of Chris
tianity was kept out of sight It is to be hoped
however, at least, that our people have had the
madness and felt sufficiently the sense of solemn
obligation to Christian nation and to its God, to
explain the difference between the religion of the
Bible and that baptized dioblerie whose works have
led the people of Japan to entertain such incon-
troable hatred and ioathing towards the name and
cross of Jesus Christ.
The expedition publishes too that the Empire
furnishes fine market for "liquors, champagne,
cordalS.' &C., which, says one are among ''the ar
tcles upon which they set most value and are most
desrous OF possessing or to use the eloquent and
suggestive language Of another correspondent,
"WhisEey, champagne cherry cordial, and almost
any other liquids that will make drunk come
should think would pay, if the natives are as ready
to buy it as they to drink it when given them.
This feature of the epistes from Japan is so prom
inent as to have attracted general attention here
What does it mean? Have any Indian Commits
sionerS accompanied this expedition, armed with
that humiiatng auxiliary to American diplomacy
which has gained us so many coveted square miles,
and appended so many vermculated signatures to
the treaties with "white brothers? What Shall
we initiate France at Tahiti aud the Sandwich Is
lands? Shall these five ports" be bung holes thro
which we Christians, Americans, shall pour rum
into these islands hitherto beautiful and prosperous
in their elected isolation?
BRIGHTER VIEW.
But the eye of faith is surely allowed to rest on
brighter prospects. An Anglo Saxon, and Pro-
testant power, dividing the commerce of the earth,
and side by side with her sister in the superiority
of her national institutions, makes treaty with
great long sealed empire. China is opened" and
Japan too rs opened. Pernicious influences will be
first exprted but so it is in nature where the first
rains of the vernal revival rush in torrents from
the mountains and deyastate the plains below
Those which come later cover the ground with YER
dure and bloom. The opium of China that has
ruined its thousands, no doubt has been allowed,
like the war for its sake, or like famnes and pes
tilences TO prepare the long lain fallow soil for the
seed. So may some kindred curse fall upon Japan.
'sWoe unto the world because of offences, for it
must needs be that offences come; but woe to that
man by whom the offence cometh.' Here too,
says the apparently best informed correspondent,
as in China, five ports are opened. The latter
treaty seems formed much after the model of the
former. So we trust, We hope, we ardently long,
We feryently pray, may the same amazing result
soon follow. May some japanese TAPPING Wang
60 forth to shatter the national idols to distribute
the Scriptures under the Imperial seal, TO preach
the glad tidings of salvation through Jesus Christ
Then from the rising Of the sun (which is the
meaning of the name Japan to this sundown land
of gold shall the Lords name be great.
1t appears that the occasion Of the burial of
a marine, large number Of japanese we're present
and heard with curiosity and respect the reading
of the Episcopalian funeral service They are said
to have exhibited surprise at the firing of three
yoleys by the escort; from which they no doubt
concluded that the Buddhist aud Christian notions,
in regard to the potency of frecrackers aud match
locks in expelng evil spirits from graves and the
bodies of the dead are very similar This funeral
offered the opportunity for some notice of the care
with which the instructions of our government had
assured them of nOn-interfercnce with their reli-
gion which point they had already they said, 'ob-
served with pleasure" adding that they quite un-
derstood the difference between Protcstants and
Roman Catholics" Indeed, it would be wonderful
if. with their acquaintance with China, they had
not remarked it. From the year 500, when queen
Elizabeth, granted letters of recommendation to
lIS ldNOt Ol ADAMS
and Thomas Bromfeld, citizens of London, and
merchants, until the year l84S there never was an
English American, Dutch, Swedish or any other
Protestant Christian house of worship erected on
Chinese soil. Through nearly all these long CEN |
turies the weight of Protestant nhuece, centering
in the English East India Company, was hostile to
any missionary efort which they feared might dis
turb their commercial intercourse. Alas. alas if
such he "the difference which has given the Japan
ese pleasure to observe No mention is made Of
any other conversation upon our religion, either
incidental or in connection with the official inter
course Of our officers with the japanese. Yet it
is TO be hoped that opportunities offered and were
embraced for setting them right as TO the purity,
beue5Oence, inOiensiveness, and eternal importance
of those heavenly doctrines which He preached
whose cross they have SO long been accustomed to
trample eontemptuously upon. We are comforted
TO observe from the last accounts that the pious
and learned editor of the Chinese Repository, S.