The Washington union., 1858-03-16
THE LATE coMMoDORE FERRY, CHARLES SUM
NER AND THE JAPAN EXPEDITION

nshed the country with bit Of exceedingly important
information the subject OF tAc origin and manage
ment of the sapAa expedition This addition to our po-
tcal literature comes to under the significant pre-
fix of commodore Perry and Senator s,i.ner "A
Word in Season." Ifit - ,tne it is due to the cou-
try that it ohould be widely known; if IL is not true
it is due to the memery Of the distinguished dead
that il should be exposed and it's authors held up 10
merted rdicule The Poet ssys.
" 1t will be remembered that when the late Commo-
dore Perry sailed for Japan there was some sooitude az
to tho precise nature Of his expedition and this was
openly expressed In debate at Washington II WAS feared
tna through the latitude Of his Instructions Il might be
made hostile rather than commercial and psifc Under
these circumstances he received warming fto Senator
Sumner which, seems, was not forgotten Being in
Washington on the Of sailing, the Commodore had
interview with the senator when the latter after al
ludng to the reports to the character bf The exped
ton and to the solicitie that he ia common With 9th
es felt that should be cohdurted without violence
proceeded to urge upon him the duty of keeihY himself
In all respects absolutely within tRe stflest limits OF
self defence Ihe Msetng ended by notice to the Com
modoie that If single hostile gun fired against the
people OF Japan the act should Sc openly denounced in
the Senate as outrage deserving reprobetsn II Mr..
summer alive and stll In tho sehatea noce which
the Cop,modo,e tecesed with some feeling The expe-
dt,oh sailed and well known, conducted with
perfect discretion and therefore honosby and success
On MS IctuTn, the COmmOuOre bOuInt GUM
ner and reminding him Of their former interview, said
that often he paced his deck In the fna ocean, and
he drew hear 10 JAPAN the warning given to him came
to his mind and WAS constant incentvc to The cautious
and pacific policy which he adopted, and he expressed his
gratitude 10 Mr. Sumner for what he Had said
1t is very well known that Cohimodore Perry was
the first to suggest the expedition to Japan Two
primary objects were sought to be- accomplished:
l. The rescue of American seamen, shipwrecked
on the Japanese coast. This philanthropic and hui
name proposition met with most cordial endorse
ment throughout the country and
II. To endeavor to negotiate treaty by which
American seanlen should thereafter be protected and
to open if possible the Japanese ports to the ships
and commerce of the United States
The records of the Navy Department afford
abundant evidence that Commodore Perry fully com
pretended the objects to be accomplished and equal
ly well the necessary to be employed to effect
the desired ends. Hence he laid down the pro-
gramme of the expedition which adopted
by the department Before his preparations were
complete the cabinet of Mr.. Fillmore dis
solved and that of his successor formed. The Sec
retary of the Navy Under Gen. Pierce found incon-
venient to supply him with all the vesses-of-war
,
though the prosecution of the enterprise was in no
way abandoned Commodore Perry adhering to his
first arrangements, uncertain of the manner he would
be received and desiring to possess force that
should be at once imposing and powerful. remon,
strated with the depar against all propositions
to smasculate the expedition, and thus put in jeop-
ardy its success. The New York Courier and En-
quirer, speaking on the subject, says the author
ty of Mr.. Webster himself, in tho most emphatic
terms that Commodore Perry originated, arranged
the expedition and that he conducted it up to it's
final consnmmation is matter of history.
We now have the intervention of Mr.. Charles Sum-
ner in the affair We have never tertained very
high opinion Of Mr. Sumner as common sense man. nor
are we willing now to give any great weight to his un
supported assertions His story in the Post is not
only ntrinsicaly absurd, but historically incorrect.
He did not even comprehend the nature and charac-
ter the movement. Our mission pacific one,
but it also remedial mission It looked to flu
ture trade but it looked also to the protection of
American and to the exercise of just so much
force should be deemed necessary to effect that
end There not single element of self-dcfence
in it. If Commodore Perry should demand to be
heard in the way of extending aid to own peo-
pie and should be refused he had with him naval
force equal to the work Of enforcing the rights of the
United States. But Mr.. Charles Sumner warned him
not to fire gun, threatening him with the terrible
vengeance of senatorial denunciation! This threat
followed him away off into the Indian ocean, and az
"he paced his deck it's fearful penalties rose up
before him and made him cautious and weary lest
he might overhead the line of Mr.. Summers COM
mands and be covered by the cloud of Mr. Summers
dispeasure The embarrassment of the gallant chief
must have been great for he had the orders of hia
government to accomplish certain great objects and
then he had the paramount orders of Mr.. Charles
Sumner not to fire single gun 1t is fortunate that
Mr. Sumner did not take it into his head to make
known to the Emperor of Japan his deliberate pur-
poses in connexon with the pacific and self-defen-
sive character of the enterprise But if Mr.. Sumner
determined just tho eve of the sailing of the
squadron to make it exclusively peace mission, we
then hold him to account for not having instructed
the Secretary of State and the Secretary Of the Navy
of his intentions, that half its expenses might have
been saved to the treasury.
But to be serious. There is not a word of truth
in the statements of the Post There are persons in
this city who enjoyed the confidence of Commodore
Perry, who were freely consulted by him--persons
Of the highest character and authority-who contrib