The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-11-23
EyrEREsr1vG LETTER ron JAPAN
fcorrospoadenee Of The Public Ledger, Nov 1871
II. s. s. PowIIArAs,
s..l. Aoo,,ot \ 1

When closed No Is, az Nagasah, expressed the
hone that should write again irom TINS pmce. al,
i,sng that cannot hope 70 press u INTO anything
"5er two or three letters Let me therefore commence
at once. a. s.,, - .ey a ma
-, If siSty-seyen hours The distance Is over 600
as. We found the Mississippi at anchor in the inner
halor and came 10 her, hoping for few days oil
et and long walks back into the country our ancof
~. scarcely down however, when the captain Oh inc Mis-
issppi pulled alongside, bringing WIN nun our consul
araI Mr. Townsend Harris, and his secretary, Mr..
LEV Hueskin The consul at once coseted with
~ commodore and after hour or So IL began 10 DO
Lpered around that To leave I'D TWO days Tor
ydo bay and possibly for Yeddo itself ms was great
gs and we talked g1andy for some hours as 10 how
io we would remain at Yeddo, &c, until suddenly
another whisper passed around To the effect That we were
only going 10 Kanaguwa to talk about new treaty
Knagau is seventeen miles this side oil feddo ana as
90 cold not land there trip did not promise to be
nd att, all We therefore lit cigars and tried 10
bIs away our di, appointment In smoke In the mean
time we had been boarded by several boaoads OF Japa-
nse oiicials who were equally sociabe and hail fellow
aIl met as had been those Of Nagasak We gave them
hv and Constantine To their hearts content and, after
h had made out list of all the fresh provisions that
we desired saw them Into their boats and bowed them
nolie adieu After dinner a party Of us dropped on
shore for Sunday evening walk ana among other places
visited the bazaar where every thing Japanese was col
Ieeted for sale 1t being Sunday we admired them and
passed. .,,,. ~ +.
nan in accordance with provision OF the treaty OF Ma
naoawa made in 1854 IS by Commodore Perry, lie was
ought here by the United States steamer San Jaonto,
and left alone in his glory to the infinite disgust OF
the authorities who told him to go away for year, and
then come back by which time they should have house
built for him Being thus unavodaby lett upon their
hands they made the best of bad bargain, however,
gave him large temple to live in, servants to attend
upon him. supplied him with everything in the japanese
eating line and finally began to look upon him and his
secretary rather pleasant additions TO their society
Messs Harris and Hueskin now begun 10 look around
them for amusement They found the golden pheasant
plentiful among the neghborng hills, and when satiated
with cunning and long walks the former turned his eye
IN the direction of Yeddo After while he received per
mission TO visit that city in his official capacity and the
first thing that know he has obtained the signing Of
an important convention, and is again at Simoda This
convention was published in the United States in Janu-
ay Of this year, and shall let II pass The manner
in which Mr. H. and his secretary went to feddo Is IN
terestng The Emperor sent him body guard of one
hundred and twenty men, and had comfortable houses
nut up along the road for him to pass the nights in He
also sent him large sedan chair carried by IL bearers
and roomy that he put mattress into IT, and recned
At full length when he tired OF sitting 1t is only
about 70 miles from this place to Yeddo but the coun
try is so rugged and the roads bad the first part of the
way that they days in accomplishing the dis
lance Every night they stopped ut of the comfort
able houses which had been prepared expressly upon hs
count and after early breakfast resumed their road
llpon arriving ut Ycddo they lodged in the most
commodious quarters treated with the greatest respect
and attention. and granted interviews with the Emperor
The reader of course that every one foreigner or
Japanese who has heretofore approached the Emperor
has been required to do upon his knees This custom
they determined to adhere to in the present case
but somehow other it had before been so diff
cult to s.be the cat. Who WINS to speak to Mr. II -
about il r. that was the question. Finally Japanese
Douglass stepped forward and offered to brace his huge
shoulders to the task This gentleman not the most
determined man in Japan but then he was upon the
most intimate terms of both social and political inter
course with ''thc American legation. He therefore
called upon Mr. H.. and commenced the attack by beg
ng that he would not be offended at what he was going
to say. Certainly not " says that gentleman. But he
has inkn of what Is coming and look Of sudden
and unusual gravity causes Douglass to trembc. In
stead therefore, of broaching the subject he begs once
that '.hs exceency will not be offended at some
thing which he Douglass has been ordered to say, and
then coughs and looks behind him.
Certainly not and an increase OF gravity in the
consular face Corresponding increase of nervousness on
the part of Douglass Grand tableau, in which the Amer
lean eagle is supposed to dominate. Final desperation Of
Douglass, and outbursting of the secret.
Mr. Harris listened quietly and kindly to all he had to
say and then replied with his usual judgment and firm
ness of manner He told him that he was anxious to do
everything that consistent with selfrcspect to do
honor to the Emperor but that this thing out of the
question: and had better not be referred to again Were
Nippon to send minister to my country, he said, 'he
might approach President in any he fit.
He might knec and knock his head against the floor,
he might bow TO him and shake hands There allow
every one perfect liberty and il is but right therefore,
that be allowed the here
Very we'll very well r. replied Douglass half apol-
ogetcally And thus settled this question orepe
remarked Mr. II.
Mr. Harris has been twice to Yedo since he was land
ed by the San Jacnto and remained three months
each time lie speaks in most iatteing terms Of the
primitive simplicity Of the imperial habits of the absence
oeyeiyhing like n,o9cece about his palace and of the
general kindness and good feeling cvinccd by all classes
toward him. He mentioned the OF old lady in
Particular, who engaged in the mothcrly
task Of making him some waddcd silk shirts to protect
him from the approaching winter These trivial
but they indicate very plainly the nature Japanese
~g towards Americans. Even the Emperor has loaded
him down with kindness. When he was lying sick at
this place special messenger arrived daily from Yeddo to
ask after his health, and to bring him present,
essvo of the interest that felt for his recovery
The imperial doctor also sent to attend upon him.
such things these have before been known in
the history Of Japan Our able consul general has very
poor opinion about the majority of books which have been
written about this country 'When'-he queries
when will writers learn to write only that which they
seer man has no need of imagination here truth is
sfong enough We live In world of romance simply
because referring to writers in genera the truth IL not
IN them + He however, speaks in the highest terms of
Commodore Perrys while out here and mentioned
many good results which flowing from It, '.He
was man OF great good Judgment and accomplished
much as any could possibly have done under the cir
samstances. He said ''upon occasion ! thought
u,hreny myself, but accepted his judgment
ey To be correct Through personal obseryation) than
my own
spaking Of Commodore Perry I asked him how the
japanese had treated the expensive presents which that
Ohcer had presented them the part of the govern
meht, three or four years back.
Wen, know I'm going to surprise you now, he
'ephed, "lou know that Commodore Perry gave them,