The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-05-22
THE JAP AN ESE.
MOVEMENTS IN WASHINGTON
THE TpEATV
THEIR RELIGION

down, rolling over, jumping, laughing, &C., enjoy
ing themselves more than they have since they left
Japan. All the party, excepting the two Ambas-
sadors, Censor and Vice Governor were out In the
| evening all, including the four above named at
tended at meeting by themselves in the concert
| rooms belonging to Wizards Hotel. The room
played several beautiful airs. The four high Off
| cials sat on the sofa. The others all arranged
themselves according to their rank. Captains Lee
Hartstene, Porter, Colonel Colt and your cores
pondent were the only ones present. They princes
and officials went up to the gallery and examined
| the organ very minutely in every part Some of
them tried their hands at playing, which caused
! great iuh ana merrment among them, particular
| ly the doctors. The princes are very exclusive;
| even coming from Aspinwa on the Roanoke, the
| Ambassadors were not on deck more than A dozen
times during the whole trip, then only few min
| utes at time 1t is decidedly contrary to their
ideas OF what belongs to their position. The
slider 1T great compromise of dignity to go out of
their room, or mix with the officers of lower rank
| So soon as the treaty is signed the Ambassadors
and other high officials will appear in public. 1t
is said that the ratification of the treaty will take
place at the State Department to-day.
THE JAPANESE TREATY.
From Captain Taylor and the interpreters at
tached TO the Embassy we have learned some i'm
portant facts, differing very materially from those
| published in the Japan Expedition. This fact is
accounted for by information of one-that of Capt
Taylor-being derived from personal observation
| from travelling amongst them during most of his
other case most of the information was necessarily
| derived from short visits shore. The informa-
ton published was, doubt, as correct as it was
possible for it to be under the circumstances under
| which it was obtained, and to Commodore Perry
belongs the credit of first proposing the fitting out
of the expedition which opened the ports of Japan
The idea of fitting out powerful squadron with a
view of opening the Japanese ports and establish
ing commercial relations with other nations of the
| East but more especially with Japan had occu-
| pied the mind of Commodore Perry and by him
been discussed with his brother officers long before
he suggested the idea to government. Commodore
ferry spent much time in studying the early his
tory of Japan, and invariably found that those
whom they had admitted into their country as
friends and treated in the kndest manner had re-
paid for such hospitality by interfering with the
people, and by practising the most diabolical
outrages. The discovery of these facts satisfied
the Commodore that by udiciOus management the
ports of Japan could be opened to the United States
The fitting out of an expedition was a popular one
from the start and received the cordial and power
full support of President Fillmore and all the men,
bers OF his Cabinet, especially Mr.. Webster and
Edward Everett. On the oath November, 1852
Commodore Perry lett Hampton Roads-the very
| spot where the Roanoke anchored, and where her
royal visitors were transferred for Washington, on
board the steamer Philqdelphia-and on the Sth of
the following July cast anchor in the bay of Jeddo
| the commercial capital of Japan. The following
vessels comprised the squadron, some of which ac-
J companied, and some subsequently followed and
Joined the expedition after arriving at Japan, viz:
Steamers, Mississippi, flag ship of the squadron, J
| Powhatan, Allegheny, Vermont, Susquehanna;
sloops, Saratoga, Plymouth, Yandaia, Macedonian;
storeships, Supply, Lexington and Southampton,
numbering altogether twelve vessels. On the last
day of March, 1854, the treaty was signed--a copy
OF which the present Embassy bring with them to
have signed by the President OF the United States
in lieu of the one destroyed by fire at Jeddo two
years ago.
Some idea of the Importance which they attach
to this treaty may be formed, when it is stated up
6s" bagEageh gEfaahla &h66thHR to thSt thPS1taas a half
million of dollars, besides $50 900 cash. is lost
of by the Embassy to look after the "Treaty box"
Notwithstanding there would be no serious difficult
ty IN getting copy of it should the present one be
lost. The great Importance which attaches to the
Treaty box" is from the fact that it contains the
original treaty in Japanese, signed by their late
Emperor, and also letter from the present Empe-
ror to the President of the United States There
appears to be sort OF religious superStitiOus be-
let that the treaty would not possess the same i'm
portance If the original was to be lost or DESTROYED
and copy made and signed by the present Empe-
ror, who Is only sixteen years of age, although per-
tectly lawful and proper for him to do so. B the
original treaty two ports, SimOda and Hakodadi,
were opened to American vessels. Simoda having
been destroyed soon after by terrible earthquake
which completely filled up the harbor, Kanagawa
was opened instead. HakOdad is seventy miles
from Jeddo, and is one of the most spacious and
beautiful harbOrs in the world. In its position and
general aspect it resembles Gibraltar. Hakodad
will be the principal resort for our whalers for
their supplies of good water and abundance of
fresh provisions, &c. The original treaty, as made
by Commodore Perry, was in all its essential fea.
lures, identical with that at present existing be-
tween the United States and China. But our Con-
sui General, Mr.. Harris, has added MANY impor-
tant features-in tact, the original not much
more than an outline skeleton of tn epresentitrea-
ty AT present there the ports of Hakodadi Kan
agawa and Nagawada opened to American vessels
and in July, 1862, Jeddo and Heogo will be opened
and in 1868 Osaka, making six fine seapors opened
IN Anna traha IolJ lJo. -
idence of the American Mnster-a privilege con-
ceded lately to Mr.. Harris, which, by the original
treaty, was expressly forbidden on any terms what
ever. Several unsuccessful attempts have been
made during the last three hundred wears by the
Portuguese, Dutch, French, English and Russian
governments to open the ports of Japan and estab-
lish friendly relations with each other; but every
attempt proved failure Except the Dutch) till
the United States made treaty of trade and friend
ship with them, when their ports opened, but
to US only. 1t is well known that a friendly feel
ing towards Americans has always existed ON the
part of the Japanese. Captain McClunev, when at
Simoda under the Perry expedition in 1854 in COM
mand of the Powhatan, observed one day a vessel
coming into the harbor some two three miles
distant wearing the French flag; but notice was
taken of it, Presently the English flag was hoist
ed, with the same result. After waiting while,
the American flag was run up, when Immediately
two Japanese boats put off and went alongside the
Frenchmen. On inquiry it appeared that the
vessel had on board two shipwrecked Japanese
WuOu lneH Hdu brought Ddck TO Inelr own cOun-
try, and wanted their people to take them
back, which they positively refused to do; but
finally said if they would take them on board of
an American vessel that they (the Japanese)
would receive them, but from nobody else The
two japanese were brought on board Capt. McClu-
ney's ship and received by the japanese authori-
ties.
THE RELIGION OF THE JAPANESE.
The orthodox religion of Japan is Sintoo-all
worship the Their belief is, that the world
was regenerated through the instrumentaity and
appearance earth of female, and after having
performed this great and good work, for which by
God she was ordained, she ascended to heaven and
became embodied in the sun. Their national flag
is embematical of their religion, displaying as it
does the sun in all its purity upon the white field.
There are other sects, and among them the most
numerous would appear to be the followers of
Buddha Many suppose that Buddhism is the
principal creed, from the fact that its followers
number three hundred and twenty mions-this
and the Mahomedan religion being the principal
creed or religion of the nations of the East. The
founder of the Buddhist religion was a man called
Sakya Sinha, who born, supposed,
2420 years before the Christian era. 1t is not
known for certainty when Buddhism was first in
troduced into Japan. The statement so often made
that Christianity is not at present in any way toe-
rated, is mistake, for the government is far from
being ntolerant in religious matters The peoplein
Japan attend very little to religious matters Reli
gion is matter of business, which is attended to
altogether by the Makad0 and his priests Some of
the Japanese attached to the Embassy worship
Buddha, some Sintoo, some Mahomet, and some
worship nothing. The two Ambassadors and one
of the interpreters are Buddhists; the Censor has
no particular Teligion the Vice Governor is partly
Sintoo and partly Buddhist
THE GOLD SNUFF BOX TO OUR JAPANESE MINISTER