The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-02-15


The mission Of Jarpan to this country was
regarded rs one of the most singular events
in history, and indeed it was The good.
that was to spring from 1t, was never
very highly estimated by us. although we
stood almost alone in our opinion. Like all
the rest OF the world, however, we Were lost
in wonder at the mission. and could not for
the life OF rs understand what IL meant, or
why people proyerbially cautious in their
in tercourse with strangers should SO suddenly
depart from line of policy sane tioned
by the practise of ages. The truth seems TO
he leaking out rapidly as couid be desired.
There can be no doubt that the japanese
would still, as they have done hereto
fore, decline all intercourse with strangers if
Of India aud China before their eyes, do we
feel disposed ~ blame them. They very well
know. however, that it is impossible to main
tain the policy of secltson without far great
er means of resistance than they possess
That they yield only to what they regard as
irresistible power, in forming treaties, is de
monstrable from the fact that Prussia mas
been seeking their friendship for years, and
has never yet been able to form reaty.Wlth
them, while England accomplished what
ficulty at all The japanese evidently kno"
the strength of every European nation and its
means of compulson They know that while
Prussia is a great military power, she mas
scarcely any navy Mt ALL and therefore no
means of forcing upon Japan Il treaty which
she is anxious to decline They certainly re-
Q ird every fresh treaty rs an abandonment Oh
a certain portion of their independence, ex-
a.. o. In ri
t, superior strength what they would never
Weld TO the suggestions of national comfy or
commercial policy. That they are putting
themselves as fast as they can, into position
to resist all treaties in future, We deem it
quite evident, and quite ey ident we also es-
TEEN it that the tour of their ambassadors in
this country was Il tour of inspection, direct
ed principally il not entirely, to this end
Abundant evidence of this truth is TO be
found in all the CORES pondcnce we have seem
from the country since the arrival there of the
Niagara.
The presents sent by the Government TO the
Tycoon, consisting of 4 battery Of Dahlgreen's
field and boat guns, Il gun boat and machine
nv, large quantity of small arms, thousands
of pounds of fixed ammunition, &c., weigh
ing in all about ninety tons, We're carried in
iuUhS ~ pi.tSt iboul ttii iASA" A'NSi :"
vast swampy, open place, surrounded by high
mud walls, along which were built immense
rows of sheds, and there thrown in Il heap, in
a place not tit for a pg-stye, with as little
reverence as though they had been so much
lumber, in spite of the remons frances of the
American officers who accompanied the expe
dition. These latter, with extreme difficulty,
obtained admittance to the sheds, and there
they found seventeen of Dahlgreen's twelve
Founders mounted on excellent wooden car
riages They had been copied from one given
them by Commodore. Perry, and except in
some small improvements which had taken
place since, they Were equal to the best i'll our
service, in every respect whatever. To their
iismay, the American officer learned that they
had, III the forts and arsenals of 1edo and
neighborhood. more than a thousand of eX-
tctly the same sort, all made since the eX-
pedition OF Commodore PERRY, and after
the pattern of the one he gave them
Ii ii be true, rs we learn it is, that there are
not one-te til part of that number of the same
species of gun in the whole American Navy,
the tremendous activity with these men,
whom many of our cOuntrymen believed TO be
little bette than savages when their ambas.
sailors were here, are preparing for some crisis
which their rulers foresee, and which, appa.
rently, they regard not very far distant
must strike every one. Their peculiar apti
tude for the species of warfare implied in the
management of great guns, may be inferred
from company ofraw men having learned, il
half AN hour, under the instruction of al
American officer, TO work one of the guns sen
among the presents, we'll tho most eX
perienced artillerymen in our service coull
have done it.
In the meantime, the japanese eyerywher,
are represented rs bitterly hostile TO foreign
crs, and as only restrained from laying violen
hands on them by the fear Of Immediate pun
ishment. 1t is evident TO us that the gates o
| japanese seclusion can only be broken open
| eftectually and forever by cannon, and whel
| the time shall have come for the experiment
| ii will perhaps be Il subject of regret that W,
| have voluntarily placed in their hands III.
| means of making more formidable resistance
| We are among those who think they ough
| not to be compelled TO make trea ties unles:
| they desire it. But since the nations seem de
termined that they shall make them, and icj{
| compel them at whatever cost of blood, We
| regret to see any facility offered of rendering
| the bloodshed grea ter than ii otherwise would
be.