Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-03-14
Reception of the Japanese Embassy
by the President.

wAsHINGToS, March4.
The Japanese Embassy were presented
to the President to-day, and compli-
mentary speech was made by the Japanese
Minister, introducing the Embassy, fol-
lowed by an address from Iwakura, and
response by President Grant. Members
of the Cabinet were present, with all the
army and naval dignitaries in full uni
form, together with Vice-President Col
fax, Speaker Blaine, etc.
IwAKURA's ADDRESS,
The following is the address of the Am
bassadors to the President, delivered by
1wakura
His Majesty, the Emperor of Japan, our
august sovereign, has sought, since the
achievement of our national reconstruction,
to attain more perfect organization in the
administrative power of his Government.
He has studied with interest the results at
tanned by the Western nations. Having a
sincere desire to establish permanent and
| friendly relations with foreign Powers on
| still closer footing, he has commissioned us,
his Ambassadors Extraordinary to all the
| Powers having treaties with Japan.
Upon the soil of your country we first
| present our credentials, delivering to you,
| personally, the letter of our august sovereign
| at this public official audience. The objects
of mission with which we are charged by our
| Government are somewhat set forth in this
| letter. We are authorized to consult with
your Government on all international ques-
tions, directing our efforts to promote and
| develop wide commercial relations, and
| draw into closer bonds the strong friendship
already existing between our respective peo-
pie. Thus we hope to gain fresh impulse
in the paths of progress, gaining good from
| every form of civilization. This we shall
! aim to do while in the exercise OF strict in
| tegrity to our own national interests, SO
| trustingly confided by generous sovereign,
| and shall earnestly hope to receive your kind
| cooperation in facilitating the task assigned
| us by our Government.
We gladly avail ourselves of this happy
meeting to convey personally to your Ex-
| cellency our sincere wishes for your contin-
ued prosperity and happiness, and as nation
al representatives we extend the same wish
to all the people of the United States.
THE PRESIDENTS RESPONSE.
The President then responded:
| GENTLEMEN: / am gratified that this coun-
try, and that my administration, Will be dls-
| tinguished in history as the first which has
received an Embassy from a nation with
| which the United States were the first to es-
| tablish diplomatic and commercial inter
| course. The objects which you say have
| given rise to your mission, do honor to the
intelligence and wisdom of your sovereign,
and reflect credit on you in having been
| chosen as the instruments for carrying them
| into effect. A nation must be regarded as
gone, never to return, when II can keep apart
|
perity and happiness which depend more or
| less upon the mutual adoption of improve
ments, not only in the science of government,
| but in those other sciences and arts which
| contribute to the dignity of mankind, and to
national wealth and power.
Though Japan is one of the most ancient
| of organized communities and the United
| States rank among the most recent, we nat
| ter ourselves that we have made some I'M
| provements on the political institutions OF
| the nations from which we are descended
| Our experience leads us TO believe that
| the wealth, power and happiness OF
| people are advanced by their encour-
| agement of trade and commercial in
tercourse with other powers; by the elevation
! and dignity of labor by the practical adapt
| alton of science to manufactures and arts ;
by increased facilities of frequent and rapid
| communication between different parts of
the country by the encouragement of i'm
migration, which brings with it the varied
habits and diverse genius and industry of
other lands by free press; by freedom OF
| thought and conscience, and liberal tolera-
| ton in matters of religion, not only to citi-
zens, but to all foreigners resident among
us. 1t will be pleasure to us to enter on
| that consultation of international questions
| in which you say you are authorized TO en-
gage. The improvement of the commercial
relations between our respective countries is
important and desirable, and cannot fail to
strengthen the bonds which unite us. | will
heartily cooperate in so desirable an object.
Your kind wishes for me personally, gen
| tlemen. are cordially reciprocated. trust
that your abode with us may be agreeable to
| you, and may contribute to more intimate
acquaintance and intercourse between our
respective peoples.
The utmost interest was manifested by
the large company present in these ex,
ercises.