The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-10-22
How Japan was Opened to the World

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facing the Pacific ocean, aud looking
eagerly westward into the old Orient
That great state, acc riding to President
Flllmores letter to the emperor OF Japan,
annually produced "sixty millions Of
dollars in gold, besides silver, quicksilver,
precious stones. and many other valuable
articles" 1t was thought that the sail
ing-ships which traded between China and
California must soon be replaced by
steamers these would require coal Of
Japan therefore, Japan must open her
ports, and allow the steamships entry and
the facilities needed. Daniel Webster
was then secretary of state, and Millard
Fillmore president of the United States
Provided with letter from the president,
written by the secretary, and bearing a
great variety Of presents to the emperor,
squadron of American warshps, COM
manded by Commodore Perry, approach
ed the coast of Japan, on the Sth Of July,
1852, having sailed from the United
States during the last months of the year
preceding. Perry dropped anchor il the
bay of Yeddo, opposite the town of Uru-
gawa. The appearance Of the fleet Great
ed great CONSERVATION among the Japan
ese, and the flag ship-the Susquehanna
was boarded by local functlonary,
who presented the usual notification
warning the strangers to depart. But
this iunctionary was not permitted to see
the commodore, who held himself aloof
as a superior officer; his papers, which
were written in Dutch, French and Eng
lish, were also refused. and he was sent
ashore with polite notification that the
commodore desire to present to the
emperor a letter from the president Of
the United States. Days of ceremonies
negotiation passed, the commodore insist
ing that the letter must be delivered on
shore to the emperor, or to some high
official representing his majesty, and not
on the ship, nor to any mere messenger
Wearied out, at last, by tho persi tent
staying OF the formidable fleet, and the
qliet iusistence of the commodore, the
japanese authorities consented that the
letter should be brought ashore and form-
ally delivered to an imperial commission.
Accordingly, on the 4th Of July, 1858,
With great pomp aud ceremony the officers
OF the feet landed, aud. in a spacious
pavilion prepared for the occasion, the
interview took place. The letter, asking
for treaty Of amity and commerce be.
tween the United States and the empire,
was sumptuously eDgrosscd on parchment,
sealed with enormous golden seals, and
ihclosed 10 costly box incrusted with
gold This was presented to the impas-
sive and statuelikc commissioner, who
returned written acknowledgement or
receipt therefor, the same being protest
against the whole proceeding, and notice
for the feet now to quit Japan. The
commodore took his leave, promising to
return in the spring with more ships, to
receive the answer TO the letter OF the
president But, as if to show the Japan.
ese that he was not disturbed by their
warnings, Perry remained three days
thereafter, surveying the bay and making
excursions up he arm of the sea toward
the capital. In all these particulars,
down to The very minutest, this expedi-
tion evidently furnished :he state depart
ment under Secretary Fish, nearly twenty
years later, with a model for his prepara-
tiou of the less fortunate United States
expedition to the Corea.
Commodore Perry spent the winter Of
1858, 10 watching the movements OF the
Russians, who, from the north, were max
ing insidious encroachments on Yesso and
the adjacent islands. On the 1lth of
February, 1854, the United States fleet,
now consisting Of three steam frigates,
four sloops.ot-war, and two store ships
re-appeared in the bay of Yoddo. Since
his previous visit the tycoon had died 10Y
violence, it was mysteriously reported. in
consequence Of the concessions wrIng by
the Americans,) and a protest against
Perry's return in the midst Of the mourn
ing period had intercepted the fleet at
Batavia. whittier it had been sent by the
japanese authorities. This, however, was
unavailing and the commodore demand.
ed reply to the proposition for treaty
with the United States.
After nearly a month spent in diploma
tic parryiDg with the shrewd Orientals,
formal conferences began at Kanagawa.
on the Sth of March, 1854, and adjourn
ed from day to day. That convention
finally on the 3lst Of March, concluded
the first treaty with the United States.
opeuiug the ports of Hakodadi and Simods
to trade aud commerce, and promising
relief to shipwrecked or distressed sea
men of the United States at any Of the
japanese ports. The feet remained on
the coast for several months, and in Sep.
tember fually sailed for home.
Tho announcement that the United
States had made a treaty of commerce
with Japan created great excitement
throughout the civilized world. Where
other nations had been batfled for centur-
les, the Americans had unexpectedly sue
ceeded by their persistence and cool de-
termination. Representatives of European
powers were speedily sen. out to secure
for their governments the same privileges
which had oeen granted to the United
States. Consequently, Sir James Stirling
concluded treaty on the part of Great
Britain, in October. 1915. Russia per-
ected similar convention in the follow
ing February the Dutch iu January,
1856 and, in 1857, the Hon. Townsend
Harris, United States cousul-general a,
Simoda, concluded supplementary treaty
by which the Americans secured some
additional privileges at the ports already
open.
All of these treaties, however, were
comparatively resultless, affording but
few facilities for trade, and ouly shelter
aud relief ior shipwrecked seameu. 10
the latter part of 1857, Townsend Harris,
then consul general at Simoda, resolved
to 60 to Yeddo and negotiate treaty Of
commerce for the United States. The
japanese were partly alarmed and partly