The New York herald., 1878-11-05
An Appeal from Japan.

MI. MatSuyama MakotO, Japanese gem
tleman who has spent the last eight years
in Europe and the United States, has been
taking survey of his own country tor some
months, and contributes to the current rum
Der of the North american Revie,o a thought
full and suggestive article on the foreign rela-
tions of Japan, which appear to him ex-
tremely unsatisfactory. Japan, he says, has
had but one friend among the Christian ma
tions, and that friend has been the United
States; but he complains, and justly, as it
seems to us, that while we have always
acted honorably toward his country we have
for the most part done nothing.
Japan, he says, at time when her people
and government were ignorant of interna-
tional relations. was persuaded or coerced
into consenting to a treaty which actually
resigned large part of her sovereign rights
as o nation, because it agreed to a scale of
customs duties injurious to her people and
to tho right of foreign consuls to act as
judges in cases where their own citizens or
subjects were in litigation with Japanese,
which has caused constant trouble. The
Japanese government is now about to pro-
pose change in these treaty provisions,
and the writer appeals to the government
and people of the United States for aid and
countenance in this matter. He presents
strong case, and it is the stronger by his
showing that the English have been
the authors of the sharp practice which
has injured and humiliated Japan, and
that they, or at least their agents, are those
who now oppose the legitimate wishes Of
the Japanese people and government. He
shows. too, that English agents and mer-
chants are ar this very time engaged in an
iniquitous attempt to force the Japanese
government to allow the importation of
opium, which is forbidden under laws
which the British consuls assist their coun-
trymen to evade.
If the intelligent Japanese Minister at
Washington, Mr.. Yoshida, should ask the
help Of the United States toward a revision
of the commercial treaties from which Japan
is said to suffer we have no doubt that he
would get ready hearing from Secretary
Evarts, who is awake to the advantage Of
securing better commercial relations with
other countries, and would, we have no
doubt, very gladly cooperate in anything
which would do justice to Japan, not only
because that country ought to be justly
treated by foreign nations. but because,
though we have benefited but little by our
commerce with Japan, the United States are
the "most ancient" ally Of that country.
The commerce Of Japan deserves our
attention for our own sakes. It is o
trade with nearly forty millions of in
dustrious people, who bought imports
in 1867 to the amount of over twenty
five million dollars, of which we sold
them only eleven hundred thousand dol
lars worth, while Great Britain and her
colonies sold them over fifteen millions.
OF the imports into Japan in that year
seven millions were of cotton goods, seven
millions of iron goods and three millions Of
woollens. Surely we are prepared to sell
Japan more than eleven hundred thousand
dollars worth of such man ufactures, es-
pecially when we bought Of her in the same
year over thirteen millions worth, of which
inety-eight per cent came into our ports
duty free. We recommend the case of
Japan to Secretary Evarts as worth looking
after. We are already favorites with the
Japanese, and we ought to push our advan-
tages.