The sun., 1892-01-28
The Case Of Japan and England In
1864.

II there is one thing in the world that can.
not Affect American opinion or influence
American action at this time, that thing is
tho advice Of the British press. Tho COM
ments Of the principal London newspapers
on the situation with regard to Chill. as tel
egraphed hither from day to day. serve
merely to illustrate tho shallowness and
selflshness OF the journalism which few
precious few. thank Heaven!- !-of our con-
temporaries on this side OF the water are
doing their utmost to initiate.
Is there anybody 80 ignorant that he does
not know what would be the tone OF these
Same London journals II the men butchered
In the streets Of Valparaiso had been Brit
ish seamen. and II. moro than one hundred
days after the date Of the outrage. the
Gillian Government were still lodging the
British demand for satisfaction
We are greatly indebted to Mr.. LYMAN
6. ANDREWS for calling attention to the
case OF the murder OF two officers Of the Brit
ish army at Kansgawa in Japan in 1864. and
to the prompt and manly course OF the
Japanese Government at that time. The
circumstances are sufficiently disclosed
in Mr.. ANDREws's letter printed in an
other column. Here the murdered
men were English soldiers. not American
sailors. and the outrage was upon the
British uniform. not upon that Of the
United States. Our London contemporaries
and their echoes published on this side OF
the Atlantic will observe that the American
Minister to Japan. the Hon. ROBERT H.
PRuYN. took q prominent part in sustaining
the British demand upon Japan for redress.
and that the letter in which the Japanese
Ministers of Foreign Affairs expressed their
pain and horror. and their intention Of
bringing the murderers promptly to justice.
Yas addressed to him. Indeed. there is an
Indication in Mr.. PRuYN's communication
to the Japanese Government that IL he
and the French Minister had not acted in
the interest Of Justice and peace. the Brit
ish forces and fleet then at Kanagawa
might have visited summary vengeance
upon the place without waiting for diplo-
macy to work itself out.
The murder of the British officers oc-
CURED on November 81. the demand for JUS
tice was made on November "a. the apology
and the promise were returned on Novem-
ber %. and before the end Of thenext month
the murderers had expiated their crime.
Compare the swift succession Of these dates
with the Chilian calendar Of outrage, eva
sion. procrastination, and insulting and de-
fisnt delay.
Suppose that by some miracle Of forbear-
ance the just indignation Of Great Britain
at the outrage on its uniform had restrain
ed itself for more than three months, in
order to give the weaker nation an oppor-
tunity to repair the injury. Suppose
that during those three months the
Japanese Government had evaded every
demand for immediate action. Suppose
Japan had attempted to prove that
Major BALDWIN and Lieutenant BIRD
brought death upon themselves by drunk
enness and indiscreet behavior. Suppose
that in behalf OF Japan the plea had been
urged that the murder Of the two Eng
lish officers was. after all. nothing more
than the almost pardonable expression of
q national sentiment OF hostility to Great
Britain engendered by the local unpopu-
larity OF the British Minister. and that II
England had sent different sort Of Minister
the two officers might never have been MUIR
dered. Suppose that British patience had
exhausted itself after three months OF
shifty evasions and studied insults. and had
put In an ultimatum: and that Japan's re-
ply was an offer to withdraw the insults
and to submit to arbitration the question
whether tho original outrage was or was
not an outrage.
What then Would the BritishePvcss. in
England and in America. have hailed with
delight tho proposition to arbitrate. because
arbitration is tho method which modern
civilization has devised for the settlement
OF questions involving a nations honor and
the future safety Of Its citizens OF subjects
abroad?