The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1907-12-26

gun came, with all ceremony, TO treat
with him, he was received by Lieut.,
Contee as the commodore's represen-
tative. The commodore himself could
not be seen. In spite OF all the willy
oriental could do, the American am
bassador remained aloof, and i'm
pressed the Japanese official nightly
as a great man by this very exclusive
ness.
When seeking trade, the Dutch had
been willing to sink dignity and to
treat with anyone. Therefore they
were pigs, reasoned the Japanese.
Surely these western hairy barbari.
ans" must be the same. When they
found otherwise, messengers were
kept running at breakneck speed be-
tween the Sho-gun's city and the seat
of the mikado's government.
At last the bunio, who had been
| able to see only the "admiraps" suboT-
dinates, because he was not of sui1i-
cient Importance to gaze upon the
august features of the ambassador,
announced that two daimios had been
| appointed to receive the mysterious
papers so carefully guarded in caskets,
which the king of the power that had
whipped Mexico" desired to send to
the Lord of Creation"
Some three miles from our anchor
age" says DR.. Sewail, "a little semi
circular harbor makes in on the west,
ern side of the bay. At the head OF
it stocd~the' village or hamlet of Kuri-
hama That was the spot selected for
the meeting of the western envoy and
the imperial commissioners. And
there the Japanese erected a temper
AIRY hall of audience.
ut was a memorable scene. The
two frigates steamed slowly down and
anchored Off the harbOr. How big
black and sullen they looked to the
natives! Our little tlotilla of Is boats
landed under cover of their guns.
I'VE We're not quite 300 all told, but
every one was in full uniform and
armed to the teeth. The commodore
had given orders to make as magnifi
cent an appearance as we could, fol
the purpose Of impressing a people
who lay much stress on show. YET
our little body of men were few ir
number to confront 5000 native troops
drawn up on the beach to receive us
Outshone the Japanese.
Crowds of curious spectators lineC
the housetors and grouped on the hills
in the rear to witness Our landing
Radiant uniforms, trappings and en-
signs were overywhero-bu but we com
pared favorahly. Commodore Perry
had, in fact, outsh0ne the Japanese.
The Japanese regiments seemed
to have ban cut out Of rainbOWs ant
sunsets. But if they were lively, thci
officers were not, For they sat il
silent dignity on camp stools in from
of the lines.
Not until our force had disem
barked and formed on the beach dit
the commodore show himself. NJ
Japanese had seen him up to tina
time. He had remained to them
mysterious presence, who would onl
appear when the duly qualified ambas
sadors of the emperor came to trea
with him and they must be prince
of the blood.
AS our lines formed, the commC
dore stepped into his barge. Instantl
the fleet was enveloped in great crowd
Of smoke Tho guns were thunderin
out salute that echoed among tn
hills back of the village. In all tn
negotiations he had played the Jap;
nese peoples own game and had el
veloped himself in mystery.
This was not childs play. It wa
not an assumption Of pomp inconsis
ent with republican simplicity. Con
modore Perry was dealing with an or
: entail potentate according to orientt
, ideas; and results proved his sagacit.
At this time Commodore Perry was !
| years old, a man of splendid physiqu
| and commanding presence He wa
the right kind Of man for America
send on such an errand to such PEI
, pie.
within the hall sat the .Japanes
! commissioners on chairs. The imper
al commissioners were Princes ldz
t and Iwami, and they were surrounde
! by their kneeling suite. The vacar
> seats opposite were taken by the cor
; modore and his staff. He entered tn
pavilion escorted by two gorgeousl
: compariSoned blacks, preceded by tW
, richly uniformed pages bearing TT
precious caskets containing the ofttci
, papers to the emperor.
v Ceremony Not Long.
b THE ceremony began. 1t was vel
, brief At a signal the two boys in bit
Y brought forward in slow and impre
D sive fashion the rosewood caskets co
D tanning the mysterious papers whit
/% IN