though I could hold out no hope of success. They said that if an embassy should be sent, they begged most earnestly that no such expensive reception should be given to it as on the occasion of the former one. I was then asked, as Russia had no minister here, whether, if it were decided to send such embassies, I would consent to be the medium of communication with that government. They preferred this, rather than request the friendly services of my colleagues. I replied, that in view of the uninterrupted and firm friendship which had signalized the relations of the United States and Russia, I would willingly transmit any communication they wished to make, as I had no doubt it would be agreeable to my government, and not unacceptable to his Majesty the Emperor of Russia. I then asked whether they had conferred with my colleagues on the subject, and was informed they had not; that the government would now consider the subject, and, as soon as they had arrived at a decision, would confer with my colleagues. The governors then said, as I was so much engaged, they would take their leave, though they had other business which they would postpone for a few days. When they solicited the interview, the message brought to me was, that it was the governor of Kanagawa who wished to be received; and I had replied, that, unless his business was pressing, I wished it postponed for two days, as I was preparing despatches for my government, and also for the immediate return home of my son, Robert C. Pruyn, who has been attached to the legation for nearly two years. I then stated that I had hoped, when I heard of their arrival from Yedo, it was for the purpose of fixing an early day for the payment of the sum agreed to be paid to the owners of the Pembroke. The senior governor answered he had been absent from the castle for several days, but his colleagues informed him that the government were now reconsidering the subject, and would communicate the result in a few days. It is impossible to say whether there is any serious intention of sending such embassies. It may be that wishing to gain time, and finding it impossible to entangle my colleagues and myself in the meshes of an endless and useless negotiation, it is regarded as the most available alternative. It may be, also, that there are some influential officers who covet the honor, and, perhaps, more eagerly the safety, of an honorable exile at this time. While it may be impossible to refuse a post connected with foreign affairs, disgrace, death, or an equivocal and doubtful promotion await all upon whom the unwelcome mantle falls. Every minister and governor for foreign affairs, save one, who was in office at the time of my arrival, has disappeared from the stage. Death, fines, imprisonment have been the acknowledged fate of some; unheard-of offices and posts, which remove from all contact with foreigners, the declared rewards of others. The present senior governor is the only one who has outlived all changes. One prediction I can make with safety. If any embassy is sent, Takemoto Kai-no-kami, senior governor for foreign affairs, will be the chief. It is very unsafe, however, to make any predictions in this country. The players are unseen, and only occasional glimpses of a portion of the political chessboard can be obtained. The chance discovery of the position of a few of the pieces furnishes the only data for conjecturing the position of others, which may, perhaps, control the result. I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State, Washington. No. 81.] Mr. Pruyn to Mr. Seward. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES IN JAPAN, SIR: As stated in my despatch No. 73, of the 11th ultimo, to which I beg to call your special attention, I am still without later dates from you than the 10th July. Through the courtesy, however, of the French and British ministers, I have been furnished with a copy of your despatch to me of the 1st September, and also of your despatch of the 12th September, acknowledging receipt of my telegram of the 24th July, relating to the firing upon the Pembroke in the straits of Simonoseki. As the contents of both despatches are known at the British and French legations, I am now preparing to act under the instructions contained in your despatch of the 1st September, without waiting for the original. I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your most obedient servant, ROBERT H. PRUYN, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State, &c., &c., &c. Minister Resident in Japan. No. 1.] Mr. Pruyn to Mr. Seward. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES IN JAPAN, SIR: I have the honor to transmit herwith No. 1, translation of a letter from the minister for foreign affairs, informing me of the total destruction by fire of the palace of his Majesty the Tycoon, at Yedo, on the 25th ultimo. These buildings had only been finished shortly before my arrival, the old palace having been destroyed by fire in 1859. Rumor says the destruction was the work of Stotsbasi, one of the imperial family, and that powder was used in effecting it. While the information that the Tycoon had escaped is rather strange language in reference to a fire which commenced as early as 6 o'clock in the evening, and gives some color to the rumor, the better opinion is that the fire was accidental. It is said to have originated in the women's apartments, and that the Tycoon's principal concubine, who was the accidental agent in the affair, has committed hara-kiri, (suicide.) I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your most obedient servant, ROBERT H. PRUYN, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Washington. Minister Resident in Japan. The Gorogio to Mr. Pruyn. We have to inform your excellency that last evening, at 6 o'clock, a fire broke out in the northern part of the castle, which, together with the palace Ninar, was totally destroyed. His Majesty the Tycoon fortunately escaped uninjured. Which we have to state, with respect and esteem. 30 C The 16th day of the 11th month of the 3d year of Bunkiu, (the 26th December, 1863.) MIDSUMO IDSUMI-NO-KAMI. ITAKURA SUWO-NO-KAMI. His Excellency ROBERT H. PRUYN, Minister Resident of the United States of America. No. 2.1 Mr. Pruyn to Mr. Seward. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES IN JAPAN, SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letters Nos. 46 and 50, dated September 1 and October 3, respectively. The Agreeably to instructions contained in your letter No. 46, I have addressed a letter to this government, of which I enclose a copy, enclosure No. 1. letter is so full as to render any explanatory remarks unnecessary. I prepared my letter in advance of the receipt of yours, as both the ministers of France and England had received copies which you had furnished, not wishing that my instructions and purpose should be made known in advance of my action. I have received a letter from the minister of foreign affairs, informing me that, at the time the palace of the Tycoon was destroyed, my letter was burned, and requesting a duplicate, which was sent in. This will delay somewhat their answer. I have no means of saying what it will be, but I cannot believe that demands so just, and at the same time so moderate, will not be promptly adjusted. I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your most obedient servant, ROBERT H. PRUYN, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Washington. Minister Resident in Japan. Mr. Pruyn to the Gorogio. No. 136.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES IN JAPAN, Having received instructions from the President of the United States to make certain demands of the government of his Majesty the Tycoon, for indemnities for losses occasioned by the destruction by fire of the buildings of the United States legation at Yedo, and for outrages committed on citizens of the United States at this place, I invite the attention of your excellencies to a review of the facts on which such demands are based. Nearly one year ago, when it had been resolved that his Majesty the Tycoon should visit Kioto, I was urged by the government to withdraw from Yedo till his return; and the efforts to this effect were never relaxed until crowned with success, one week after the destruction of the buildings occupied by the legation in that city. Scarcely an interview took place with a governor of foreign affairs when the inducements to such a determination were not held out. was represented that my comfort would be thus promoted, and that it would be more pleasant for me to be with my colleagues, and free to enjoy the pleasures of society. This was forcibly contrasted with my solitary life in Yedo. It was also represented that Yedo was less secure as a place of residence, while his It Majesty, the Tycoon was absent. It was even offered, that, as my expenses would be greatly increased by the necessity of keeping up an additional establishment at Yokohama, the Japanese government would pay every expense which might be thereby incurred. In the month of April his Majesty the Tycoon commenced his journey. On the 23d day of May I had an interview with Takemoto Hayato-no-kami which lasted nearly the entire day. At that time I reiterated my refusal to withdraw from Yedo, but announced my purpose to go to Kanagawa and remain there two weeks. About 6 o'clock p. m. the governor left the legation; at 2 o'clock the next morning all the buildings were burned to the ground. In the preceding February Takemoto Kai-no-kami and Takemoto Hayatono-kami paid me a visit, to confer respecting the surrender of Goten Yama, as a site for the legation building, and left me at about 6 o'clock that evening; and it is a remarkable coincidence, that the British legation was levelled to the ground by fire at 2 o'clock of the succeeding morning. This was conceded to be the work of an incendiary; but the fire which destroyed the United States legation buildings is claimed to have been the result of an accident. The fire originated at the most distant point of my chamber, and if the work of incendiaries, was thus far considerate and kind; but it was at a place where no fires had been used for hours, and the government has never been able to account for it, though the officers and servants have been subjected to some kind of examination, and though the legation was at the time sorrounded by about five hundred guards. About 9 o'clock that morning a small house outside the line of guards was placed at my disposal; this consisted of three rooms, two of which were occupied by your officers and guards, and the remaining one by myself and two gentlemen of the legation. Here we remained one week, until Sunday evening, the 31st of May, sleeping on the mats, and having ample opportunity to prove that on an emergency our actual wants are few and easily supplied. It appeared to have been taken for granted that we would depart at once from Yedo, as it was announced to me that our horses had been saddled for that purpose by direction of some officer; but I at once declared that I would not do so until some provision should be made for the rebuilding of the legation, or for placing at my disposal some equally commodious residence. I was finally told by Takemoto Hayato-no-kami that the government had taken the subject into consideration, and was apprehensive if it commenced to rebuild the house it would be burned down again; but that money would be given to the priest in charge of the temple, who would rebuild it with impunity, as the object would not then be known or suspected. What reason had the government to suppose the buildings would again be destroyed or the work interrupted? Clearly none, if it really believed that the fire of May 24 was the result of an accident; but if satisfied that it was the work of persons hostile to the presence of any foreigners in Yedo, and determined to drive them out, then the fear was justified and the decision wise. When it was at length agreed that the government would immediately fit up the temple which had escaped the flames for my residence, I prepared to leave for Kanagawa, and reside there till the work was done. About noon on the 31st of May Matsudaira Iuami-no-kami, governor for foreign affairs, made his appearance. He said he had come to see me at some personal risk, and that he was commissioned by the government to inform me that it was in possession of proof of a conspiracy to attack the legation that very night; that about 500 Lronins were assembled for that purpose; that directions had been given to certain Daimios to surround the place of the assemblage; that the government was apprehensive they might take the alarm and disperse; that if arrested some might escape, and, exasperated by the loss of their comrades, still make the attack; but if all were captured, as it was hoped they would be, the government would be embarrassed in punishing them, as some of the friends of the Lronins might seek revenge on members of the legation. It was further represented that if I were away from Yedo the government would feel at liberty to punish them with unsparing severity, which it proposed to do, as the Lronins had become so bold as to bid defiance to the government. I was thereupon asked (as my residence was ill defended, and entirely without the line of guard-houses) to go on board a Japanese war steamer, and in her to Yokohama. As it was my purpose, as announced to the government, to leave Yedo the next day, I, of course, had no suspicion that this was a contrivance to hasten my departure; and at 5 o'clock p. m. I left the legation, accompanied by some hundreds of Yakunins, and went on board your gunboat. Early in June the government was able to announce to the Mikado, the Tycoon, and the assembled Daimios, at Kioto, that no foreigner was in Yedo. What punishment was inflicted by the government on the Lronins for this threatened outrage, for this flagrant violation of international law and of treaties which guarantee to every legation a safe residence in Yedo? I had every reason to believe that the government would act with vigor. It had surrounded these ferocious men with a large force, and had declared that their punishment would be so severe as to make it unsafe to inflict it until the peaceful objects of their vengeance were in safety at a distant place. In a few days these lawless men are gently, and with almost parental care, gathered together in commodious quarters, placed under the supervision of a governor, taken into the employ of the government, and pacified by liberal salaries. When this startling and almost incredible fact came to my knowledge, my vigorous remonstrances were met by the remark, made with the utmost placidity of countenance, That all Lronins were not bad men, but that there were some good men among them, and that it would not do to punish these men ! The President of the United States has, after full consideration of the facts submitted to him, come to the conclusion that they raise a strong presumption that the act of firing the residence of the legation was committed by incendiaries, with a purpose at once political and hostile to the United States, and that the government of Japan could probably have foreseen and prevented it, and that they have at least given a tacit assent and acquiescence. The President arrived at this conclusion before the receipt of my letter informing him of the extraordinary demands made by the government of his Majesty the Tycoon at a subsequent period, and his convictions will be greatly strengthened when he considers the daring declaration of its purpose to close all the ports, and that foreigners were required to withdraw from Japan; and, also, the extraordinary request, now pending, that the treaty powers shall abandon this port. It is impossible to avoid the conclusion that the government of his Majesty the Tycoon urged my withdrawal from Yedo, because it was aware of the existence of a party hostile to my residing there, and because it was apprehensive for my safety. It is also evident that the government, instead of insisting that the subjects of his Majesty the Tycoon should submit to the treaties, desired to conciliate the hostile Daimios, by rendering the treaties practically void so far as they guarantee a safe residence in that city. It was for this reason the suggestion was made, that Yedo would be less safe during the absence of his Majesty the Tycoon, while, to my mind, directly the reverse was the fact. The assemblage of many Daimios at Kioto, and the withdrawal of so many of their retainers from Yedo, appeared to me to constitute a great element of safety. The conference of Kioto is, of course, enveloped in mystery. The veil which covers its proceedings will probably never be lifted. Only one of its measures has thus far been disclosed by the government. The Mikado has ordered the ports to be closed and foreigners to be expelled. The influence which was suf T 0 S 01 |