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29 - Story of Japan by Robert van Bergen · Story of Japan

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  Speaker 1: Section twenty nine of the Story of Japan. This is
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  Speaker 1: a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
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  Speaker 1: The Story of Japan by Robert van Bergen. How Perry
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  Speaker 1: secured a treaty. When Commander James Glenn returned to Washington
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  Speaker 1: in eighteen fifty one after his visit to Nagasaki in
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  Speaker 1: the Preble, he began to try to interest the President
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  Speaker 1: to make another effort to open Japan, and offered his services.
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  Speaker 1: When the matter was taken into consideration, it became clear
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  Speaker 1: that a few ships would not be able to accomplish
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  Speaker 1: anything peaceably, and that to ensure success it was necessary
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  Speaker 1: to send an imposing fleet. When finally it was decided
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  Speaker 1: that the United States should act, kmador Olik was selected
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  Speaker 1: to go to the capital of the Tycoon and to
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  Speaker 1: present a letter from the President to the Emperor of Japan.
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  Speaker 1: Amodoor Alick sailed from Norfolk, Virginia June eighteen fifty one
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  Speaker 1: in the Susquehanna, and after stopping at the capital of Brazil,
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  Speaker 1: continued his voyage to China. Soon after he had arrived
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  Speaker 1: in Hong Kong, he received orders to return home, and
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  Speaker 1: Commodore Matthew G. Perry, brother of the hero who upheld
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  Speaker 1: the honor of the American flag on Lake Erie, was
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  Speaker 1: appointed to replace him. There had been before this some
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  Speaker 1: talk about Perry's undertaking this mission, and he had spent
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  Speaker 1: considerable time in reading all the books on Japan he
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  Speaker 1: could find. From what he had gleaned of the Japanese character,
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  Speaker 1: Harry felt confident that with a strong force under his command,
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  Speaker 1: he could all the Japanese into making concessions, whereas a
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  Speaker 1: small fleet would probably be treated with contempt. He was
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  Speaker 1: promised twelve vessels with which to proceed to Yido Bay,
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  Speaker 1: and thereupon began to make preparations. First, he arranged to
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  Speaker 1: have ships laden with coal despatched to the Cape of
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  Speaker 1: Good Hope and Mauritius, that his steamers might obtain there
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  Speaker 1: a fresh supply of fuel. Next, he began to collect
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  Speaker 1: spsis of American industries and inventions. A firm in Philadelphia
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  Speaker 1: furnished a small locomotive and rails to be laid down
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  Speaker 1: in Japan. He also took with him a telegraph and
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  Speaker 1: other new inventions with which you are familiar enough, but
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  Speaker 1: which could not fail to impress a people so fond
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  Speaker 1: of examining and appropriating anything new and useful. Finally the
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  Speaker 1: letter was prepared. He may be sure that it was
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  Speaker 1: no ordinary letter, but in imposing state paper. It was
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  Speaker 1: locked in a gold box that cost a thousand dollars,
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  Speaker 1: and this was securely hidden in a rosewood casket with
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  Speaker 1: golden hinges. The commodore waited for a long time for
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  Speaker 1: the ships that had been promised him, but at last
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  Speaker 1: he grew tired of delays, and on November twenty fourth,
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  Speaker 1: eighteen fifty two, sailed from Norfolk in the Mississippi. After
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  Speaker 1: stopping at several places on her journey, the Mississippi anchored
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  Speaker 1: at Hong Kong April sixth, eighteen fifty three, and shortly afterwards,
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  Speaker 1: accompanied by the Plymouth, Saratoga and Supply left for Shanghai
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  Speaker 1: ride May fourth. Harry now went on board the Susquehanna, and,
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  Speaker 1: after visiting the lu Chu and other islands, sailed for
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  Speaker 1: Yido Bay on July second, eighteen fifty three. Of the
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  Speaker 1: twelve vessels promised to him, only six had put in
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  Speaker 1: in appearance, and as he sent back the supply and
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  Speaker 1: the Caprice. The imposing force consisted of only four ships,
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  Speaker 1: the Mississippi, Susquehanna, Plymouth, and Saratoga, of which two were
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  Speaker 1: sailing vessels. It was therefore not the force displayed by
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  Speaker 1: the government of the United States which impressed the region's officers,
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  Speaker 1: but as we shall see, the calm and proud bearing
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  Speaker 1: of the Commodore. At last, the goal of the expedition
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  Speaker 1: Yedo Bay was reached, and in the afternoon of July eighth,
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  Speaker 1: the vessels anchored. The order was given no one allowed
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  Speaker 1: to go ashore, no person from the shore to be
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  Speaker 1: allowed on board, and it was not long before the
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  Speaker 1: wisdom of this order became a parent. The foreign captains
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  Speaker 1: who had up to this time visited Yido Bay had
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  Speaker 1: taken orders from the first officer showing the two sorts
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  Speaker 1: of the Samurai, and the Yido government had begun to
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  Speaker 1: look with contempt upon foreigners who would submissively obey the
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  Speaker 1: orders of one of its lower officials. But on this
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  Speaker 1: occasion no respect was paid to any individual before his
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  Speaker 1: rank was known. Even the vice governor was refused to admittance,
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  Speaker 1: and not until he stated, without regard to truth, that
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  Speaker 1: the laws of Japan forbade the governor from going aboard
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  Speaker 1: a foreign ship. Was he permitted to put his foot
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  Speaker 1: on deck? He wanted to see the commander at once. Ah, Yes,
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  Speaker 1: but the commander was too great a person to be
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  Speaker 1: seen by so insignificant a man, as mister Vice Governor.
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  Speaker 1: Tell him then to go back to Nagasaki. Oh, but
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  Speaker 1: the commander is too great a man to be told
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  Speaker 1: such a thing. Mister vis Governor could be sure that
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  Speaker 1: this great man would not listen to such talk. And
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  Speaker 1: by the bye, mister Vice Governor, you had better send
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  Speaker 1: those guard boats away from these ships, or the great
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  Speaker 1: man might get angry. And then the gravity of the
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  Speaker 1: speaker impressed the native visitor this line of conduct, he
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  Speaker 1: could understand. It was in this matter that a powerful
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  Speaker 1: Japanese officer would have acted. His report brought the Governor
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  Speaker 1: himself the next day, in all the pomp of lacquered helmet,
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  Speaker 1: two swords, silks, et cetera. Despite the Vice Governor's colored
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  Speaker 1: statement of the day before. Down on their knees, with
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  Speaker 1: heads bent to touch the bottom of their boats, were
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  Speaker 1: the attendants of this mighty person as he ascended the
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  Speaker 1: gangway of the fire ship, but even he was not
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  Speaker 1: allowed a personal interview with the mysterious commander. Go back
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  Speaker 1: to Nagasaki. He had not come for that purpose yet
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  Speaker 1: a letter for the Emperor in Niedo, and to Yido
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  Speaker 1: he would go. Would he wait four days so that
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  Speaker 1: the Emperor could be appealed to and an answer be received. No,
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  Speaker 1: he would consent to wait three days, but not a
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  Speaker 1: moment longer. And in the meanwhile, his boats would do
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  Speaker 1: some surveying. No, that can't be done, no surveying under
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  Speaker 1: any circumstances. Ah, But the great Man has ordered it,
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  Speaker 1: and who will oppose him? The Japanese governor went ashore,
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  Speaker 1: convinced that these were the most intractable foreigners he had
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  Speaker 1: ever met, and that this mysterious great man must be
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  Speaker 1: very great, indeed to have all things his own way.
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  Speaker 1: The next day there was another visit, but the governor
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  Speaker 1: was told that no strangers would be allowed on board,
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  Speaker 1: not even the Emperor himself. It was Sunday, and Commodore
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  Speaker 1: Perry was not the man to break the sabbath for
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  Speaker 1: slight causes the blunt statement about the regent, For we
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  Speaker 1: know now that the regent in Neido had no right
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  Speaker 1: to the title of Emperor increased the respect of the Japanese.
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  Speaker 1: And it was only in a half hearted way, and
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  Speaker 1: without any hope that they would be able to frighten
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  Speaker 1: the Great Man, that they began to throw up earthworks
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  Speaker 1: and to collect an army of knights clothed in rusty
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  Speaker 1: armor of the Middle Ages. It was unwelcome news brought
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  Speaker 1: to the Yido government. When runners arrived with a detailed
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  Speaker 1: account of the four vessels and the mysterious person in command.
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  Speaker 1: It was evident that something must be done at once,
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  Speaker 1: But the foreigners with whom the descendants of the gods
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  Speaker 1: had dealt so far, had been satisfied to confer with
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  Speaker 1: petty officers, and customs could not be discarded at once.
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  Speaker 1: At last, it was decided to send two squires to
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  Speaker 1: take charge of the letter to the region, and so
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  Speaker 1: the governor received orders to communicate to the Great Man
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  Speaker 1: that the Emperor would commission two princes to receive the
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  Speaker 1: letter on shore. You see that Perry had well understood
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  Speaker 1: the Japanese. They thought these two scars were good enough
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  Speaker 1: princes to deal with barbarians. But Parry was not to
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  Speaker 1: be outdone. He did not know that these were Sham princes.
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  Speaker 1: But he gave the governor to understand that it was
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  Speaker 1: not meet for an officer of his sublime rank to
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  Speaker 1: go so far from the anchorage in a boat, And
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  Speaker 1: so he moved his steamers within convenient range of the
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  Speaker 1: place appointed. And now the time came when oriental pomp
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  Speaker 1: was to be rifled by occidental gold lace. Through the
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  Speaker 1: three hundred sailors and marines drawn up as on parade,
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  Speaker 1: marched the Commodore with his staff. And here again he
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  Speaker 1: had taken the only means to awe his unwilling hosts.
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  Speaker 1: They gazed upon the two powerful sailors carrying the stars
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  Speaker 1: and stripes, upon the two boys bearing that mysterious red cat,
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  Speaker 1: and upon the two stalwart negroes acting as guard. The
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  Speaker 1: Americans entered the temporary building erected for the purpose, and
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  Speaker 1: after the casket was opened and the letter displayed, it
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  Speaker 1: was handed to one of the Sham princes, who was
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  Speaker 1: introduced as the first Councilor of the Empire. Then a
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  Speaker 1: formal reply was delivered by the interpreter to this effect.
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  Speaker 1: We have received the letter of the President of the
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  Speaker 1: United States of North America. We have let you know
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  Speaker 1: that we don't care about having foreigners here, and if
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  Speaker 1: you want anything from us, you must go to Nagasaki.
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  Speaker 1: Your mysterious great man made us believe that he would
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  Speaker 1: be insulted if we did not receive the letter at
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  Speaker 1: this place. Very well we have done so. The answer
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  Speaker 1: we will give you later, And now you may go home,
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  Speaker 1: all right, said Commodore Perry, cheerfully, And when shall I
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  Speaker 1: call for an answer? Don't be too anxious to see
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  Speaker 1: me soon? Shall we say April or May next year?
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  Speaker 1: And he returned on board, leaving the princes convinced that
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  Speaker 1: they had not yet seen the last of him. While
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  Speaker 1: Perry was in Hong Kong, where his ships were being repaired,
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  Speaker 1: he received an official communication through the Dutch at Dashima
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  Speaker 1: that the emperor was dead and that it would be
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  Speaker 1: well if he postponed his promised call. But the Commodore
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  Speaker 1: had obtained such strong evidence that the Japanese did not
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  Speaker 1: always stick to the truth, and could even invent facts
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  Speaker 1: on occasion, that he did not believe the report, but,
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  Speaker 1: suspecting some trick, rather hurried his preparations. And yet the
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  Speaker 1: news received was correct, except that it was not the
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  Speaker 1: emperor but the regent who was dead. This, however, did
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  Speaker 1: not materially affect the circumstances. All that the Japanese hoped
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  Speaker 1: for was delay. The Perry spoiled their plans by his
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  Speaker 1: prompt action. In January eighteen fifty four, the fleet, consisting
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  Speaker 1: of the Macedonian Vandalia, Lexington, Southampton, Saratoga and supply with
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  Speaker 1: the steamers Susquehanna, Mississippi and Powhatan, once more left for Japan.
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  Speaker 1: The commodore again stopped at the Luchiu Islands so as
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  Speaker 1: to give the sailing vessels a good and on Monday,
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  Speaker 1: the thirteenth of February, the fleet moved up Yedo Bay,
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  Speaker 1: the steamers towing the sailing vessels until they came within
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  Speaker 1: about seven miles from where Yokohama now stands. This was
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  Speaker 1: only about twenty five miles from Yido, and so unpleasantly
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  Speaker 1: close that the Regent's government decided, well, if these persistent
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  Speaker 1: people must have a treaty, we cannot help ourselves. Only
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  Speaker 1: we must grant as little as possible. And now the
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  Speaker 1: play of the mysterious great Man was to be acted
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  Speaker 1: once more, Where would the great Man prefer the negotiations
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  Speaker 1: to take place they asked, mentioning two places at a
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  Speaker 1: great distance from the capital. The reply, after consulting what
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  Speaker 1: the invisible commodore was, never mind about those places. The
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  Speaker 1: spot opposite us will do as well as any other.
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  Speaker 1: This answer did not suit. The Japanese tried flattery, coaxing
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  Speaker 1: little presents, all to no avail. Finally they were told
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  Speaker 1: that the great Man would very much like to have
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  Speaker 1: matters arranged by February twenty first, that in fact, he
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  Speaker 1: would take no refusal. So the Japanese side, well, it
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  Speaker 1: can't be helped. But where will you have it? Oh,
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  Speaker 1: replied the Commodore, still invisible. I think that Yido would
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  Speaker 1: be the best place, but that would not do at all.
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  Speaker 1: Perry sent some of his men ashore at Uraga to
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  Speaker 1: confer about a meeting place, and waited till February twenty fourth.
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  Speaker 1: Then he advanced another eight miles, anchoring a little beyond Yokohama.
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  Speaker 1: Afraid that he would go still nearer to the capital.
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  Speaker 1: The government yielded and the negotiations were held at Yokohama,
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  Speaker 1: which is only a short distance from Yido. This time
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  Speaker 1: the commodore landed with five hundred well armed men, and
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  Speaker 1: after long and tedious discussions, a treaty was made on
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  Speaker 1: March thirty first, eighteen fifty four. By the terms of
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  Speaker 1: the treaty, American ships could enter the harbors of Hako
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  Speaker 1: Date in Hokkaido and Shimoda in Hondo for coal, water,
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  Speaker 1: and provisions, and their sailors would be kindly traded. There
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  Speaker 1: was also an article promising trading facilities, as well as
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  Speaker 1: several other privileges. And now came the exchange of presents.
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  Speaker 1: Perry presented the telegraph with one mile of wire, the
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  Speaker 1: little locomotive and car, rifles, guns, clocks, sewing machines, maps, charts,
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  Speaker 1: et cetera. And the Japanese gave lacquer, bronze, porcelain, ivory, silk,
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  Speaker 1: all of which you may see in the Smithsonian Institute
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  Speaker 1: at Washington. Perry then returned home, having succeeded where so
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  Speaker 1: many had failed. End of Section twenty nine.