Mr. Pruyn to Mr.
Seward
No. 23.]
Legation of the United States in
Japan, Yedo,
June 9, 1862.
Sir: Agreeably to your instructions contained
in despatch No. 7, of the 5th of February, I addressed to Lieutenant
Colonel E. St. John Neale, her Britannic Majesty’s charge d’affaires and
consul general during the absence of Mr. Alcock, a letter, of which
enclosure No. 1 is a copy, and also transmit No. 2, copy of his
reply.
I have as yet received no reply to a letter addressed by me to the
minister of foreign affairs on the same subject.
I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your most obedient
servant,
ROBERT H. PRUYN, Minister
Resident.
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington.
[Untitled]
No. 70.]
Legation of the United States in
Japan, Yedo,
June 6, 1862.
Sir: The President of the United States has
heard with much satisfaction of the arrest and death of two more of
the persons engaged in the attack on the legation of her Britannic
Majesty on the night of the 5th of July last, and I [Page 1029] am instructed in his name to
felicitate the British minister on the gratifying intelligence, so
honorable to the Japanese government and so conducive to peace.
I have the honor to be, sir, your most obedient, humble servant,
ROBERT H. PRUYN, Minister Resident of the
United States in Japan.
Lt. Col. E. St. John Neale. H. B. Majesty’s Chargé d’Affaires and Acting
Consul General.
[Untitled]
No. 7.]
Yokohama,
June 7, 1862.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your letter of yesterday’s date, communicating to me that
you had been instructed to felicitate the British minister in Japan,
in the name of the President of the United States, on the gratifying
intelligence which had reached the President, of the arrest and
execution of two of the persons engaged in the attack on the
legation of her Britannic Majesty on the night of the 5th of July
last.
I beg to assure you that this mark of sympathy and interest, coming
from so high a quarter, in connexion with the event referred to,
cannot fail to be gratifying to her Majesty’s government, to whom I
shall have the honor to transmit a copy of your despatch.
The Japanese government has undoubtedly acted under wise and just
inspirations in the laudable efforts it has exerted to trace out and
bring to condign punishment those who escaped of a gang of assassins
guilty of an unparalleled outrage on the representative of a
friendly nation residing within the capital.
These instruments of a murderous conspiracy, emanating from whatever
source, had only in part been exterminated; the survivors remained,
a living menace, actuated by a dangerous and increased
vindictiveness; for a spirit of revenge against the members of the
Japanese government itself was now superadded, this government (as
might reasonably be expected) having loyally interposed the public
guards, and killed and dispersed those bandits while in the act of
assailing the legation.
Full of trust in the natural intelligence and wise determination of
the Japanese government during the future course of its now
irrevocable and happily restored relations with foreign governments,
and in the prudent warnings which it must derive from those highly
civilized and enlightened sources to which it may turn for counsel
when in doubt, for myself, I am impressed with an earnest intention,
regardless of adverse rumors, to entertain an unreserved confidence
in the good faith and amicable sentiments of the Japanese
government, persuaded as this government must already be that peace,
friendly relations, and trade are the sole and dominant objects of
our solicitude.
I have the honor to be, sir, your most obedient, humble servant,
EDWARD ST. JOHN NEALE, Her Britannic
Majesty’s Chargé d’Affaires and acting Consul General in
Japan.
Robert H. Pruyn, Esq., Minister Resident of the United States,
&c., &c., &c., in Japan.
