Office of the Historian

Mr. Seward to Mr. Thornton

Department of State, Washington, October 12, 1868.

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 24th ultimo, in which you inform the department that Lord Stanley has lately received reports and documents from Sir Harry Parkes, her Majesty’s minister to Japan, upon the subject of the religious persecution threatened in the name of the Mikado, showing that the feeling against that religion is unhappily increasing. In reply, I have the honor to give you herewith, for the information of your government, a copy* of the latest correspondence which has taken place between this government and Mr. Van Yalkenburg, on the painful subject referred to.

I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your obedient servant,

WILLIAM H. SEWARD.

Edward Thornton, Esq., &c, &c., &c.

  1. For inclosure see correspondence with the United States minister to Japan.↩