Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress with the Annual Message of the President, December 5, 1870
No. 291.
Mr. Motley to Mr. Fish.
Sir: Referring to your No. 186, I have the honor to send herewith copies of a letter and of accompanying documents recently received by me from Lord Clarendon, in relation to the alleged persecution of native converts to Christianity in Japan by the authorities of that empire.
[Inclosures.]
1. Mr. Motley to Lord Clarendon, May 21, 1870.
2. Lord Clarendon to Mr. Motley, May 27, 1870.
3. Same to Sir H. Parkes, April 20, 1870.
4. Same to Lord Lyons, April 20, 1870.
5. Same to same, April 30, 1870.
6. Same to same, May 23, 1870.
7. M. Roeher to Mr. Léguer.
8. Same to Monseigneur Petit Jean.
9. Same to same.
10. Mr. Motley to Lord Clarendon, June 2, 1870.
Mr. Motley to the Earl of Clarendon.
My Lord: Referring to the conversation which I had the honor to have with your lordship on the 9th instant, in reference to the persecution of native Christians by the authorities of Japan, I have now the honor, in accordance with my understanding with your lordship at our interview, to call your attention to the facts as communicated to me by Mr. Fish.
[Page 481]It appears that these converts to Christianity wore residing at Urakami, a settlement at the head of Nagasaki Bay, where they were peacefully and prosperously pursuing their avocations, giving obedience to the temporal authorities.
The late revolution in Japan, however, brought into power the Mikado, whose partisans claimed for him ecclesiastical and spiritual, as well as temporal, power.
Because the native Christians could not consistently comply with the established ordinances and observances which they regarded as idolatrous, it was determined to transport them from peaceful homes, to seize upon their properties, and to distribute them and their families through the different parts of the Japanese empire.
The representatives of the treaty powers, hearing of this meditated cruelty, took prompt measures te prevent it, if possible, by energetic protests. The Japanese authorities met their protests by evasions, and while holding the conferences with the European ministers, transported their Christian subjects, to the number of about three thousand, and when at a subsequent interview the reasons for this course were demanded, they replied, “We do not remove this people on account of their professions of the Christian faith, but on account of their actions, and this government would have pursued the same course with any other people, and unless we do this we don’t know how we will govern them.”
The protocols of these conferences have been transmitted to Washington by the United States minister, Mr. De Long, and doubtless have been communicated by the British minister in Japan to your lordship.
The course of Mr. De Long in taking part in these conferences has been entirely and cordially approved by the President, and he has been instructed to make representations to the Japanese government in the same spirit, when occasion requires.
It has seemed to the President that under these circumstances it will be well, before further instructions are sent to the diplomatic and consular officers of the United States in Japan and to the naval officers in the Asiatic squadron, to ascertain what the cabinets of London, Paris, and Berlin propose to do in the premises, in order that should there be an apparent unity of purpose in Europe, the policy of the United States may be made to conform to it so far as their interests will allow.
I have accordingly the honor respectfully to inquire of your lordship whether the facts relating to the deportation of the native Christians have been reported to the government of Great Britain; if they have been reported, whether it is proposed to make them the subject of any instructions, and in that case what is the nature and purport of those instructions.
I am also further directed respectfully to ask whether her Majesty s government contemplates giving any new instructions or taking any new steps to secure the safety of foreigners residing in Japan, the better protection of the interests of its subjects there, or the maintenance of the policy inaugurated by the government of the Mikado.
I pray your lordship, &c.
Earl of Clarendon to Mr. Motley.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 21st instant, recapitulating the circumstances attending the dispersion, by order of the Japanese government, of the colony of native Christians at Urakami, and requesting to be informed whether these circumstances had been reported to her Majesty’s government; and if so, whether they proposed to make them the subject of any instructions; and, in that case, what would be the nature and prospect of those instructions.
I must request you, in the first place, to convey to the government of the United States the thanks of her Majesty’s government for the friendly spirit by which your communication has been dictated, and to assure them that her Majesty’s government will always be glad to find themselves in a position to coöperate with them as far as possible in matters in regard to which, as in the present case, the two governments have a common interest; and I think I cannot better enable you to explain to your government the views of her Majesty’s government than by placing you in possession of the inclosed copy of the instruction which I addressed, on the 20th of April, to her Majesty’s minister in Japan, on these matters. This instruction, coupled with the dispatches to her Majesty’s ambassador at Paris, of which I also inclose copies and extract, set forth so fully the policy which her Majesty’s government think should be pursued in regard to the case of the Christians in Japan, that I have but little to add to their contents; although I would call your attention to the letters of the late French minister in Japan, of which copies are inclosed in my dispatch to Lord Lyons of the 23d of May.
You will gather from all these papers, that her Majesty’s government, although desiring to use their influence on all occasions in favor of the native Christians in Japan, [Page 482] would not think it advisable to put upon the Mikado such an amount of pressure as might, it successful, serve to imperil his position with his subjects in general The sovereign of Japan, in his endeavor to reconcile his subjects to institutions in accordance with the principles of Christian nations, has many difficulties to contend with and it would be unwise to add to these difficulties, by urging him abruptly to set at defiance the religious prejudices of his people. It is the opinion of her Majesty’s minister in Japan, that by dealing with the Mikado and his government for a time in a spirit of forbearance, they will be enabled to regulate or overcome the prejudices of the Japanese against Christians; and the more readily if the latter show by their general conduct that their profession of Christianity does not imply a renunciation of their subjection to their national authorities, and the substitution of a foreign foe for native allegiance. Her Majesty’s government learned, with much satisfaction, from her Majesty’s minister at Washington in a dispatch dated the 18th of April last, that Mr. Fish had expressed himself entirely opposed on grounds both of principle and expediency to the employment of force in behalf of the Christian converts in Japan, stating that the government of the United States would confine, themselves to addressing strong remonstrances on the subject to the Japanese government. The views of our two governments do not, therefore, present much difference; and the instructions addressed to Sir Harry Parkes, on the 20th of April, will, it is hoped, enable him to act in concert with the minister of the United States.
With reference to the concluding passage in your letter, I have the honor to state to you that her Majesty’s government does not at present contemplate giving any new instructions or taking any new steps for the safety of the persons or properties of British subjects in Japan, or for the maintenance of the policy inaugurated by the Mikado. They repose full reliance in the judgment and discretion of her Majesty’s representative, and are well assured that he will neglect no means for securing those ends, to which he is well aware her Majesty’s government attach the greatest importance.
I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your most obedient servant.
Earl of Clarendon to Sir H. J. Parkes, K. C. B.
Sir: I have received your dispatch No. 35 of the 26th of February, reporting your further communication with the Japanese government respecting the recent deportation of native Christians.
Her Majesty’s government entirely approve the course that you have taken in regard to that transaction, and you will continue to point out to the Japanese government the interest felt by all Christian nations in the fate of those converts who appear to be orderly and generally well-conducted persons, and to have committed no offense such would justify their arbitrary removal from their homes. But you will say further that although the Japanese government may have thought that measure expedient, her Majesty s government trust that it will redeem the promises that it has given to the foreign minister, and take effectual measures for securing from further persecution on account of their religious tenets the dispersed members of the Christian community.
It appears to her Majesty’s government that the representatives of foreign powers should fully avail themselves while scrupulously abstaining from giving their proceedings an offensive appearance in the eyes of the Japanese government and people of the offer made by the minister to allow free access to the localities, among which the Christians are distributed, and should take advantage of the opportunity thus afforded to them for impressing upon the daimios, to whose territories the Christians may have been removed severally, to treat their new dependents well and to abstain themselves from any further persecutions of them, and discountenance any such proceedings on the part of others.
On the other hand it appears to her Majesty’s government that the representatives, and more especially the French minister, from the influence which he can bring to bear on the Roman Catholic missionaries, might render most important service not only to the Christian converts but to the cause of Christianity in general by impressing on the converts the necessity of not setting themselves up on the strength of their conversion in opposition to the law of the empire. The converts, few in number and therefore weak should seek to reconcile their rulers to themselves by showing that the profession of the Christian religion is not incompatible with their duties as good subjects. Political no less than religious considerations may have influenced the government in its dealings with the Christian converts, and when it is made to appear that it need have no anxiety on the former grounds, it may very possibly be less inclined to trouble itself with the latter.
Earl of Clarendon to Lord Lyons, G. C. B.
My Lord: I inclose for your excellency’s perusal a further dispatch from Sir Harry Parkes respecting Christian persecution in Japan, and also a copy of a dispatch which. I have addressed to him in reply.
Your excellency may communicate the substance of Sir H. Parkes’s dispatch to the French minister for foreign affairs, and give him if he desires it a copy of my instruction; and you will at all events suggest to his excellency the expediency of sending an instruction to the same effect to the French representative in Japan.
It is clear from Sir H. Parkes’s dispatch that measures have only been taken against native converts and that the Roman Catholic missionaries have not themselves been molested; and however much the deportation of the converts from their homes and their dispersion throughout Japan may be a measure of harshness as regards the immediate victims, there is certainly no small amount of truth in the observation made to Sir H. Parkes by one of the Japanese ministers, that the distribution of the converts in nineteen different localities is more calculated to facilitate the propagation of Christianity throughout Japan than their unmolested residence in the locality in which they have heretofore been permitted to reside.
Earl of Clarendon to Lord Lyons, G. C. B.
My Lord: A few days ago during my absence from indisposition, Monsieur Tirrot, first secretary of the French embassy, called on Mr. Hammond by direction of the Marquis de la Valette, to talk over, in consequence of instructions from his government, the question of Christian persecution in Japan, and to ascertain whether or how far her Majesty’s government were disposed to act in concert with that of France in regard to that matter.
Mr. Hammond said in reply to Monsieur Tirrot’s inquiry that of course it was not for him to give an official answer to it, but that he had no hesitation in saying that he was sure her Majesty’s government would not be disposed to do more than had already been done by her Majesty’s minister in Japan.
It appeared, indeed, Mr. Hammond said, that far from deprecating the dispersion of the native Christian colonists at Urakami, the Roman Catholic missionaries in Japan, and indeed all persons who were interested in the propagation of the gospel in that country, ought to see with satisfaction 19 Christian stations scattered by the act of the Japanese government throughout the country, rather than that the Christian converts should be confined as heretofore to a single locality; and that the measure had been viewed in that light by a native person high in office in Japan, who had made the observation to Sir II. Parkes. Moreover, the Japanese government did not seem to wish to couple the dispersion of the Christians with any other hardships to be inflicted on them, for they were ready to allow them to be united in the new localities to which they were removed by the representatives of the Christian powers, who would there have the means of satisfying themselves that they were otherwise not ill treated. But after all, some allowance must be made for the Japanese government, who had, on their side also, to consult the religious opinions and scruples of their own people; and instead of pressing the government too hard, the Christian powers ought to deal forbearingly with them and accept what the Japanese government were willing to concede, trusting that more might be obtained hereafter.
This, Mr. Hammond said, was the view taken of the matter by Sir H. Parkes, who advocated moderation in dealing with the Japanese government in this matter, and who was of opinion that the question of Christianity, if left alone, would sooner or later arrive at a satisfactory solution. Railways and telegraphs, Sir H. Parkes thought, would soon make a change in the Japanese mind; and he could not but hope that, as regards Christianity, there would gradually be a marked improvement in the feeling and conduct of the government as well as of the people of Japan.
Mr. Hammond said that he was satisfied that the policy recommended by Sir H. Parkes was in accordance with the views of her Majesty’s government and of the British Parliament and people, and he felt satisfied they were not prepared to depart from it.
Monsieur Tirrot alluded to a memorandum, which, how ever, bore no date, which the representatives of the Christian powers had recently delivered to the Japanese government, and in which they offered to exert their influence to keep missionaries within bounds, provided that the dispersed converts were permitted to return to their former homes. But it did not appear what result had attended this offer. Her Majesty’s government have not yet received a copy of this paper from Sir H. Parkes.
[Page 484]Mr. Hammond was careful to explain to Monsieur Tirrot that everything he had said in this conversation must be taken only as the expression of his own personal opinions; he had no objection, he said, to Monsieur Tirrot repeating it, as such, to his government; and having secured from Mr. Hammond an account of the language which he held to Monsieur Tirrot, I think it right to make your excellency also acquainted with it, and to inform you that her Majesty’s government entirely concur in it.
Earl of Clarendon to Lord Lyons, G. C. B.
My Lord: With reference to my dispatch No. 351, of the 2d instant, and. to previous correspondence respecting religious persecution in Japan, I now transmit to your excellency a further dispatch, and its inclosures, which I have received from Sir H. Parkes on this subject, and reporting what had passed at an interview which he had with the foreign minister and vice-minister respecting the question of the return of the native converts to Urakami. At this interview, as your excellency will see, special reference was made by the Japanese authorities to the correspondence which passed in 1867 between the French minister, M. Roches, and the Tycoon’s government, at which period an assurance was given by the former that propagandism on the part of the Roman Catholic missionaries should be strictly interdicted. The Japanese minister now again reverts to this argument and urges that the instructions issued by M. Roches in 1867 to the French consul at Nagasaki and to the French bishop should be adhered to, and that the French missionaries should be enjoined not to visit Urakami for missionary purposes and not to encourage the Japanese in offering any opposition to their own laws or authorities. M. Roches’s instructions, above referred to, were communicated to your excellency at the time, but as you may have not retained copies of them, they are herewith annexed. Her Majesty’s government concur in the prudence of the instruction then issued by M. Roches, and are of opinion that the Japanese government have a fair claim to ask that they should be acted upon; and if the French government adopt M. Roches’s views and instructions there is every reason to believe that the differences which have arisen out of the late proceedings of Roman Catholic missionaries in Japan will be brought to a close.
I spoke in this sense two days ago to Mr. Tirrot, when he renewed with me the question of Christian persecution in Japan with reference to a communication received by the French government from that of the United States, which seemed disposed to condemn the conduct of the authorities in Japan.
Letter addressed to the consular agent of France at Nagasaki, by M. Léon Booties, minister, of France.
Sir: I have the honor herewith to transmit you a copy of the letter which I address to Monseigneur Petit-Jean, apostolic prefect of Japan.
After having obtained the unconditional release of all Japanese imprisoned on a charge of violating the laws of the country by professing the Christian religion, you will advise monseigneur, in my name, that he must henceforth avoid anything that could encourage Japanese subjects to infringe or defy the laws of their country.
Thus, no priest of the apostolic mission must henceforth go to Urakami, or elsewhere, for purposes of religious propagandism; for, during the great state of excitement which now prevails in the south of Japan, the presence of a Catholic missionary in the midst of the Japanese population would be sure to cause incalculable evils, where a sound policy and the true interest of our religion admonish us to make every effort to avoid such a result.
You will therefore aid, so far as you are concerned, in the execution of the letter and spirit of my instructions.
M. Lègues, Consular Agent of France, Nagasaki.
Official letter addressed by M. Léon Roches, minister of France, to Monseigneur Petit-Jean, apostolic prefect of Japan.
Monseigneur: The government of his Majesty the Tycoon has consented, at my request, to release the Japanese who were arrested at Nagasaki on account of having [Page 485] violated the laws of the country by publicly professing a religion not included in the eight sects authorized by the said laws.
These unfortunate persons, by thus acting, would have rendered themselves liable to capital punishment if the Japanese government, actuated by sentiments of humanity, had not waived the enforcement of the laws which make their offense a capital crime, although said laws are still in force. What particularly gives evidence of the good faith of the government of the Tycoon is that he consents to set his subjects at liberty without imposing upon them the formula of pardon required under such circumstances, and which might seem like an abjuration. Now, this pardon, granted unconditionally to persons guilty, according to the laws of Japan, is without any precedent.
But I must add that if the Tycoon pardons the past, he understands that, in future, the Japanese are to respect the laws of the empire. I hope, therefore, monseigneur, that, as regards our apostolic mission, you will avoid any act which might be calculated to uphold Japanese subjects who profess the Christian religion in the way of resistance which they have entered toward the authorities to which they are subject according to Japanese law.
This resistance, monseigneur, would, no doubt, again cause a severe repression, which the present state of affairs in Japan would prevent me from moderating, and you, a minister of peace and gentleness, would assume the responsibility of the troubles and misfortunes which would be the inevitable consequence thereof.
Private letter addressed by M. Léon Roches to Monseigneur Petit-Jean, apostolic vicar in Japan.
Monseigneur: You will to-day receive an official letter, an authentic copy of which I have transmitted to the Japanese government. It was only in consequence of the delivery of this document to it that it consented to set the Japanese prisoners at liberty without imposing any act upon them which might be regarded as an abjuration.
It was, moreover, certainly not without great difficulties that I reached this solution. The daimios, who, we had been told, were favorable to the spreading of Christianity, and who were perfectly well informed concerning everything that was going on at Urakami, have all sent protests to the Tycoon against this state of things. They have allowed it to be supposed that the government of the Tycoon tacitly assented thereto, and they have declared that they were determined to resort to the most energetic means in order to cause the fundamental law of Japan to be respected, and they declare that they have given the most stringent orders for the beheading of any European priest or of any Japanese Christian who may dare to enter their territory.
These letters of the daimios are not by any means an argument invented by the Japanese government to cover the necessity of the case. I have read them and have hem able to verify their authenticity.
You will at once comprehend, monseigneur, how difficult is the position of the Tycoon, who is deputed by the Mikado to enforce the laws of the empire. This young prince is actuated by the most liberal views; he understands that the day is not far distant when laws of religious toleration must replace the laws of barbarous fanaticism which are still in force, but, on the other hand, he is too well acquainted with his country and the spirit of its aristocracy to compromise the future by a premature and unsuitable measure.
This, then, is the situation, monseigneur. Is not the clemency of the sovereign, who is not yet sufficiently strong to control the fanaticism of his daimios, a sound guarantee for the future? Should we not be grateful to him for a decision without precedent in the history of Japan, and avoid placing new difficulties in the path, already full of obstacles, which he has entered with so much resolution?
One year and ten years are not appreciable delays in the accomplishment of the designs of God. You know this better than I, monseigneur; do not, therefore, let it be supposed that you are disposed to compromise the work of your successors by the desire, otherwise very noble, of finishing it yourself.
Very great self-denial is required of you, it is true, but you will make this sacrifice, for, I say it in the sincerity of my heart, you possess all the virtues of the apostolate.
I ask you to suspend action, monseigneur. I transmit, by mail, to the government of the Emperor all the documents and information which can enlighten it on this important question. Let us await its decision. It will, without doubt, be calculated to satisfy the requirements of religion and of policy.
Monseigneur Petit-Jean, Apostolic Vicar in Japan, Nagasaki.
Mr. Motley to Earl of Clarendon.
My Lord: I have had the honor to receive your letter of the 27th ultimo, accompanied by copies of papers relative to the case of the Japanese converts to Christianity. The documents which your lordship has thus been so obliging as to send, will be at once communicated to my government.