No. 247.
Mr. Fish to Mr. De
Long.
Washington, December 18, 1872.
Sir: I am in receipt of your No. 302, dated 6th day of November.
You state that the kingdom of Lew Chew has become formally incorporated into the Japanese Empire, the King reduced to the condition of an ex-daimio, and assigned a residence in Yedo, which he has accepted; that you had called the attention of the Japanese government to the compact of July 1854, between the United States and Lew Chew, and had inquired if that compact would be respected and observed by the Japanese government within the former territorial limits of Lew Chew, and had obtained from the Japanese government a declaration that they will be observed.
Your action in this matter is approved. It is supposed that the absorption or incorporation of one state by another does not discharge or release, within the limits of the absorbed or incorporated state, the obligation which it may be under to a third power at the time of such absorption or incorporation.
You mention also some threatened anticipated hostile movements contemplated by Japan against the inhabitants of Formosa, and that information had been obtained by you from Mr. Le Gendre, United States consul at Amoy, who chanced to be at the time at Yedo, with reference to the island of Formosa, and had been communicated by you to the Japanese government.
Not knowing the precise objects for which the Japanese government intend to make the knowledge obtained from you available, I am not prepared to express an opinion whether your action, in this regard, is or is not to be approved. Further information and the use which the Japanese government may make of the information which you furnished may decide this point.
I am, &c.,