No. 406.
Mr. De
Long to Mr. Fish.
United
States Legation in Japan,
Yokohama, October 1, 1873.
(Received November 4.)
No. 479.]
Sir: I have the honor to inform you that during the
month of May last Rev. James H. Ballagh, a missionary of the Reformed Church
of
[Page 647]
America, called upon me and
invoked my assistance to obtain the release of a Japanese subject named
Ytgana Ito, who had been arrested and imprisoned on account of his having
become a convert to Christianity. Considering this to afford an excellent
opportunity for putting to the test the recent assurances these authorities
had given me that Japanese subjects should no longer be punished for
professing Christianity, I addressed a note on the 25th of May to the
minister, calling his attention to the subject, and requesting the release
of the prisoner, (inclosure No. 1.) I am happy to inform you that my efforts
proved successful, and that he was released, and his release announced to me
in a note by the minister, (inclosure No. 2.) This I communicated to the
Rev. J. H. Ballagh by note, (inclosure No. 3,) and in reply received a note
of praise and thanks, (inclosure No. 4.) It affords me considerable pleasure
to advise you of this circumstance, in proof that I have been as ready to
serve the cause of Protestantism as that of Catholicism.
I am, &c.,
[Inclosure 1 in No. 479.]
Mr. De Long to
minister for foreign
affairs.
United
States Legation, Japan,
May 25, 1873.
No. 43.]
Sir: Rev; J. H. Ballagh, an American gentleman,
has, in an unofficial manner, called my attention to the fact that
during the month of April, 1871, a Japanese named Ytgana Ito was
arrested by your local authorities at Nagasaki, and imprisoned in the
province of Checkuzeu, and that he is now in confinement at the she ho
sho, in the city of Yedo. This young man, it seems, was the private
teacher of a foreign gentleman at Nagasaki, and a resident at his house.
The true and only reason for his arrest, it is claimed, is the fact that
be became a convert to and a professor of the Christian religion; at all
events, no other cause is known to have existed for this action. As I
have been assured repeatedly by Mr. Sayslunia that all persons
heretofore arrested for this cause should at once be discharged from
arrest and allowed to return to their houses, I presume that this
individual case has been accidentally overlooked. I should hail with
great pleasure the proof of good faith on your part which the immediate
release of this man would furnish to the Christian world. He being in
the city of Yedo, it will be in your power to at once investigate the
cause of his arrest and take the proper action. I feel authorized to
call your attention to this matter by the fact that I have been given
the assurance mentioned, which, having been communicated to all of the
governments I have the honor to represent, I wish also, by obtaining the
release of this man, to prove to the satisfaction of these same
governments the entire readiness of His Majesty’s authorities to execute
fully all that has been promised.
I have, &c.,
His Excellency Uyeno Kagwari,
Second Assistant Minister for Foreign
Affairs.
[Inclosure 2 in No. 479.]
Minister of foreign
affairs to Mr. De
Long.
[Translation.]
Foreign
Office, Tokei,
20th of
Ninth month of 6th year,
Muyi.
Your Excellency: I have the honor to
acknowledge the receipt of your dispatch bearing date of the 25th of
May, 1873, and stating that Ytgana Ito had been arrested at Nagasaki. In
reply I have to state that, upon inquiries made of the proper
authorities on the subject, I found that he had been already
released.
With respect and consideration,
SAYESHMIA TONEOMI,
His Imperial
Japanese Majesty’s Minister for Foreign
Affairs.
Hon. C. E. De Long,
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of United
States of America in Japan.
