Joseph Heco

“ After a good deal of quibbling and repetition, Satsuma's people admitted that even in Japan the utmost that could be done to a person not getting out of the way of a cortége would be to beat him mildly and force him out of the road, but not to kill him or do him grievous injury, and that wilful murder in Japan incurs the punishment of death. ”

“ To-day news came to hand that at length the Shōgun proposed to make a visit to the Mikado in order to consult about the punishment of the Rōnins of Chōshiu and Satsuma--the former for firing on the Palace of Mikado, and the latter for firing on the English fleet at Kagoshima. ”

“ For full two hours they bore up against superior numbers with all the ferocity of wild-cats, and then Echizen and Higo came up with some 6,000 men. It was now the turn of the Chōshiu men to put the courage of despair into their blows; they fell back, yielding but a step at a time, and eventually withdrew from the city in fairly good order, but with heavy loss. At the first shot the Mikado had escaped from the Palace and found shelter elsewhere, well protected by the Shogun's forces. ”

“ During the last few days, it is reported Yedo merchants have been constant victims of outrage at the hands of lawless men, and much astonishment is expressed at the noninterference of the city authorities, who simply pay no attention whatsoever to these attempts at establishing a reign of terror. This circumstance leads many of the natives to the belief that the Shōgun is impotent to control these Rōnin, who are evidently secretly aided and abetted by some of the Daimio. ”

“ And if he does not submit quietly to your authority, then you are commanded to take himself and every member of his family by force and bring them to Yedo for trial and punishment. If you find your force inadequate to take him, you are authorized to apply to Matsudaira Higo-no-Kami for additional force and help. And if you find this still insufficient, then you are to apply to Hosokawa, Tachi-bana, Arima, Kuroda, Geishiu, Bizen and Inshiū to aid you to execute the order of the Shōgun. ”

“ Why, Mr. Alcock's virtuous indignation would pale before the capacious appetite of the Hearts of Oak in the piping times of '63! No part of their duty is more punctually and scrupulously performed than is this labour of love by our stead-fast defenders.
As to Richardson's and the other indemnity money, why, we'll venture to say it's all been eaten in the getting. ”

“ In the 7th month the Chōshiu clan insisted that the Mikado should issue an order to all the Daimio of the Empire to expel all foreigners from the sacred soil of Japan, and the Mikado consented to their request and issued the order in question. Early in the 8th month, the Daimio of Echizen, who among others had received the order, hastened to Kiōto at the head of 10,000 armed retainers to see the Mikado in person in order to persuade him to countermand it, since he believed it was impossible for any Daimio or Daimios combined to execute such a command. ”

“ Inasmuch as you have been dealing largely with foreigners, and thereby brought misery to many of your countrymen and utterly forgotten their true interest, and exhibited your indifference to those who are suffering greatly from the present state of things; We, the Rōnin, intend to punish you as we have already punished others in Yedo and elsewhere. ”

“ Take the Article Salt, an important ingredient in the aliment of any people, but more especially in that of the inhabitants of Japan. There is no mention of either Raw or Manufactured Salt in the Treaties of Yedo and although the prices of the native production have been enhanced two, and perhaps three-fold, from causes unknown to us, but said to have been brought about by the vast quantities bought up and hoarded by the Daimios in anticipation of war--yet we humbly think that if the 20 per-cent. ”

“ Neale took up the dispatch which he received from Satsuma's minister at Kagoshima and reviewed all the circumstances. He pointed out the fact that the British squadron did not go to Kagoshima with any hostile intention against Satsuma, that the vessels had been three days anchored quite close under the batteries at Kagoshima, without having a single gun shotted, in any of the ships ”

“ This attack was the subject of much comment in the community. It would seem that all nationalities, without distinction, are exceedingly keen on the lucrative “Exchange” business.
November 12th. To-day, the Shōgun's Government notified all the Foreign Representatives that the notice issued by the Gorojiu Ogasawara, ordering the closure of the port of Yokohama, had been withdrawn, and that it asked them to return the document in question.
The local newspapers print the following:--
A number of Satsuma officers waited upon the British Minister to request an audience on behalf of that Prince. ”

“ It seems that the Gorōjiu requested them to order their countrymen to withdraw from Yokohama to Hakodate or Nagasaki for a time at least, inasmuch as the
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presence of foreigners in such close proximity to the capital causes much trouble among the people in Yedo by reason of the great rise in price of articles of necessity. The local newspaper gives the following report of the conversation at the interview:--
“But,” said the Gorōjiu, “if trade continues to be carried on in Yokohama, a revolution will ensue in the country. ”

“ Further, that the presumed profits derivable from Customs Revenue, the Exchange of Coin, &c., supposed by the ignorant to be so large and lucrative, are yet in fact inadequate to the expenses incurred ”