Bingham to Evarts, July 24, 1877

No. 204. Mr. Bingham to Mr. Evarts.

Sir: In the Japan Weekly Mail (Yokohama) of the 7th instant, there appeared a full translation of the memorial of the Risshisha (association) of Tosa, which, bearing the name of Kataoka Kiukichi, a representative of that society, was presented to His Imperial Japanese Majesty, on the 14th ultimo, at Kiôto, and it is reported was rejected and returned. The paper seems to me valuable for the facts of recent political history which it contains, and also an account of the reasons which it presents for a change of the existing government of Japan.

You will observe that the memorial attributes the internal strife of the empire to “the fact that His Majesty’s ministers exercise a power solely despotic, the administration being carried on entirely without reference to the opinion of the nation.”

There is much in the paper which cannot fail to interest you, especially the reforms demanded, and heretofore favored by His Majesty by imperial decree of April 14, 1875, transmitted by me to the Department. (See my No. 219, April 20, 1875.) It seems to me that the utterance made in this paper, that “in order to advance the public welfare public opinion must be allowed free expression,” is very significant, and sooner or later will command the attention of the Emperor and his people.

Among the grievances complained of you will notice the failure of the government to obtain a revision of existing treaties.

Without intending to express an opinion of the justice of the complaints, or of the wisdom or propriety of the reforms set forth in the memorial, I have the honor to submit it for the information of the Department.

I have, &c.,