Bingham to Terashima Munenor, October 1, 1874

Mr. Bingham to Mr. Terashima.

Your Excellency: I called at your office yesterday for the purpose of acquainting you with the fact that Mr. Wasson, a citizen of the United States, hitherto referred to by your excellency in your No. 26 of date the 22d April last addressed to me, and who, as your excellency then informed me, had, by the action of your excellency’s government upon my request, been detached from service under the Japanese government in the Formosan expedition, is reported in the Japan Gazette of the 29th ultimo to be “in Nagasaki awaiting instructions to resume his position on General Saijo’s staff,” and “will probably sail for Formosa in a few days.”

I have the honor to further inform your excellency that I communicated to my Government copies of my communications heretofore made to your excellency in which I protested against the employment of United States citizens and vessels in the Japanese expedition against Formosa, and a copy of your excellency’s dispatch of the 22d of April, setting forth the action of your excellency’s government as above stated, to which my Government has replied that the proceedings taken by me to detach the citizens of the United States and the steamer New York are approved. Not doubting that the instructions heretofore issued, as stated by your excellency, for the detachment of Mr. Wasson and the other citizens of the United States named in your excellency’s dispatch of 22d of April were in accordance with the treaty obligations subsisting between the United States and Japan, and feeling quite assured that it has been and is the purpose of your excellency’s government to carry the same out in good faith, I beg leave to respectfully request that your excellency will notify Mr. Wasson of the instructions issued by your government detaching him from service in the Japanese expedition against Formosa, to the end that he may not proceed to Formosa, in violation alike of the instructions of your excellency’s government and of the laws of his country.

I have the honor to be your excellency’s obedient servant,