De Long to Their Excellencies Sawa J usaunei Kiyowara Nobu Yoski, And Teraschima Jüskii Fiyiwara Munenor, January 17, 1870

Mr. De Long to Mr. Fish.

Sir: I transmit herewith (inclosure No. 1) translation of a letter received from the Japanese minister for foreign affairs, on the 3d instant, in reply to one from the legation on the 18th of May last, communicating the result of an investigation into the treatment of native Christians on the Soto Islands.

On the 10th instant I received another letter from the Japanese minister, announcing that the native Christians remaining at Urakami, near Nagasaki, would be placed under sentence of labor, in charge of several daimios, and deported accordingly. (Translation herewith, inclosure No. 2.) On the same day, I received from our consul at Nagasaki (inclosure No. 3.) copy of a joint protest of the consuls of the treaty powers at that port against the contemplated banishment or deportation of seven hundred of those native Christians to parts unknown.

I at once addressed a letter on this important subject to the Japanese minister for foreign affairs, copy of which I herewith transmit, (inclosure No. 4,) urging a reconsideration of the measure, and calling their attention to the disastrous influence which persecution of Christians would not fail to exercise on their relations with the United States and other treaty powers.

I also transmit (inclosures Nos. 5 and 6) copies of the letters addressed to the Japanese minister for foreign affairs on this subject by the ministers of France and Great Britain respectively; the latter dated from Hiogo.

The British minister having since returned to this port, a conference was at once held, at which it was unanimously determined to address a joint note to the government of the Tenno, asking for an interview with all the heads of departments on the subject at Yeddo. I transmit (in closure No. 7) copy of that joint note.

I have this day received (translation herewith, inclosure No. 8) a letter from the Japanese minister in reply to mine of the 11th instant, stating their reasons for the instructions issued by the Tenno for the deportation of those unfortunate Christians, but holding out no promise of amendment of their fate.

It is to be hoped that an interview with all the principal members of the government may be had at an early day, and in time for transmission of the result by this mail.

protocol.

Proceedings of a conference held at the foreign office January 19, A, D. 1870, on the subject of the persecution of the native Christians by the Japanese authorities.

Present: Sir Harry Parkes, her Britannic Majesty’s envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary; M. M.Outrey, minister plenipotentiary of France; Charles E. De Long, minister resident of the United States; Mr. de Brandt, charge d’affaires of the North German Confederation; Messrs. von Sieboldt, Dieborgues, Kemperman, interpreters; Sanjo, prime minister of Japan; Ewankura, former prime minister; Sava Terashima, minister of foreign affairs; eight members of the state council, secretaries, and censors.

At one o’clock p. m. the prime minister Sanjo opened the conference.

Sanjo: We have received and replied to the notes of you gentlemen representatives of the foreign powers, and now hold this personal interview to explain more fully the reasons that have governed us in proceeding as we have done with regard to the native Christians of Ukuwaura. Our government has always borne in mind the promises it made at Osacca* that it would not be severe in its treatment of these people, and I now propose to explain how I have fulfilled that promise. Since last year the government have had a full opportunity of discovering and understanding the character of the Japanese people who profess Christianity, and it has learned that they have become troublesome, and if allowed to proceed unchecked will subvert all governmental authority, interfere with trade, and seriously affect the relations of this government with foreign nations.

This government does not move these people on account of their religious professions’ but on account of their having been for a long time ungovernable and insubordinate and on this account the government has determined to change their residence.

The government heretofore removed some of them, and have treated them with kindness and those now being removed are being treated in the same manner, and consequently we do not think that we have destroyed or violated the promises made by this government last year to the foreign representatives.

This government, in allotting to these people new residences, has not been persecuting them. We have sent orders to Nagasaki that until further orders are received, no more are to be removed. This has not been done at the instance of the foreign representatives but on account of our own conclusions arrived at in our own councils. Two officers will leave on to-morrow bearing these orders.

These are the instructions of this government, and if the foreign representatives now have any observations to make we would be pleased to hear them.

Sir Harry Parkes: I have had every reason for supposing that the decree of banishment of the native Christians of Okuwaura had been reconsidered and was to remain inoperative. To my great disappointment, I found, when at Nagasaki a few days since, that that decree was being carried out and some seven hundred men were to be banished. My own judgment of this, and I am sure it will be of my government, is that this was a most cruel proceeding, and the only reason assigned being that these people professed the Christian religion, and that is the religion of my countrymen.

Such an act when known in England will produce a bad effect and be looked upon as a most unfriendly act. It is my hope and trust that my country may continue to have and hold the same friendly relations with Japan that it has ever heretofore had; but such acts as this are calculated to disturb these friendly relations, and for my own part I cannot understand how you make out that there is no departure on your part from the previous promises made to the foreign representatives.

If a few of these people commit wrongs, punish them; but to visit this punishment on families, and on thousands, is contrary to our view of right. To my sense, this act is not in conformity with the promises made by the Japanese government to us; and hence we have sought this interview, hoping to arrive at some understanding that will harmonize the acts of this government with its promises.

M. Outrey. In my opinion there is a misunderstanding about a word. You said you would act “mildly” toward native Christians. I suppose the greatest punishment you consider that you could inflict is death, and I suppose what you mean by “mild treatment” is, that you will not kill them. This is not our understanding of “mild treatment.” In our country it is regarded that a man taken from his family and banished is most cruelly treated. According to the way we understand those words, we reported that you would treat them mildly: and now we have to report that they have been deported, that is, banished and separated from their families. That cannot be understood as “mild treatment” by our countrymen. My government has most certainly a strong desire to cultivate kind relations with Japan, but I fear that when these reports reach it a great excitement will ensue.

For my own sake I do assure you that my every feeling is of the kindest nature for this government and people, and my every desire is to promote in every way the kind relations between our governments now existing.

Ewankura. There is a misunderstanding; we consider that we have acted mildly, and as we promised. These persons recently deported have had their families sent with them, and this cannot be called severe punishment. They have lands assigned them and an opportunity given them to make a living as they had before. Heretofore the punishment for this offense was crucifixion; this we had moderated at the request of the foreign representatives, but you know that in Japan, where all the people believe in one religion, that a sudden change or the sudden introduction of a new religion would produce great and constant political disturbances. Our object now is to converse on this subject. If in the future we understand and believe it to be necessary we will still execute this order. If it was only for those people at Urakami believing in Christianity, this government would never have thought of moving them. Whether it is on account of their religious belief, or because bad persons seek refuge there, we do not know; but trouble ensues, and the only way we know of correcting it was dividing them up and sending them away. This is done solely on account of their acts of insubordination.

M. Outrey. This is not in accordance with the letter you wrote us. I will ask what are those things in which they are disobedient? Is it because they profess Christianity or not?

Sawa. I was myself for a long time governor of Nagasaki, and I know all about these people. What I now say is that it is not owing to the influence of missionaries that criminals from neighboring daimios’ clans take refuge in these Christian villages, are there received; they then profess Christianity, are baptized, &c., and when the government officers seek to apprehend them collisions ensue between these Christians and the forces sent to apprehend them, while, in fact, these men are robbers.

M. Outrey. I wonder that you have the power to punish a whole village, and not a few persons in it. There is contradiction here.

Sawa. I did not mean to say that we could not arrest them, but that the whole people of the village would resist our officers, pretending that the man was being arrested on account of his religions faith, when really it was for some crime he had committed.

Teraschima. The villagers among themselves are extremely hostile toward those in the same village not of the same religions faith; that is, among our people it is quite usual for one to help another in necessity by making little loans of salt or provisions. When asked such favors these Christians would not grant them unless the others would profess Christianity; and many have thus been starved or driven into professing Christianity. Their conduct has been constantly overbearing. They have not come to open hostilities, but they have pursued a system of vexation and intimidation so oppressive that it has led many to leave. They also find ways of spreading reports about their treatment by which sometimes foreign representatives are deceived.

M. Outrey. I have not received such reports.

Teraschima. The only thing we intend to do is to get them where we can control them and correct them.

Sawa. The upshot of this matter is that we do not move these people on account of their profession of the Christian faith, but on account of their actions, and this government would have pursued the same course with any other people; and unless we do this we do not know how we will govern them.

M. Outrey. How many people?

Sawa. About five thousand.

M. Outrey. How many Christians?

Sawa. About three thousand.

M. Outrey. Three thousand are troubling two thousand, and you remove the three thousand.

Sawa. Yes.

M. Outrey. I thought there was four thousand, according to this decree.

Sawa. This included native Christians in neighboring villages.

Mr. De Long. Has the decree of deportation which was published last year been repealed or amended?

Sawa. It was left in abeyance for awhile on account of our internal troubles. It has not been repealed or amended.

Teraschima. We were prevented from carrying it out, also, on account of the expenses we would have had to incur, these Christians not being treated as criminals, but they were provided with houses and lands, besides their number being very large. We have hoped the respite given them would induce them to amend their ways. In this we were mistaken.

Mr. De Long. Then the decree now being inforced is the original decree?

Sawa. Yes, but in a milder form; and we shall explain the difference to you.

Teraschima. Formerly only the men were to be deported; now they are not separated from their families, and will even be furnished lands and houses.

Mr. De Long. When was this last decree issued?

Sawa. On the 19th of last month.

Mr. De Long. But you never reported the decree to us.

Sawa. I wrote you a dispatch on the subject.

Mr. De Long. But you informed me in that dispatch that you were executing the former decree. I should like an answer to my question, which is, Is the former decree being executed, or has a new one been issued?

Sawa. We shall explain the matter; orders were sent formerly——

Teraschima. Orders were formerly sent to Nagasaki. Their execution was prevented from internal reasons, and also on account of the representations of the foreign ministers. Now milder orders have been sent.

Mr. De Long. Why then did you declare in your letter to me that you were but enforcing the original decree; and why did you not give me notice of these modifications you now speak of?

Sawa. The fault is mine. I expressed myself badly, but now I have given you the explanations.

Mr. De Long. In what respect are the new orders different from the old?

Sawa. Formerly only the men were deported; now they are left together with their families. There is a marked difference between these two decrees of punishment—the former much the most severe.

Mr. De Long. How many people have been sent away under these last orders?

Sawa. Up to the 6th day of this month five hundred men were sent. The women and children were to be sent the next day.

Mr. De Long. Where were they sent to?

Teraschima. We do not exactly know; we only know they had left.

Mr. De Long, How then can you know that they are provided with houses and lands?

Teraschima. From one of the sinjo (counsellor) we have reports on these subjects, but do not know the details by heart.

Mr. De Long. Where were they sent?

Teraschima. I cannot exactly tell; some to other parts of Kiu Siu, some to Chosin.

Sawa. You can rest assured that we will not separate the women and children from the men.

Mr. De Long. Am I right in understanding that you will at once take steps to suspend any further proceedings under this order?

Sawa. Orders have been issued to that effect.

Mr. De Long. I wish to state to you, as I have often done before, that my Government feels a most lively interest in the affairs and prosperity of this empire. It wishes to aid you in every possible way, and has no single intent or feeling to serve, but will find fulfillments in your increasing prosperity, but such action as this on the part of your government will send a thrill of horror throughout the United States, where freedom of religious belief is granted to all, and yet where the Christian religion is almost universally professed.

It is not too much for me to say that this action may chill the warm tide of governmental good-will that is now flowing to you from the United States, and by proceeding further in this course you may change that mighty nation, your nearest treaty neighbor, into a hostile power. I warn you to pause, for I doubt that the Christian world will quietly submit to seeing people thus banished into slavery for no other offense than that of having become convinced of the truths of Christianity and professing their convictions; and from what you have here stated I concur with my colleagues in assuring you of my convictions that this people that you are punishing, you are proceeding against for no other reason than the simple one that they have become converts to Christianity.

Sawa. I am ready to withdraw my former letter to you, and address you and them, giving you fuller explanations.

Mr. De Long. I would be much pleased to hear any further explanations you may have to offer of your action, and especially do I desire that you will inform me of the exact nature of this decree that you are executing, if it differs from the former one; but as your former letter has been placed on file in my legation, and now constitutes a portion of its archives, I must respectfully decline to allow you to recall it.

Ewankura. To enable us to maintain friendly relations with foreign powers it is absolutely necessary for us to be able to govern our own people, and we are therefore obliged to carry out these measures against the Urakami people. The foreign minister misconstrued our acts, and in order to give them a proof of our good will we acted as we have done, and sent contrary orders to Nagasaki, but we should like very much to be enabled to carry out our former orders, and it is a bad thing for a government to recall orders once given.

Von Brandt. I have but little to add to what has been said by my colleagues. We wish to continue friendly relations. This action will appear to the people of Germany like a proceeding against Christians. We recognize the right of this government to manage its own internal affairs, and to that end to arrest and punish malefactors; but I cannot avoid the impression that this proceeding is a proceeding against Christians as such, for their professions of that faith. This impression is much strengthened by the manifestoes and proclamations of this government being directed against Christians. No government more readily than Germany will recognize the right of this government to preserve order, and none will object or interfere more reluctantly than the German with the exercise of that right.

Ewankura. If this government has prohibited the Christian religion in Japan, it is not because it is opposed to it, but because we foresee great troubles to ensue from it, as, for instance, if one man in a hundred becomes converted to that faith it would lead to a splitting up and dividing of the people. Formerly the laws against this were very strict; now they are three or four degrees milder than formerly, but we cannot allow it to be professed generally.

Von Brandt. We do not ask you to allow the free exercise of it, but we do ask that men who do profess it shall not be punished for professing it; in this there is a great distinction. I ask no change of laws, but simply to allow those who do profess Christianity to remain without being tortured for their faith.

Ewankura. You must consider the motives of our government, as, for instance, the native Christians formerly sent from this village to Chosin are all to be returned now, as they have recanted their professing of Christianity.

M. Outrey. This is a contradiction. This proves that it was because they professed Christianity that they were punished, as now that they have recanted their punishment ceases. If all would now publicly recant their professions of Christianity would they all be allowed to remain?

Ewankura. Yes; if they follow the religion of their emperor, and obey the authority of the government, no reason for their punishment exists.

M. Outrey. Then it is plain they are being punished because they are Christians.

Yon Brandt. We appeal to you as you would to us, in behalf of any number of our countrymen in our own country, who might profess the religion of Japan, (a religion which we respect,) if our government should seek to punish these men for so doing, and we ask you to consider this appeal as you would wish such an one of your own considered.

M. Outrey. We respect your religion.

Teraschima. If I said that this was being done on account of the religion of these men, it was only true in one sense, but the main reason is that in consequence of their professing the Christian religion, they despise their own. According to the Sintoo religion, the Mikado is the direct descendant of the spirit; thus he rules by divine right, and on account of his divine origin. Christianity teaches our people to despise and disbelieve this feature of our faith, and thus it brings this sacred thing into contempt. As, for instance, these Christians, instead of going to the Sintoo temple in Owakara, sacred to the Mikado, and worshipping, they refuse to do it, and thus treat the Mikado contemptuously, and lead others to disrespect him.

M. Outrey. How comes it, if this is the reason of your opposition to Christians and Christianity, that you do not punish the Buddhists? The Mikado is the chief of the Sin too faith, and he cannot be the chief of more than one religion.

Teraschima. The Buddhists show their respect to the Sintoo faith by agreeing to this principle.

M. Outrey Yes; but they have their own temples and priests. Do they compel them to go to the Sintoo temples and pay their respect?

Ewankura. In Japan, whether Buddhists or not, they have respect for, and adore the Tensio Daisen, the ancestor of the Mikado, as such, but Christians do not. They insult and ridicule her, and of course thereby insult and ridicule the Mikado.

Von Brandt. How do they insult, her?

Teraschima. In Owakura, at this temple of Tensio Daisen, they have a peculiar gate sacred to the Mikado ancestor. These Christians never will go through this gate, but go around it, and thus show all the people how they despise the goddess, and teach others to despise her also. Then, in all Sintoo houses, the people have idols, family gods, and also sacred writings; they insult these idols, and put the sacred writings in indecent and filthy places, to show the people how they despise them.

M. Outrey. Was this done in their own houses?

Teraschima. There is a place there called Shima Carn, with several little red gates, and inside grass grows, which people gather, and they will throw this grass through these gates and go around after it, rather than pass through them. This action itself may be small, but the feeling exhibited is great, and shows disrespect to the Mikado and his ancestor. The systems of government here and in Europe, you must bear in mind, are different. There the people have more or less to do with the government; here, they have nothing to do with it; and to maintain this government it is absolutely necessary for us to compel all the people to believe in the divine origin of the Mikado, and respect and reverence him and his ancestors. Thus the Tycoon’s government ceased to answer the purpose, as many of the daimios refused obedience to the Shogoon, saying he had no authority to govern them, and hence it became necessary for the Mikado to assume charge of the government, being the one they all acknowledged has the divine right to rule. To carry out this idea it is necessary for us to maintain this religion, and to put down all that oppose it, or we would have no government.

Sir Harry Parkes. (After consulting with all of his colleagues, and in their name made the subsequent declaration.) We have listened to all that has been said, and I must state very plainly that our impressions are that this proceeding, against this people at Owakura, is on account of their being Christians. Now I must again repeat that to persecute this people on that account must be offensive to all the treaty powers. You are oppressing them because they profess the faith that we do, and this must be offensive to us. We do not doubt your intentions, nor do we doubt your desire, and that of the government, to maintain friendly relations with all the treaty powers, and I come with my colleagues because I foresee, in your persistence in this cause, great trouble in the future. We beg you to reconsider your action; we do not come desiring to add one particle to your embarrassments, but to urge upon you our views, that this course will disturb our friendly relations; and having these views, it is our duty to come to you and point out the danger. You have told us that you will suspend these proceedings. For this we thank you, and we now beg you to examine this question, and we hope you will see that it will be unnecessary to remove the residue of these people, as Mr. Ewankura just now intimated.

Mr. Outrey. You must remember that these questions will severely affect our people, and in Europe, where the people have much to do with the government, they will affect the government in time; you must recognize the state of European government.

De Long. More particularly is this the case in the United States of America, which is a government of the people, where all men are permitted to entertain and practice any religion they may believe; and they profess the same faith (Christian) for embracing which you so severely punish this people.

Yon Brandt. I most heartily concur with my colleagues in asking a suspension of the execution of this order, and your most earnest reconsideration of the whole matter.

Ewankura. It comes quite under the reasons that we give that the influence of the people in Europe in the government is great; so it is here in Japan, and here the people are not in favor of the introduction of the Christian religion. This government is absolute, and if they allow this to be discharged the government cannot be carried on, because the government is based on this religion. By it the Mikado assumed control and now reigns, and by this reason we are obliged to repress Christianity, but do not like to do it so as to give offense. I hope this will be understood.

Teraschima. In referring these religious questions to the treaties it will be seen that the engagements are mutual; that foreigners in Japan can have their own places of worship, and practice their own religions, and that neither are to disturb the other. This at least is the spirit of the treaty. Now, although we have given foreigners their own places of worship, and have never interfered with them, we have found out that missionaries have established a place of worship at Owakura, not within the limits of the foreign settlement, where they go at night and preach their faith.

M. Outrey. They must not have this; this is the first I have heard of it.

Teraschima. Although it is not, perhaps, according to the letter of the treaty that foreigners’ places of worship should not be attended by Japanese, we consider that foreigners have no right to go inside of the settlement propagating their faith, as they are doing. It appears to this government that these missionaries have also led these people so to act as to implicate them seriously. That they have promised them assistance if troubled by our government is evidenced by the fact that when we attempt to control them they always rush to these priests and complain to them. That we ought sooner to come forward with our complaints against these priests we admit, and we are very sorry that we have not done it; but thinking that the shortest way would be to deal with our own subjects, we have let it go on. Now we regret this; for if we had sooner complained it would have resulted in only ten or a hundred being moved.

M. Outrey. I regret that you have never informed us of this; but I wish to say this persecution commenced four years ago, and this shows that the more they are persecuted the more they increase; and we know that at a place in the interior where there were no priests, you have had to persecute these people for Christianity; and this we know from your own official newspaper.

Teraschima. That is true. But there are Japanese who are preaching Christianity.

M. Outrey. Do you not know that in the time of the Tycoon your government suddenly heard of four or five thousand native Christians? Were they not Christians from their fathers? And does not this prove that the more you persecute the more Christians there will be?

Teraschima. It is possible that those were people who were Christians before this; if so, they kept it still. The government was not going so far as to try and find out the sentiments of a man’s heart, and punish him for that; but these men are seditious, and we cannot tolerate them. We will not say the missionaries advise this; but the people do defy the government. The officers from Nagasaki inform us that they have turned one of the ten temples there into a place of worship, and there the people assemble and await the missionaries, who come in the night and perform religious worship.

M. Outrey. Destroy the houses there, and stop it if it is not within the treaty limits.

Teraschima. These missionaries employ two-sworded men, who are outcasts, as sub-instructors, who go about teaching, and it is owing to these that Christianity is propagated inland. Now, the reason we move these people is to take them from under the influence of these missionaries. To say the truth, Orokami and other such villages have become the asylum of outcasts, and there they congregate and claim that they are under the protection of foreign powers. I know well these people have been led to believe so.

M. Outrey. We certainly have never any of us, or our consuls, given them any such assurances, and we have never heard of this before. We trust you will reconsider your actions, because it will cause great feeling in Europe and America, and may lead to serious results. We ask postponement and due reflection.

Ewankura. I can only repeat that we desire friendly relations, but we must be allowed to govern our own people. We thank you for your evidence of friendliness, and we will send orders to postpone further actions pending this conference, and in this conference it will depend whether we go further or not. We have spoken of the wrongs of the missionaries, which you ministers cannot defend; and we hope it is in the power of you ministers to control these missionaries, whether they will behave or not.

M. Outrey. We will do what we can to make our people in all cases do right.

De Long. I state, unhesitatingly, that when any complaint is made to me of a Wrong done by any American citizen, I shall always be as ready and willing to restrain or punish him, as I am prompt to demand redress for my countrymen from this government when I consider them aggrieved.

Ewankura. I am very much pleased with this frank and open expression of your opinion, and by this remark I judge that we will, no doubt, be able to come to some understanding, which will save the necessity of further deportation. We will then leave the matter here and meet another day. The council agreed four or five days ago to stop these proceedings, and an officer will leave to-morrow to suspend them. Sawa and Taraschima will further confer with you upon this subject as you may please, and with this we adjourn this conference.