DUCHESNE DE BELLECOURT, Minister Plenipotentiary of France to the Gorogio, April 21, 1863
The Minister of France to the Gorogio
Excellencies: I exceedingly regret at this grave juncture that an accident which seriously affected my health this last fortnight prevented me from communicating to the government of the Tycoon, as well my personal views, always animated by the sincerest feelings of equity and conciliation, as those of the government of his Majesty the Emperor of the French, my august sovereign, respecting the question of the demand now being presented by the government of her Majesty the Queen of England on the subject of the several murderous assaults upon British subjects in the empire of Japan, where the government of the Tycoon had solemnly engaged itself to guarantee free movement and security to foreigners.
Notwithstanding the illness which prevented my occupying myself actively with the business now pending, I have had an opportunity of obtaining information upon all the various phases of the present situation, and I have embraced every opportunity to give to the government of the Tycoon my advice and the opinion of the imperial government, hoping that this advice, and my comments which accompanied it, might have some influence upon the decision of the Japanese government.
Time passes rapidly, though without bringing any solution; and from the silence kept towards me by the high government of Japan, even in regard to the various questions specially relating to France, notwithstanding the steps I personally took at Yedo in February last, I must conclude that my officious (officientes) communications have not reached the Japanese government in the manner in which I took care to present them in a conversation which I had with the minister of the United States on the important subject of the British demand.
Hence it is now my duty to renew this communication to the Japanese government more directly, in order that it may be enabled to derive from it, in the discussions which may arise in the councils of state in the present situation, such benefit as may best subserve the interests of justice, as also those of the quiet and tranquillity of this empire, with which the European powers have no other object than to live in perfect harmony under that unchangeable respect for the rights and the dignity of all the treaty powers of which the principles of international law prescribe to all nations a scrupulous observance or courteous reparation when accidental offence has been given to the right or the dignity of one or other amongst them.
The government of the Emperor has been informed by the British government that the representative of her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain had received instructions to claim, from the government of the Tycoon, justice for the barbarous assaults so audaciously committed by subjects of the Japanese empire upon British subjects.
The Japanese government will acknowledge that the government of the Emperor of the French has given earnest proof of its kind disposition towards Japan.
Taking into consideration in various respects, and for a certain time, the internal difficulties which, as stated by the government of the Tycoon, it meets with in the execution of the treaties; but, on the other hand, and even because of the cordiality of which it has so often given proof to the Japanese government, it has deemed proper in the interest of the Japanese government itself to manifest its opinion on the bearing of the obligations of the government of this empire in such regretable circumstances as those now in question; hence the imperial government, actuated by the hope that this manifestation of opinion would furnish the government of the Tycoon with additional argument to triumph over the obstacles which its disposition to respond to the demands of England might encounter on the part of obstreperous minds, has decided that the presence of the French flag in the waters of Yedo, when the representatives of her Britannic Majesty would present the demand, should establish, in promotion of a happy solution of the present difficulties, its concurrence in opinion, which in this case joins it to the just cause, which the government of the Queen of Great Britain finds itself in the incontestable right to maintain, by claiming from the sense of justice of a government so enlightened as that of the Tycoon an honorable satisfaction for the blood of its subjects, shed with impunity in the entire absence of provocation in time of peace, and contrary to all principles of natural as well as of treaty rights.
In bringing this communication to the knowledge of the high government of Japan, I cherish the hope that the result, the accomplishment of which the government of my august sovereign has had in view in taking this decision, will only promote peace and good relations between Japan and the western powers.