Townsend Harris, to Rutherford Alcock, July 8, 1861

Mr. Harris to Mr. Alcock.

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 6th instant, giving me the particulars of an attack made the previous night, by a band of Japanese assassins, on her Britannic Majesty’s legation, and informing me that Mr. Oliphant, secretary of her Britannic Majesty’s legation, and Mr. Morrison, consul for Nagasaki, were wounded in the melee which ensued, and adding the gratifying intelligence that you had, providentially, escaped any bodily injury.

I cannot conceal from you the horror and indignation which the atrocious attempt on your life excites in my mind, exceeding, as it does, in the boldness of its design and in the extent of its intended slaughter, all previous essays of the kind.

In the nineteen months that followed the residence of the foreign representatives in this city, six distinct outrages were perpetrated on the persons of foreigners. Yet, up to this day, not one of the persons engaged in those criminal acts has been made to answer for his crime. The Japanese ministers have reiterated the assurance of their anxious desire to arrest and punish the offenders in question, but have declared their inability to identify them. In the present case no such plea can be set up, for two of your assailants are prisoners, and a pocket-book found on the ground near your legation contains a list of fourteen of the gang. With these two sources of information in their possession, there cannot be any difficulty in ascertaining the names of the whole band, and their consequent arrest and punishment.

Should this government fail in its duty in the present case, it will be almost conclusive that it is either unable or unwilling to give us that protection which the punishment of crime would secure by the repression of criminal designs, and it will then become a matter of serious consideration what line of conduct should be adopted to secure to us those rights which we have guaranteed to us by our solemn treaty stipulations.

I have addressed a letter to the Japanese ministers for foreign affairs in the sense of the foregoing, and I have pointedly shown them that any failure on their part at the present crisis will greatly endanger the peace of their country.

I propose to have an interview with the ministers in this behalf, when I intend to urge upon them the necessity that exists for their action in this matter.

In this connexion I beg to say that if you intend to have an interview with the ministers shortly, I will defer mine until after yours has taken place.

I renew to you my cordial congratulations on your truly providential escape from a daring and almost successful attempt on your life.

I have the honor to be, sir, your most obedient humble servant,