[Untitled], February 9, 1868.

[Untitled]

The undersigned, having yesterday informed his excellency Hegashi Kuse Sakino Soshio, envoy of his Majesty the Mikado, of the treacherous and murderous attack made upon them and the foreign community at this port on the 4th instant by the retainers of Matsdaira Bezen No Kami, while passing through Kobé and the foreign concession, and having been requested by his excellency to state in writing the reparation which they consider should be made for this grave outrage, in order that the same may be laid before his Majesty the Mikado, have now the honor to communicate to his excellency the following formal demands:

1. A full and ample apology for this unprovoked attack upon the lives of the foreign representatives, subjects, and citizens, to be made in writing by the government of his Majesty the Mikado to each of the undersigned, for transmission to their governments, together with a solemn assurance that all the foreigners in the dominions of his Majesty the Mikado shall be protected in future from similar aggressions.

2. The capital punishment of the officer who gave the order to open lire on the representatives and the foreign community generally, the sentence to be carried out in the presence of officers from the different legations.

The undersigned trust that they may soon be informed that the justice of these demands is admitted by the government of his Majesty the Mikado, as it is only by the prompt and signal punishment of the offender that the commission of such lawless violence can be prevented in future and friendly relations be preserved between the governments of the undersigned and that of his Majesty the Mikado.