[Untitled], September 23, 1867

[Untitled]

Sir:Your excellency is no doubt acquainted with the peculiar circumstances rendering-agricultural and mining pursuits so profitable in the United States as to necessitate, to a great extent, the importation from Europe of cotton, woollen, and silk manufactures.

With the aid of skilled labor, such as is only to be found in France, silk goods suitable for the American trade, could be manufactured in Japan at remunerative rates, thereby giving profitable employment to thousands of poor people who now have only very limited means of support, if any, and strengthen, most effectually, the friendly relations between the United States and this country. That it is to the interest of Japan to benefit by the experience of other nations, and to learn the arts and sciences by which they have arrived at powerful prosperity, is so self-evident, that it is quite unnecessary for me, in this connection of silk manufactures, to point out the advantage of your people, themselves large consumers of silk goods, becoming familiar with all the improvements now known, which have already enabled foreigners, to a limited extent as yet, to undersell the native manufactures in this country.

I consider the subject of silk manufactures in this country of such importance, both to the United States and Japan, that I do not hesitate to request you to take it into due consideration and to inform me of the result of your deliberations at your earliest convenience.

With respect and esteem,