VAN VALKENBURGH, Minister Resident of the United States to Their Excellencies the, August 20, 1867

Mr. Van Valkenburgh to the ministers of foreign affairs,

It is the express desire of my government that I shall in no manner interfere with the internal regulations of Japan, and that I shall carefully guard against even suspicion of doing so; yet I cannot fail to state to your excellencies that the President will learn with regret the recent action of the governor of Nagasaki in causing the arrest of native Christians at that port for no crime or misdemeanor, other than the profession of their faith and on the plea of their infringement of an ancient law which, if these people were at all aware of its existence, is, at all events, now obsolete and in entire disaccord with the enlightened policy inaugurated by his present Majesty the Tycoon.

The absolute religious freedom of which the United States has set the example to the world and the entire independence of all religious belief from the interference and control of government, have in a great measure contributed to the unexampled prosperity and power at which my country has arrived. Intolerance in regard to religious matters would at this moment be regarded in a very serious light by the Christian world, and perhaps be followed to a greater or less extent by the withdrawal of the sympathy of the great western powers, of which the government of the Tycoon stands so much in need.

My remonstrances with the governor of Nagasaki have no doubt had for result what instructions for the release of the native Christians have ere this been issued.

The governor of Nagasaki acted in this unfortunate matter on his own responsibility, and while I now call your excellencies’ attention to the danger to which an ill-considered act of an agent, with only very limited authority, may lead, I have the honor to request your excellencies to inform me officially that these native Christians have been released; that their property has been restored to them, and that an absolute forgetfulness of the past may he considered as a guarantee againt similar ill-advised acts for the future.

With respect and esteem,