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Jtoy 19,1856.1 THE IiBAPEB. 689
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THE AMERICAN EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. Uirrut...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Southey And Water. Selections From The L...
reek . " Gualberto" made part of them ; the greater number of the rest were in ' Ma ' doc " This I could not do now ; and an increased fastidiousness , or sense of mperfection will not account for all , or even half , the differences ; the inclination for he effort is wanting , which is a strong indication that the power no longer exists . On looking again at the other passages we had marked for extract we find hem too trivial , let us then at once proceed to the real amusement of these rolumes the notes of the editor . From the final note to the fourth volume ve assume that Mr . Warter has been roughly handled by these " hirelings of he press "—the critics . This is the note ; the capitals are Mr . Warter ' s : — In volumes which comprehend so wide a field of literature as these do , there will proably be many mistakes which I have overlooked . Where any such are found , I shall feel eni much obliged to any courteous and competent scholar who will communicate with me . In the publication o / Southky ' s Common Place Books / made a similar request , —and do not forget , but wish to record , the courteousness of the Bishop of London , who , midst the multiplicity of his engagements , found time to notice it . So different is the enhis of a great Scholar from that of Men-millujers in literature , Quibus ingenivm est immansuetumque ferutnque .
If Mr . Warter overlooks mistakes and you courteously point them out to iim , you are a scholar ; but if you wickedly point them out to the public , ie brands you as a man-miixiner in small caps . Mr . Warter seems to have n affection for this typographical emphasis ; and very ludicrous is the myserious emphasis with which he refers to a collection of materials made by Jouthey : — All these collections are in my possession . As a mercantile speculation Messrs . , ongman and Co . did not consider that the publication would answer . It bides
rs . The drollest of Mr . Warter's notes are those in which he displays at once iis erudition and autobiographical expansiveness . lie is extremely anxious hat the public should know him to be a man of " diversified reading in many in <* ua « res , " and on the slightest provocation he draws from his erudite tores . ° Thus , if Southey happens to say , " Indignation may make good erses , " Mr . Warter , who has accomplished that rare feat of erudition , the eading of Juvenal , kindly quotes the passage to which Southey alludes , for lie benefit of men-milliners who could not possibly have suspected the alusion . But Icelandic is Mr . Warter ' s forte—as imbecility is his foible outhey says , " I find the Portuguese Ama in my Danish dictionary Amme a urse ; " whereupon John Wood Warter , with mingled pathos , autobiography , nd erudition , adds this note : — It is Icelandic , also . See Kask ' s Icelandic Dictionary ( poor Rask , whom I fol-> wed to his grave !) , and the Specimen Glossarii to the Edda , vol . ii . p . 562 , ed . to . 1818 .
We can enlarge the reader ' s knowledge and entertainment on this subject . The word is German also . Vide Flabberschnurz Die Amme mid Hire Vercilttiiss zum Menscheit : als Gnindlegung einer Social Politik . Kleinfahrt , 1833 . ' oor Flabberschnurz ! we never knew him , or gladly should we have followed im to his grave . We passed through Kleinftihrt once , but it was in the [ allepost , and our stay was therefore not long enough to found a solid iendship . His works are before us . "—In this style much valuable autoiography may be made to relieve erudition . Mr . Warter is a master of the ijle . Southey mentions that two Danish poets have sent him their works ; ad as Mr . Warter believes the English public to be intensely interested in ny small fact about himself which it may be his humour to reveal , he gives
us note : — With Oehlenschliiger I was intimate , and his works are all before me . Ingemann as rarely in Copenhagen whilst I was there . His talents may have been less , but his Biiius was more refined than that of Oehlenschliiger . Is not that perfect ? " His works are all before me . " What then ? Inemann was rarely in Copenhagen when that city had the misfortune of ossessin" - Mr . Warter , and this the public may be glad to know—for Ingeumn ' s sake ! Mr . Warter is fond of assuring us that somebody ' s works are before him , " as if that were eminently interesting ; and on one occasion hen Southey alludes to Cotton Mather , this autobiographical editor says : — I will thank the reader to correct the mistake in Vol . II . p . 264 . I wonder how I t-crlooked it , as he is a great favourite , as all oddities are , with me .
In Mr . Warter ' s diversified readings in various languages the syntax of is own may have gone astray , so that the note just quoted must not be cricised by a public grateful for the revelation respecting Mr . AVarter ' s love of ddities . AVe will close our Anthologia Wartericc with a charming specimen , outhey , speaking of his daughter ' s contempt of Downs , says that when she rows older she will learn to enjoy all scenery \ and the husband of that aughter , in editorial capacity , adds this note : — It is just as her father predicted ! This day , 7 th Sept ., 1855 , on leaving West arring , as she looked from tlie railway station on the chequered light and shade on issbury , she exclaimed , " How beautiful are those Downs ! "
Jtoy 19,1856.1 The Iibapeb. 689
Jtoy 19 , 1856 . 1 THE IiBAPEB . 689
The American Expedition To Japan. Uirrut...
THE AMERICAN EXPEDITION TO JAPAN . Uirrutive of the Expedition of tin American Squadron to the China Seas and Japan , in 1852 , 1853 , and 185-1 , tender the Command of Commodore M . V . Perry . By F . L . Hawkes , D . D ., L . L . I ) . TrUbner . ins , the official narrative ol' a state expedition , is the most important work mt has been produced , during the present century , on Japan and its sister . 'gions . It has been compiled from the records of tho squndron , —the iaries of tho commodore , tuo captains , Hag lieutenants , and scientific superumcrories . Dr . Hawkes , the historian of the vo 3 age , is a competent writer , ho had prepared himself for his special tusk by general studies on tho
ohtics , commerce , social laws , and external relations of the Japanese Impiro—an empire- which , for two centuries , has been the veritable Asian lystcry . Tho Portuguese , who conquered so far along tho Indian coasts ; ie Spaniards , who founded n great viccroyalty in the Eastern waters , tho 'rcnch , who trampled over tho Curnatic and Bengal ; tho Russians , who have etached vast territories from China ; tho Dutch , who wield tho clustered jcptrcs of ii hundred Asiatic islands , had failed to accomplish that which ' erry and his companions liavo accomplished in Japan . What tho Porigueao and the English once enjoyed , and what the Dutch have continued ) enjoy under tho most humiliating conditions , tho Americans have thrown
open to the world . This they have done , in spite of an opposition that was not confined to the East , but which was exasperated by jealousies in Europe , by the intrigues of the Dutch , who have never established a genuine Oriental dominion , but who subsist upon privilege , prohibition , and the least reputable arts of trade . With characteristic ingenuity , they sought to anticipate the United States commissioner , and , forseeing that under the pressure of British , American , and Russian demonstrations , foreign commerce must be admitted into Japan , endeavoured to procure its admission upon terms favourable to their ancient monopoly . They represented Perry ' s visit as an invasion , circulated rumours of treason and danger , set afloat every conceivable suggestion that was likely to thwart the American enterprise . But to no purpose . Commodore Perry , with as much policy as decision , negotiated a treaty , and removed the Solomon ' s Seal that had condemned six generations of Japanese to stupor and immobility .
But observe the process . The United States acquire California . From California they gaze across the Pacific at the Oriental islands .- Between the eastern and western extremities of Asia , they see the double dominion of the English and the Dutch-England on the Continent , Holland in theA _ rchipelago , the English and the Russians pressing upon China , a rich empire open in Japan , with the limpet colony of Holland clinging to its shores . A direct trade , therefore , was established between the Chinese ports and the western ports of the Republic ; but the Japanese group Lay between , teeming with population , celebrated for its riches , known to be isolated only by the action of an outworn bigotry .
The American squadron , after an interesting voyage—supplying Dr . Hawkes with materials for two hundred and fifty pages of picturesque and lively narrative—reached the Bay of Yeddo , in Japan , in July , 1853 . The decks were cleared for action : the guns were shotted 5 small arms were handed round ; sentinels were posted , as though an engagement were in view . But the spectacle of a steamer , coming up straight against the wind , amazed the Japanese , and sufficed to hold them in awe . The fortified horns of the bay were passed , and four American ships took up their station close to land . The usual drama was enacted : guard-boats , grandees , standardbearers , helmetted officials , in red , blue , and variegated robes , swarmed over the waters , and formed a fantastic picture . The objects of the mission were explained . Then ensued the inevitable delay , protracted by Eastern formality , insincerity , and vacillation . Commodore Perry had prepared
for his voyage , as Dr . Hawkes prepared for his book , by familiarizing himself with the history and character of the people—a strange idea fora diplomatist—and knew something more of the East than of dusky forms and white draperies and songs by starlit rivers . He was determined to be as absolute as forbearing , and if the imperial functionaries insisted upon etiquette , to insist upon etiquette with the imperial functionaries- He taught them at once , that if Americans were not to touch Japanese soil without permission and without surveillance , neither should Japanese touch American ships uninvited and uncontrolled . Here was a basis of operations . The people respected their visitors , and even Oriental governments are in the habit of receiving unacknowledged suggestions from the people . In future , the representatives of the empire met the representatives of the republic with nattering pomp . But every artifice of evasion , was exhausted . The
court objected to the particular form in which the American message had arrived , desired to transmit its reply to another port , wished to inv't-e the friendly intervention of the Dutch : in vain . Perry would deliver his credentials to the emperor himself ^ or to an imperial commission er . The commissioner , therefore , was nominated , and , in full audience , received the President ' s letter on shore . In this missive the Japanese were informed that the United States of America reached from sea to sea , that Oregon and California lay , across the ocean , opposite to Japan , and could be reached in eighteen days ; that California produced sixty millions of golden dollars annually , and that , while Japanese commodities would be valued in America , American dollars might be useful in Japan . That auriferous allusion
enlivened the yellow countenances of the island officials , though they received the American proposals with mute reserve . It was not long , however , before certain incidental concessions proved that the double influence of ships and dollars had operated upon the imperial mind . I ^ evertheless , Perry ' s first visit ended without leading to any positive result . He was not more than eighteen days in the Japanese waters , and did not stay for the answer of the government . But he obtained the right of anchorage free from the presence of guard-boats ; he had extorted from the court the deputation of a high official to treat with him ; he had surveyed the Bay of ifeddo , under its batteries , and had established amicable , though indirect relations with the people .
Towards the close of 1852 the Japanese Emperor died . Various acts of violence against American citizens had strengthened the claim of the United States to new and definite relations with Japan . In the spring of the following year , therefore , a second squadron arrived in the Bay of Yeddo . This time Perry was instructed to obtain explanations from the government respecting its treatment of American sailors , and to declare that no such proceedings would in future be tolerated ; to open one or more ports by treaty , and , if necessary for the enforcement of these demands , to occupy the main island of JLoo-choo , a dependency of the empire . A larger naval force now lay in the Japanese waters ; tho oflicials woro morc ^ deferential ; arrangements were made for formal conferences on the subject of the proposed treaty . Tins treaty was practically negotiated in a house built near the shore of
Yoku-hama Bay ; within short range lay in line of battle tho nine ships ol tho squadron , their guns pointed towards the populous town of Kanagawa . Three princes of tho empire and a body of the highest nobles here met the commodore , who inarched to the doors of the Treaty House with a full guard of marines , three banners flying , and an imposing staff of officers attending him . Among tho earliest proceedings was the delivery of thu United States presents to tho Emperor and to his great functionaries—a locomotive engine , tender , passenger-car , and rails complete , now in full work , to thu infinite astonishment of tho natives ; a telegraph apparatus ; implements and arms of various kinds ; a set of Audubon a works ; te ; i , Irish potatoes whisky , wine , fruit , and perfumery . From this benignant
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), July 19, 1856, page 17, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_19071856/page/17/
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