“The error is mine, Your Highness,” I explained. “The terms may not be translated literally. Their intent is to express supreme rulership.”
“In such case,” said Satsuma, “Mito may be expected to claim that the message is addressed to the Mikado.”
“I regularly received investiture as Shogun from the Mikado,” replied Iyeyoshi, frowning. “The rulership of Nippon is in my hands, according to law and custom. I am not the first Shogun to be addressed as ‘Tycoon’ and ‘O-gimi.’”
“The letter is properly received by Your Highness,” observed the Prince. “The Mikados have chosen to maintain their sacred seclusion for generation after generation. It is for Your Highness to defend the domains of the present descendant of the Sun Goddess and inaugurate a glorious cycle for Dai Nippon by opening the land to enlightenment.”
“The bonds of ancient laws are not to be broken without deliberate consideration,” replied the Shogun, and he signed to me to proceed.
I read on slowly through the letter’s courteous expression of friendship and of desire for commercial intercourse, the arguments regarding the mutual advantages of trade, and the need of protection to the shipwrecked sailors of our whalers and other ships. At almost every line I was questioned and cross-questioned, above all when I came to the suggestion that the laws might be suspended and intercourse tested as an experiment for a limited period. This proposal received the hearty approval of both the Prince and Satsuma, and they urged its acceptance upon the Shogun. He asked me numerous questions about treaties between the Western nations, and then, without replying to his advisers, commanded me to proceed.
As I finished the reading and returned the letter to its case, the Shogun turned upon Satsuma with a deepening of his frown. “You speak as counsellor for the barbarians. You have yet to refute the ten reasons for war set forth in the memorial of Rekko, Prince of Mito.”
The Daimio took a scroll from his sleeve, opened it, and ran a finger down the vertical lines of writing as he spoke his comments: “Your Highness, it is true that in the past the armies of Nippon have been victorious in foreign lands, but the tojins do not come as invaders. It is no disgrace to enter into honorable treaty with peaceful envoys.”
“And, possessed of tojin cannon and ships, Nippon may again win glorious victories in Korea and China,” added the Prince.
“Regarding the second statement,” went on Satsuma, “the tojin letter declares that religion is a matter apart from the policy of the American Government. There is no intent to force the doctrines of the evil sect upon us. As to the question of trading precious goods and metals for those we do not want, the tojin nations buy only what they desire and sell what they please. We can do the same. Mito speaks of the Chinese Opium War. If we accept the offer of friendly intercourse, we can learn the ways of the tojin and acquire skill in their methods of warfare.”