CHAPTER XXXV.

GENERAL GRANT IN JAPAN.

General Grant and party arrived at Nagasaki on June 21, on the United States steamer Richmond, accompanied by the Ashuelot, the latter bringing Judge Denny, Consul at Tientsin, and other friends from China. There was no formal demonstration by foreign residents, further than an address of welcome by the committee of thirteen, chosen to represent all alien nationalities. Frequent entertainments were given by the Japanese.

The Governor of the province gave a state dinner on the evening of the 23d of June, served in French fashion; one that in its details would have done no discredit to the restaurants in Paris. To this dinner the Governor asked Captain Benham, of the Richmond; Commander Johnson, of the Ashuelot, and Lieutenant-Commander Clarke. At the close, His Excellency Utsumi Tadakatsu arose and said:

"GENERAL GRANT AND GENTLEMEN: After a twoyears' tour through many lands, Nagasaki has been honored by a visit from the ex-President of the United States. Nagasaki is situated on the western shore of this Empire, and how fortunate it is that I, in my official capacity as Governor of Nagasaki, can greet and welcome you, sir, as you land for the first time on the soil of Japan. Many years ago, honored sir, I learned to appreciate your great services, and during a visit to the United States I was filled with an ardent desire to learn more of your illustrious deeds.

You were then the President of the United States, and little then did I anticipate that I should be the first Governor to receive you in Japan. Words cannot express my feelings. Nagasaki is so far from the seat of government that I fear you cannot have matters arranged to your satisfaction. It is my earnest wish that you and Mrs. Grant may safely travel through Japan and enjoy the visit."

This address was spoken in Japanese. At its close an interpreter, who stood behind His Excellency during its delivery, advanced and read the above translation. When the Governor finished, General Grant arose and said:

"YOUR EXCELLENCY, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: You have here to-night several Americans who have the talent of speech, and who could make an eloquent response to the address in which my health is proposed. I have no such gift, and I never lamented its absence more than now, when there is so much that I want to say about your country, your people and your progress. I have not been an

inattentive observer of that progress, and in America we have been favored with accounts of it from my distinguished friend, whom you all know as the friend of Japan, and whom it was my privilege to send as Minister - I mean Judge Bingham. The spirit which has actuated the mission of Judge Bingham-the spirit of sympathy, support and conciliation-not only expressed my own sentiments, but those of America. America has much to gain in the East no nation has greater interests — but America has nothing to gain except what comes from the cheerful acquiescence of the Eastern people, and insures them as much benefit as it does us. I should be ashamed of my country if its relations with other nations, and especially with these ancient and most interesting empires in the East, were based upon any other idea. We have rejoiced over your progress. We have watched you step by step. We have followed the unfolding of your old civilization, and its

absorbing the new. You have had our profound sympathy in that work, our sympathy in the troubles which came with it, and our friendship. I hope that it may continue—that it may long continue. As I have said, America has great interests in the East. She is your next neighbor. She is more affected by the Eastern populations than any other power. She can never be insensible to what is doing here. Whatever her influence may be, I am proud to think that it has always been exerted in behalf of justice and kindness. No nation needs from the outside powers justice and kindness more than Japan, because the work that has made such marvelous progress in the past few years is a work in which we are deeply concerned, in the success of which we see a new era in civilization, and which we should encourage. I do not know, gentlemen, that I can say anything more than this in response to the kind words of the Governor. Judge Bingham can speak with much more eloquence and much more authority as our Minister. But I could not allow the occasion to pass without saying how deeply I sympathized with Japan in her efforts to advance, and how much those efforts were appreciated in America. In that spirit I ask you to unite with me in a sentiment: The prosperity and the independence of Japan.""

General Grant, a few minutes later, arose and said that he wished to propose another toast- a personal one— the drinking of which would be a great pleasure to him. This was the health of Judge Bingham, the American Minister to Japan. He had appointed the Judge Minister, and he was glad to know that the confidence expressed in that appointment had been confirmed by the admiration and respect of the Japanese people. When a Minister serves his own country as well as Judge Bingham has served. America, and in doing so wins the esteem of the authorities and the people to whom he is accredited, he has achieved the highest success in diplomacy.