When the ambassadors of other foreign countries come to Japan to make treaties, they can be told that such and such a treaty has been made with the ambassador of the United States, and they will rest satisfied with this.
If Japan had been near to either England or France, war would have broken out long ago.
By means of steam one can go from California to Japan in eighteen days.
If war should break out between England and Japan, the latter would suffer much more than the former.
We were sent to this country by the President, who desires to promote the welfare of Japan, and are quite different from the ambassadors of other countries.
Japan and China are isolated and without intercourse with other countries; hence the President directed me to attend to or watch the state of affairs in China also.
If I write in my name to the agents of England and France residing in Asia and inform them that Japan is ready to make a commercial treaty with their countries, the number of steamers will be reduced from fifty to two or three.
The President is of opinion that if Japan makes a treaty with the United States, all other foreign countries will make the same kind of a treaty, and Japan will be safe thereafter.