Mr. Van Valkenburgh to Mr. Seward.
No. 53.]
Legation of the United States,
Yokohama,
May 26, 1868.
Sir: With reference to my dispatch No. 46, of
the 27th ultimo, I now have the honor to transmit herewith No. 1, copy
of the affidavit of
[Page 745]
Captain
Jones, master of the American bark Dispatch, and No. 2, copy of my
letter on this subject to our consul at Kanagawa, for transmission to
the consular agent Mr. Frank, at Hiogo.
I hope soon to hear, for your information, from our consular agent that
this matter has been satisfactorily settled.
I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully your most obedient
servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.
Mr. William G, Jones to General Julius Stahel.
Sir: In obedience to your orders, I have
the honor to state the circumstances of the alleged cause of the
outrage committed by the Japanese officials on board my ship, on the
14th instant, at Kobé.
Mr. Heinaman, representative of Messrs. Aspinall, Cornes & Co.,
of Yokohama, had certain teas to ship, the duty on which was
demanded by the custom officials of Kobé. Mr. Heinaman pointed out
to them that, according to treaty, goods shipped coastwise from one
port of Japan to another paid no duty; but on their demurring to
this, he agreed to pay the duty under protest, or to give ample
security that the vessel was bound for Yokohama, and that port only,
and there discharge her cargo.
The above facts, sir, I ascertained from Mr. Heinaman, after the
outrage was committed; the teas were sent off to my ship,
accompanied by a shipping order from Mr. Heinaman, in broad
daylight, (the hour about one p. m.) At that time there was a
Japanese official from the customs on board my ship, who did not
object to the tea being brought on board.
I took the tea in and gave a receipt for the number of chests, (two
hundred and ninety-three.) After the tea was put in the hold it
commenced to rain heavily. I had all my hatches and tarpaulins on.
My chief officer, with about fifteen coolies, were storing the teas
in the hold with lighted lanterns. About five p. m. my attention was
called by two of my seamen coming aft, and reported to me that a
squad—two-sworded men—had come on board, accompanied by three
lighters, and had driven the coolies and my chief officer out of the
hold and commenced to hoist the cargo out. On coming on deck I found
the ship in charge of the Japanese officials, and had complete
command of my vessel—by ordering my men to keep out of the way, and
dared any one tb interfere with their proceedings.
I forbade to touch a single package, at the same time pointing to my
national flag, which was flying at the peak, and demanded of the
principal officer by what authority he dared to step on board an
American ship and disturb anything he saw. He answered me with
contempt, and with the greatest bravado
ordered his subordinates to go on and take the cargo out, and not
mind me. I then ordered my chief officer to take the cargo tackle
from them. On the mate attempting to obey my orders, one of the
officials made an attempt to draw his sword; on a revolver being pointed at his head, he did not use his
weapon, but they still continued to hoist out the tea, or rather
tried to hoist, as I firmly resisted them personally from
accomplishing the same by holding on the tackle fall. Seeing that it
would probably lead to bloodshed by their continuing to enforce
their depredation, I deemed it a wiser course, but with great
regret, to ask for assistance, by reversing my ensign, union down,
as a signal to the United States steamship Oneida. An armed boat
came on board with an officer. On seeing the boat coming the head
official jumped in his sampan and pulled on shore, leaving the rest
of his subordinates on board.
The officer of the Oneida in command of the boat, returned to his
ship and reported the outrage to his commander, upon which he was
sent on shore by Captain Creighton to report the same to the
consul.
General Paul Frank, United States consular agent at Kobé, came on
board promptly but when he arrived the Japanese had all left. The
following day I communicated to General Frank by letter, and stated
the whole circumstances in detail. On the 16th instant I was still
annoyed by the custom officials, notwithstanding Mr. Heinaman
complied with all their demands and had proper permits to ship some
more teas. Two officials came alongside of my ship and forbade my
mate to take any of the cargo which was alongside, at the same time
took them away. Fortunately I was, at that time, coming on board;
seeing the lighters going off from the ship, I pursued them and
compelled them to return back to the ship, as I was aware that there
were proper
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permits, as
the same were produced to me by the shipper. I communicated the
second insult to General Frank by a second letter, dated April 16th.
The above is all the facts that I have any knowledge of regarding
this unfortunate affair.
I have the honor to be yours, most respectfully,
WILLIAM G. JONES, Master American bark
Dispatch.
Sworn to before me,
[seal.] JULIUS STAHEL, United States
Consul.
Kanagawa,
Japan, April 27,
1868.
Mr. Van Valkenburgh to J. Stahel, esq.
Legation of the United
States, Yokohama,
May 5, 1868.
Sir: I have to acknowledge the receipt of
your letter of the 27th ultimo, transmitting the sworn statement of
Captain Jones of the American bark Dispatch, in regard to the
interference by Japanese officers, the subject matter of the letter
addressed to you by our consular agent at Hiogo, copy of which
formed in closure No. 1, with your letter to me of the 25th ultimo.
Mr. Frank our consular agent, in his letter to Ito Shunske, the
superintendent of trade at that port, was quite right in insisting
upon an assurance being tendered on the part of the Japanese to
refrain in future from similar highhanded proceedings as therein
referred to.
I cannot approve, however, of the tone of that letter, neither do I
deem it advisable to insist, in the form of a demand, upon the
Japanese discontinuing their boarding merchant vessels while
carrying swords. This practice, though quite harmless hitherto,
should certainly be abolished, whether such Japanese officers visit
foreign ships or places of residence on business.
By pointing out its uselessness, Mr. Frank may probably succeed in
obtaining a modification of this practice, and by so doing, with
becoming moderation, it will, I trust, be easier for him to secure
the acknowledgment and the observance of our undoubted right, that
in all cases of complaint against American citizens no action
whatever shall be taken by the Japanese authorities without the
knowledge and consent, or at the request, of the consular officer of
the United States.
I am, sir, respectfully, your obedient servant,
R. B. VAN VALKENBURGH, Minister Resident
in Japan.
J. Stahel, Esq., United States Consul, Kanagawa.
