Mr. Seward to Mr. Van Valkenburgh.
Sir: Your dispatch of the 20th of August, No. 85, has been received. The events which it recites do not open to us a prospect of a speedy peace, nevertheless they do prove that the revolution in Japan has attained a new and interesting stage. When the civil war began Japan had one Mikado (a sovereign in spiritual things) and one Tycoon (practically sovereign in secular affairs.) The Tycoon has disappeared, and there is now no temporal sovereign, while there are two Mikados, in conflict. It is hard to conceive how order and authority can be maintained at all in this anomalous condition of government.
While there seems to be no way now open to friendly nations to induce a mitigation of the atrocious cruelties practiced by the Japanese in the [Page 829] civil war, we are, nevertheless, left to enjoy the consoling reflection that licentious cruelty is always swiftly followed by a reaction in favor of humanity.
I am, sir, your obedient servant,
R. B. Van Valkenburgh, Esq., &c., &c., &c.