Mr. Van Valkenburgh to Mr. Seward.
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith inclosure No. 1, translation of an announcement by the army and naval officers of the late government to the foreign representatives, of their intention to abandon the course of neutrality to which they had hitherto adhered, and to take an active part in the struggle with all the means at their command.
This document was received at this legation and promptly communicated by me to my colleagues. It is dated the 4th instant, and early on the next day the Tokugawa squadron was seen passing this port outward bound. A land force of between five thousand and six thousand men, well armed and equipped, are said to be on board of those steamers.
The fact of such a force having been organized and shipped in Yedo, and leaving that capital in broad daylight without molestation or even protest, sufficiently shows the utter powerlessness of the (Kioto) Mikado’s authorities, who are residing and issuing decrees there.
Considerable bodies of troops have been landed by the southerners from steamers on the west coast. The northerners continued falling back, skirmishing, and in this manner the entire province of Itshingo was retaken, including Neegata, which was evacuated after the guns of the fort had been spiked.
A few foreigners, who happened to be there at the time, I learned, escaped on board of a foreign steamer and were safely landed at Hakodate, though not without suffering loss, as some of their goods, it is reported, fell into the hands of the southerners, from whom it will be impossible to recover any.
On the west coast, therefore, the great northern Daimio of Shonai, Sakai Sayemonnojo, has to bear single-handed the brunt of the onslaught of the southerners, who are aided by the prince of Akita, another northern Daimio, who, from the beginning of this civil war, declared in their favor; and thus far Shonai, who is reported to be cordially supported by his people, has held his own successfully. The odds against him, however, are so great that it has been impossible for him to lend any aid to his allies, the great Daimios of Sendia and Aidzu, who are hard pressed by a large and well-armed force of southerners, having Yedo for their base of operations, in so far, only, that they draw their principal supplies from there.
Rumors of northern and southern victories and defeats are very plentiful; but as they generally proceed from interested sources, no reliance can be placed in them. The general impression, however, that the northerners are avoiding, as far as possible, engaging for the present, but are preparing to act vigorously on the offensive when the cold weather shall have set in, is entitled to some credit.
From Hakodate I learn that the garrison, consisting of soldiers from [Page 830] Hambu, another northern Daimio, had set fire to their barracks, spiked the guns of the fort and crossed the straits in a foreign steamer chartered by them, and from this undoubted fact it would appear that their prince had abandoned his neutrality policy, and was preparing to join his northern neighbors in resisting the southern invasion.
The only item of interest that reached here from Hiogo is, that owing principally to counterfeits the Mikado’s paper money had become worthless, all the efforts of his officers, notwithstanding. As I reported in one of my preceding dispatches, no circulation of this paper currency has obtained in Yedo, and the people’s point-blank refusal to take it has been respected.
The late Tycoon remains at Suruga, in a temple near the castle, which is occupied by Tokugawa Kamenoske, his successor, as chief of the clan, who is now gathering those of his officers and retainers around him who remained faithful. The fidelity of those officers and men, it appears, is likely to be put to still further tests 5 no pay or rice allowances are granted, but to each person a lot of ground will be given to be cultivated for support. Poverty and compliance with the (Kioto) Mikado’s commands are thus ostentatiously paraded—with what sincerity, time alone can show.
The interest of the struggle is now centered on the movements of the naval and military chiefs of the late government, which will no doubt greatly influence the results. The contest in some respects has now become a sort of triangular one.
When the late Tycoon withdrew and declared his submission to the Mikado, the southern troops bearing this Mikado’s flag marched without meeting with any resistance through the Tokugawa territories to those of the northern princes, where they found themselves suddenly checked. They have been permitted to go to a certain point unmolested, and all their efforts to go beyond it have been fruitless.
The late Tycoon declined to become a belligerent; and if he adopted that course with the view of being called in as mediator between the northern and southern factions he has not yet been successful. That something of this kind was contemplated, and is perhaps being entertained at this moment, appears highly probable from the tenor of the document (inclosure No. 1) above referred to. The avowed object of the naval and army officers of the late government is to establish an equilibrium between the contending parties; and it is well worth observing, that while they frankly state it as their opinion that the southerners are carrying out a policy of confiscation, they at the same time admit that the aims of the northerners do not differ from those of their opponents. A northern supremacy would probably be as much mistrusted as one from the southern Daimios; and if the Tokugawa officers succeed, either by persuasion or by force, in convincing either party of the hopelessness of subjugating the other, the way may be paved for compromise and peace. No Daimio in Japan, however powerful in his province or influential with his neighbors, is of sufficient rank to undertake the mission of mediator. The late Tycoon is then probably the only personage who could assume this task with the prospect of successful accomplishment. The language used in the announcement of the Tokugawa officers would seem therefore to indicate the policy adopted by their chief, the late Tycoon.
It may be found quite difficult at present to procure the assent to any such policy from the southern princes, who still have field artillery, of which the northern Daimios appear to be destitute. They have apparently not yet abandoned the hope of getting the upperhand in the [Page 831] struggle, and until they are prepared to admit their inability in this respect, it may be expected that they will decline to listen to any overtures for peace. It is thus quite probable that the officers of the late government will be obliged to establish by force their right to use persuasion.
Their departure must have caused great uneasiness to the Mikado’s officers in Yedo, who at once issued a decree, a translation of which I herewith transmit, (inclosure No. 2.)
I also transmit inclosure No. 3, revised translation of the manifesto addressed to the Mikado’s court by those army and naval officers who, in the evening previous to their departure, sent copies to the local press for insertion.
A financial transaction of some importance has within the last few days been consummated at this port. The local (Kioto Mikado) authorities borrowed a large sum of money, estimated at between $500,000 and $600,000, from an English banking corporation, pledging the customs revenue as security for both principal and interest. I can furnish no details, as nothing in regard to this transaction is allowed to transpire; but it is surmised that this sum has been appropriated to pay the second installment of $50,000 of the Sakai murder indemnity due to France; and also a sum of about $500,000, alleged to be due to the same power in repayment of advances made to the late government for army cloth, and machinery used in the docks at Yokoska, near this port, and which are still under construction.
The legations all remain established here. The Oneida is in port.
I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your most obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.