barbarians, we not only demand that the new ports Osaka, Neegata,
and Yedo shall not be opened, but that Kanagawa be closed. You
always assert that we are opposed to friendly intercourse with
foreign nations, but this is utterly false; we willingly consent to
open the whole of Japan, if this step does not occasion expenses
which are beyond our means. We have not murdered our servants who
were favorably inclined toward the opening of Japan to foreigners.
We never spread insulting libels against foreigners amongst our
people. _We_ never called Harisoo a fool, Aroako (Sir R. Alcock)
a ----, and Borrookoroo (M. de Bellecourt, French consul general)
a ----. _We_ never called the consuls drunkards and foreign
merchants thieves. _You_ teach the young to despise and insult
foreigners, and although you always tell us that the foreign
nations are powerful and greatly to be feared, a high functionary
lately said, 'With the exception of one of the nations, all the
foreigners could be insulted with impunity.''

Although this document, evidently a clumsy forgery, bears traces of
having been composed apparently by a native penny-a-liner for the
foreign newspaper, yet it apparently expresses the opinion of a large
class of rulers and people, and serves to exhibit some of the features
of the varied opposition which the tycoon has to encounter.

The perils which menace the tycoon, or rather the council of state, are
multiform. In the Prince of Mito, they have an aspirant to the
tycoonship, by whose machinations it is believed foreigners have
suffered, merely that the Government might be embarrassed. Rulers like
the Prince of Kago, preferring death to compliance with the foreigners'
demands; recent events admonishing the council and ministers that this
penalty is likely to attend their yielding; at the same time importunity
is used at the court of Miako--the spiritual emperor--to curtail or
abolish the authority at Yedo; while the barbarian stands, torch in
hand, ready not only to fire another palace, but with formidable fleets
prepared to bombard cities!

One of the most resolute and powerful of the daimios who hold that it
were better to die fighting rather than yield the points in dispute, is
Shimadzu Sabara, Prince of Satzuma. It was his retainers who killed
Richardson, and he will not suffer them to be delivered up for
punishment, from the conviction doub