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name such a proceeding on the part of a prominent minister of state may have been interpreted in the sense of a serious peril to the future of Shintoism in Japan. At all events he was content to sacrifice his own life in order to vindicate the majesty of the gods he reverenced. What an example of the curiously linked chain from which human destinies hang! That one of the ablest statesmen and most brilliant scholars in Japan should be struck down in the very prime of life by a kitchen-knife, and for no better reason than because he had failed to remove his foot-gear when entering a revered sanctuary! And yet there are critics who profess to believe that the religious sentiment is non-existent in Japan. We shall not at the present moment attempt to speak in detail of the deceased minister's career. His death, felt all the more keenly in contrast with the national rejoicing at the promulgation of the constitution, has thrown Tokio into mourning. That the assassin was virtually a lunatic there can be little doubt, though the time he chose for the execution of his fell design seems to show either a subtle purpose to give the tragedy greater emphasis, or a clever idea that among the crowds and confusion of the national festival he might find exceptional facilities for escape.

Mr. Blaine to Mr. Hubbard.

No. 288.]

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, March 13, 1889. SIR: I have received your dispatch No. 548 of the 14th ultimo, in relation to the assassination of his excellency, Viscount Arinori Mori, the Japanese minister of education, by a religious fanatic.

This Department received with regret this intelligence from the minister of Japan at this capital, in February last, and observed to Mr. Mutsu, in reply, that the circumstance of such a tragical occurrence having had no other prompting than a diseased mind and being wholly devoid of personal or political motive, deprives the incident of any significance.

You will convey to the minister for foreign affairs a suitable expression of this Government's condolence at the death of so eminent a statesman, whose services as the diplomatic representative of Japan at this capital from 1871 to 1873 are recalled with gratification.

I am, etc.,

JAMES G. BLAINE.

No. 291.]

Mr. Blaine to Mr. Hubbard.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
Washington, March 15, 1889.

SIR: Your interesting dispatch No. 547 of the 14th ultimo, in relation to the promulgation of the new Japanese constitution on the 11th of February last, has been received and the accompanying papers have been filed as part of the history of this memorable event.

The people of the New World, who have ever testified a lively interest in the welfare and progress of Japan, can not but view in this formal adoption of a scheme of constitutional government a bright augury for the future of a country and a people bound to them by so many ties of continued friendship and intimate intercourse. That this measure will secure the liberties and promote the happiness of the Japanese people and tend to secure for their empire the autonomous position which rightfully belongs to it in the concourse of nations can not be doubted.

I am, etc.,

JAMES G. BLAINE.

No. 8.]

Mr. Swift to Mr. Blaine,

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,

Tokio, May 25, 1889. (Received June 19.) SIR: Referring to the correspondence which has taken place between my predecessor at this post and the Department of State in regard to the reward to the inhabitants of the island of Tanegashima for relief of crew of the American bark Cashmere, I have the honor to inform the Department that I am now waiting on the Japanese Government to intimate its final intention to receive and disburse the amount appropriated, with a view of carrying out the will of the United States Government; and that as soon as the Japanese Government intimate their readiness to receive the amount I will draw on the Government bankers, Messrs. Brown, Shipley & Co., London, for the amount $5,000 (£1,027 Ss. 8d. at $4.8665).

In this connection I have the honor to invite the attention of the Department-in order that if the Department deems it necessary the amount may be changed to my credit with the Government bankersto the fact that the above fund has been made payable to my prede

cessor.

I have, etc.,

JOHN F. SWIFT.

No. 32.]

:

Mr. Swift to Mr. Blaine.

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,

Tokio, July 23, 1889. (Received August 14.) SIR Referring to the correspondence which has heretofore taken place between the Department and this legation in relation to the appropriation by Congress to reward the inhabitants of the island of Tanegashima, Japan, for rescuing the crew of the wrecked American bark Cashmere, I have now the honor to inclose a copy of a note from the Japanese minister for foreign affairs, signifying the decision of his Government as to the disposition of the fund appropriated. It will be observed that on account of the distance which separates the two villages interested, it has been deemed impracticable to establish one school for the common benefit of both; but it has been decided that the fund be equally divided and two distinct educational funds thus formed, one for each of the two villages, the money to be invested in Japanese consolidated bonds.

As the arrangement thus proposed by the local authorities and sanctioned by the Imperial Government would carry out the will of Congress in the premises, I have forwarded to the minister for foreign affairs my draft on Messrs. Brown, Shipley & Co., London, for £1,027 Ss. 8d., being the full amount appropriated for the purpose, viz, $5,000, at $4.8665.

I have the honor to inclose a copy of my note to the minister for foreign affairs transmitting the draft, as well as a copy of the draft, and will forward the receipts as soon as received.

I have, etc.,

JOHN F. SWIFT.

[Inclosure 1 in No. 32-Translation.}

Count Okuma to Mr. Swift.

DEPARTMENT FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS,

Tokio, the 22d day, the 7th month, the 22d year of Meiji, July 22, 1889. SIR: In reference to the proper employment of the fund which your excellency's predecessor received from the United States Government with an instruction to grant the same to the inhabitants of Tanegashima, Kagoshima prefecture, in recognition of their kind and humane treatment of the survivors of the crew of the American bark Cashmere, lost off the coast of that island in the year 1885, I had the honor to state to your predecessor in my note No. 11, of the 25th of March last, that I would convey to him a definite reply after the matter shall have been referred to the local authorities for their full consideration.

I am now in receipt of a communication from the government of Kagoshima prefecture, as set forth in the inclosed translation, and I feel persuaded that the proposed arrangement is entirely suited to the local conditions and will not fail to promote the permanent interests of the locality concerned. I therefore beg to request that if you have no objection to the proposed arrangement you will take the necessary steps to transfer the fund to this department. I avail, etc.,

COUNT OKUMA SHIGANOBU.

[Inclosure 2 in No. 32-Translation.]

Governor Watanabe to Count Okuma.

The 5th day of the 7th month, the 22d year of Meiji (July 5, 1889.) SIR: In reference to your excellency's instructions respecting the proper employment of the fund awarded by the Government of the United States to the inhabitants of Tanegashima, Kagoshima prefecture, I already had the honor to acquaint your excellency in my report No. 184 of the last month with the action I had taken in the matter. Having subsequently received a report from the Guncho having jurisdiction over the district, I am now able to submit my views on the subject.

After having carefully considered the conditions of the locality, I have arrived at the conclusion that it would be practically impossible to carry out the scheme to establish a school at a place conveniently accessible to the children of the two interested villages Isekimura and Akimura. These villages are distant about three Japanese miles, the road leading from one to the other is excessively bad, and another village which has no interest in the fund lies between them. Under the circumstances I beg leave to submit, that the fund in question should be equally divided between the two villages, that the amount so divided should be placed under the control of the chief officer of each village as a permanent educational fund, by investing it in the government consolidated bonds, and that only the interest thereof should be used for the purpose of employing a good teacher, in view of gradually improving the educational system of the localities. This arrangement will, I confidently believe, prove satisfactory in securing the high appreciation of the friendly spirit of the people of the United States and in strengthening the friendly relations which happily exist between the two countries.

I beg leave to add that it is intended to provide a memorial or tablet in the school of each village, inscribing thereon the circumstances under which the fund has been awarded by the Government of the United States.

I have, etc.,

[Inclosure 3 in No. 32.]

WANATABE SENSIN.

Mr. Swift to Count Okuma.

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,
Tokio, July 23, 1889.

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 22d instant, in reference to the proper employment of the fund appropriated by the Congress of the United States as a reward to the inhabitants of the Island of Tanegashima, Japan, for relief of crew of the American bark Cashmere.

Your excellency informs me that you are persuaded that the arrangement proposed by the local authorities of the island, that the fund appropriated should be equally divided between the two villages, and the sum so divided be placed under the control of the chief officer of each village as a permanent educational fund, is entirely suited to the conditions and will not fail to promote the permanent interests of the localities concerned.

I have therefore the honor, in compliance with your excellency's request, and with a view to carrying out the will of the Government of the United States, to inclose my draft on Messrs. Brown, Shipley & Co., bankers for the Department of State, London, for £1,027, 88. 8d. payable to your excellency's order, being the amount ($5,000 at 4.8665) appropriated by Congress, and for which I beg you will forward your receipt in triplicate in the usual form for transmission to my Government.

I avail, etc.,

Mr. Swift to Mr. Blaine.

JOHN F. SWIFT.

No. 56.]

[Extract.]

LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES,

Tokio, October 21, 1889. (Received November 13.) SIR: I regret to find it my duty to inform you that an attempt was made at this capital, on the 18th instant, to murder Count Okuma, His Imperial Majesty's minister for foreign affairs.

The full result of the attempt to take the life of this distinguished Japanese statesman remains in doubt. In fact the injuries inflicted upon him are of so serious a nature as to keep his recovery in a state of uncertainty for some days to come, though I am glad to be able to say that there is good reason to hope for a favorable outcome, at least so far as can be foreseen at this early stage. The circumstances of the affair, as nearly as they can be gathered from a number of conflicting reports, are as follows:

On the afternoon of the day above named, about five minutes past 4 o'clock, Count Okuma was in the act of returning from the Imperial Palace to his official residence, which is in the same inclosure with the foreign office and reached through the same principal gate. His carriage was closed but with the window for the moment open, that is, the sash was down. The count occupied the inside of the vehicle alone. He had been attending a cabinet meeting in the Emperor's presence. The street upon which the foreign office fronts, runs north and south; the premises looking upon it from the west. He was approaching his home from the north, which is the direction of the Palace, and when near the principal gate it seems the driver upon the box observed a suspicious looking man following the carriage and quickened his pace to avoid him. Just as the carriage was on the turn to enter the gate this suspicious individual, who was dressed in foreign or European clothes, and who proved to be a Japanese named Kurushima Tsuneki, aged twenty-seven, approached and threw a dynamite bomb through the window. It entered from the left side and exploded with a sound like that of a small cannon, which was heard at a great distance, more than a mile in some instances. It is thought that Count Okuma, who is spare in figure, was seated with his right leg thrown over his left, as it was the right leg which received the force of the explosion, and the principal injuries. Upon hearing the sound of the bursting shell, the driver whipped up his horses, running rapidly up the slight elevation from the gate to the door of Count Okuma's official residence, a distance of about 200 feet. Here the count was taken out of the carriage and laid upon a sofa. He

was conscious. It was found that his right leg was injured in two places, one at the knee and the other near the ankle. The bone was found to be badly crushed in both places. He had several minor injuries about the face and hands. On a consultation of surgeons which was held as soon as possible, it was deemed necessary to amputate the leg above the knee, which operation was successfully performed about 8 o'clock p. m.

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Since that time the count has rested easily without fever, and the symptoms have all been of a favorable character. The sailing of the steamer by which this dispatch will be forwarded takes place too soon to enable me to announce to you the pleasing intelligence that the crisis is past and that he is out of danger. Yet there is much reason to hope for such a result. The count is a man of good health and habits and still in the prime of life, placing the chances much in his favor.

The news of the attempted assassination reached me at the "Roku mei-kan," a social club frequented by diplomatic and other gentlemen, some distance from the legation and near to the foreign office. Finding that to send for my carriage would delay me in reaching and formally offering my aid and sympathy to the wounded minister and his countess, and Mr. Dun, our secretary of legation, happening to be at the club with me, we ordered jinrikshas and proceeded at once directly to the count's residence, reaching there about 5 o'clock. We found the prime minister, Count Kuroda, and several other members of the cabinet, as well as some of the diplomatic corps, already arrived upon the same errand and in attendance.

We found that troops had been stationed around the building and precautions taken against emergencies, though so far as I know it was merely a measure of precaution, and in fact not needed.

As for the miscreant Kurushima, the assassin, he did what it seems all Japanese do under similar circumstances; what was entirely to be expected of him, and what renders the problem of Japanese civilization so extremely doubtful and perplexing to all interested in it, that is to say, immediately upon hurling his missile, and without waiting to take note of the result upon his victim, he whipped out a knife brought along for that specific purpose, and cut his own throat, severing the jugular vein, and was dead before anybody had time to think of arresting him. Mr. Denison, of the foreign office, who was in the building and who hurried forth upon hearing the explosion, told me that when he reached the scene he saw the smoke still lingering in the air over the place, and at the same time the body of the perpetrator of the deed lying, apparently quite dead, close by. He is understood to have been a young student; whether he had an accomplice is not as yet known to the public. In fact, the affair is in the hands of the police, who keep their own secrets. It is worthy of remark that it is understood that the assassin is a student of Chinese. By that it is meant that his education is entirely oriental in its effect and tendency, and prosecuted by a study of the Chinese ideographic characters, beginning and ending in oriental and therefore conservative processes and objects, and that he knew nothing of European learning and western ideas, which can only be reached by the study of some one of the European languages, and of course the Roman alphabet. Of the origin, bearing, tendency, and effect of this dastardly crime and other similar acts, I shall avail myself at an early day of making some suggestions and remarks.

I have, etc.,

JOHN F. SWIFT.

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