(Tokyo, once called Edo or Yedo)"Grace for Grace"
Do not let me be misunderstood in this context.
I am not a man who likes to keep a dog of whatever color.
A man is more important than a dog, so that so long as there is one man on the earth starving, I do not come to feel like feeding any dog by myself, Dear.
SECTION I: Millard Fillmore (In office: July 9, 1850 – March 4, 1853)
Most of the Japanese people know nothing about U.S. President Millard Fillmore who sent Commodore Matthew C. Perry to open Japan to Western trade, though Perry did not reach Japan until Franklin Pierce had replaced Fillmore as president.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millard_Fillmore
Nonetheless, this humble decision in the White House not only to occupy Hawaii permanently but also to proceed to Japan, while putting military dominance on a diplomatic show, so as to secure future market of Japan for American businesses drastically changed the fate of Japan and the historic course of East Asia as well as the world even in the 21st century all through the 20th century.
So, in July 1953, Commodore Matthew C. Perry arrived at the Tokyo Bay leading two steam-propelled battleships and two sailing battleships with the sovereign's message signed by President Millard Fillmore. However, the mood of diplomatic negotiation was not necessarily friendly as the Perry’s squadron had total 100 cannons and the Japanese samurai regime wanted to expel Perry and his sailors by force if possible at all.
Since the Shogun (king) of the Tokugawa samurai regime was then ill, Perry was persuaded to leave the President Millard Fillmore’s message and come back later to receive an answer from the Shogun.
This official but well-armed visit of the U.S. envoy totally changed a state of the State of Japan, entering the great era of political turmoil over diplomacy and sovereignty and then a civil war between two major sumurai camps; toppling the Tokugawa samurai regime; and finally introducing the imperial system supported by anti-Tokugawa samurais who started to put on Western clothes without carrying swords.
Now back to President Millard Fillmore, he owed his success to his wife who had taught her husband, born in a very poor farming family, how to read and write and then become a lawyer in New York.
SECTION II: U.S. Presidential Message to Emperor of Japan
The following copied text looks like including some mistyping errors, though not many copies of the original histroical message delivered before the Civil War can be found nowadays on the Internet:
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MILLAED FILLMORE, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, TO HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY, THE Eļ¼PEROR OF JAAPAN.
Great and Good Friend; I send you this public letter be Commodore Matthew C. Perry, and officer of the highest rank in the navy of the United States, and commander of the squadron now visiting your imperial majesty’s dominions.
I have directed Commodore Perry to assure your imperial majesty that I entertain the kindest feelings toward your majesty’s person and government, and that I have no other object in sending him to Japan but to propose to your imperial majesty that the United States and Japan should live in friendship and have commercial intercourse with each other.
The Constitution and laws of the United States forbid all interference with the religious or concerns of other nations. I have particularly charged Commodore Perry to abstain from every act which could possibly disturb the tranquility of your imperial majesty’s dominions.
The United States of America reach from ocean to ocean, and our Territory of Oregon and State of California lie directly opposite to the dominions of your imperial majesty. Our steamship can go from California to Japan in eighteen days.
Our great state of California produce about sixty millions of dollars in gold every year, beside silver, quicksilver, precious stones, and many other valuable articles. Japan is also a rich and fertile country, and produces many very valuable articles. Your imperial majesty’s subjects are skilled in many of the arts. I am desirous that our two countries are should trade with each other, for the benefit both of Japan and the United States.
We know that the ancient laws of your imperial majesty’s government do not allow of foreign trade, except with the Chinese and the Dutch; but as the state of the world changes and new governments are formed, it seems to be wise, from time to time, the make new laws. There was a time when ancient laws of your imperial majesty’s government were first made.
About the same time America, which is sometimes called the New World, was first discovered and settled by the Europeans. For a long time there were but a few people, and they were poor. They have now become quite numerous; their commerce is very extensive; and they think that if your imperial majesty were so far to change the ancient laws as to allow a free trade between the two countries it would be extremely beneficial to both.
If your imperial majesty is not satisfied that it would be safe altogether to abrogate the ancient laws which forbid foreign trade, they might be suspended for five or ten years, as to try the experiment. If it does not prove as beneficial as was hoped, the ancient laws can restore. The United States often limit treaties with foreign States to a few years and then renew them or not, as they please.
I have directed Commodore Perry to mention another thing to your imperial majesty. Many of our ships pass every year from California to China; and great numbers of our people pursue the whale fishery near the shores of Japan. It sometimes happens, in stormy whether, that one of our ships is wrecked on your imperial majesty’s shores. In all such case we ask, and expect, that our unfortunate people should be treated with kindness, and that their property should be protected, till we can send a vessel and bring them away. We are very much is earnest is this.
Commodore Perry is also directed by me to represent to your imperial majesty that we understand there is a great abundance of coal and provisions in the Empire of Japan. Our steamships, in crossing the great ocean, burn a great deal of coal and it is not convenient to bring it all the way from America. We wish that our steamships and other vessels should be allowed to stop in Japan and supply themselves with coal, provisions, and water. They will pay for them in money, or anything else your imperial majesty’s subjects may prefer; and we request your imperial majesty to appoint a convenient port, in the southern part of the Empire, where our vessels may stop for this purpose. We are very desirous of this.
There are the only object for which I have sent Commodore Perry, with a powerful squadron, to pay a visit to your imperial majesty’s renowned city of Yedo; friendship, commerce, a supply of coal and provisions, and protection for our shipwrecked people.
We have directed Commodore Perry to your imperial majesty’s acceptance of a few present. They are of no great value in themselves; but some of them may serve as specimens of the articles manufactured in the United States, and they are intended as tokens of our sincere and respectful friendship.
May the Almighty have your imperial majesty in His great and holy keeping!
In witness whereof, I have caused the great seal of the United States to be hereunto affixed, and have subscribed the same with my name, at the city of Washington, is America, the seat of my government, on the thirteenth day of the month of November, in the year of one thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.
[Seal attached] Yours good friend
MILLARD FILLMOR
By the president: EDWARD EVERETT
Secretary of States
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http://www.hh.em-net.ne.jp/~harry/FillmoreLetter.html
But, please note that the "Emperor" here described is believed to refer to the Shogun, the head of all the samurai clans and also the chief of the samurai regime, who held all the national power except religious legitimacy and a traditional authoritative, nominal system associated with the Emperor who lived in Kyoto then.
Anyway, this is the most important historical text for Japan in terms of its development since 1853, since 1945 is just within a hundred-year range from the arrival of President Fillmor’s message to Japan.
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That is all for today, since a jet plane safely landed on the Hudson, New York, as a farewell to President Mr. George W. Bush with no human lives lost, according to a news report brodcast this morning in Japan.
(So, please say to First Lady Mrs. Bush, if you should interview her in the future, that that black dog turned to be an omen or rather decided the outcome of the 2008 Presidential Election at least psychologically…..
http://www.menziesera.com/midi/holdhand.mid
Source: http://www.menziesera.com/media/music_jukebox.htm)
Joh 1:16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
Joh 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.