The Nagasaki Express - No. 31 August 13, 1870

The Nagasaki Express 

No. 31. August 13, 1870

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We have watched with some interest the unusual fit of energy displayed by the native officials for our sakes, in planting Guard-houses at every available spot surrounding our settlement. 

We have enquired at several likely quarters for an explanation, but as yet we have received no satisfactory answer.

If danger is apprehended from the Anti-Foreign party, why has official notification of this not been made to our Consuls? Perhaps, there may be some foundation to the rumour, but the cry of wolf has been raised so often--Ronnins have always been close to Nagasaki, "ready to chew us up in less than no time" whenever it suited the purpose of the Government to say so, that we must be excused if we hesitate to give it full credence.

If the object of the officials be sincere they will deserve our thanks, but we are always suspicious of "disinterested motives", and especially have we reason to be suspicious of unasked for favors from the Japanese.

It may be unfair, but we cannot help suspecting that the Government will make these Guard-houses serve other purposes than protecting Foreigners.

For their own sakes we should like to see these soldiers more gallantly employed, but with much of their contemptible surveillance, we do not wish to interfere only let them be careful how they intermeddle with our trade, and that no more illegal taxes are imposed, otherwise an appeal to Yedo may result not only in the redress of this but many other gross violations of the Treaty.

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Keywords: policing; anti-foreign; government interference