This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1863 edition. Excerpt: ...of office! Do these bring here, as in other countries, compensations and advantages to reconcile their holders to labours, humiliations, and anxieties--since men of wealth and station can everywhere be found voluntarily to go through a long course of bitter diet, eating their own words and reversing the policy they stormily upheld when out of office? From causes not very clearly understood or explained, there was, contemporaneously, a total change in the composition of the Gorogio or Great Council of State, forming in fact the cabinet or government of the Tycoon, and consisting of five ministers. Those in office when the treaty was signed were all disgraced and disappeared from the scene, as well as nearly all their subordinates. A complete palace revolution appears to have taken place, consequent on the double event of the signature of the second of the American treaties and the murder of the Tycoon. Mr. Harris, fortunately perhaps for himself, also disappeared from the scene, having returned to his secluded place of residence of Simoda until the following year, when he returned to Yeddo, at the same time as myself, to take up his permanent residence in the capital. And thus were inaugurated the first two treaties which Foreign Powers owe to the United States. The first inserting the wedge of limited intercourse for objects of humanity;--the second splitting open the rock of Japanese obstruction and opening the country to commerce;--a fit preface to the long scries of tragedies which, as will be Chap. X. REACTIONARY PARTY. 221 seen, were destined to mark the progress of foreign relations with a country containing so many hostile elements. The hostile party now came into power, it is said, and 1 have ever since remained. Midzuo...