whole course of their
history.

There were but two points on which the Commodore's instructions did not
allow him a large discretion to be exercised according to circumstances.
These were, first, that if happily any arrangements for trade, either
general or special, were made, it was to be distinctly stipulated that,
under no circumstances and in no degree, would the Americans submit to
the humiliating treatment so long borne by the Dutch in carrying on
their trade. The citizens of our country must be dealt with as freemen,
or there should be no dealings at all. The second point was that, in the
event of any of our countrymen being cast, in God's providence, as
shipwrecked men on the coast of Japan, they should not be treated as
prisoners, confined in cages, or subjected to inhuman treatment, but
should be received with kindness and hospitably cared for until they
could leave the country.

The nearest approach to a precedent was to be found in our treaty with
China, made in 1844. This therefore was carefully studied by the
Commodore. Its purport was "a treaty or general convention of peace,
amity, and commerce," and to settle the rules to "be mutually observed
in the intercourse of the respective countries." So far as "commerce" is
concerned, it permitted "the citizens of the United States to frequent"
five ports in China "and to reside with their families and trade there,
and to proceed at pleasure with their vessels and merchandise to or from
any foreign port, and from either of the said five ports to enter any
other of them." As to duties on articles imported, they were to pay
according to a tariff that was made part of the treaty, and in no case
were to be subjected to higher duties than those paid, under similar
circumstances, by the people of other nations. Consuls were provided
for, to reside at the five open ports, and those trading there were
"permitted to import from their own or any other ports into China, and
sell there and purchase therein, and export to their own or any other
ports, all manner of merchandise of which the importation or exportation
was not prohibited by the treaty." In short, so far as the five ports
were concerned, there existed between us and China a general treaty of
commerce.

The Commodore caused to be prepared, in the Chinese characters, a
transcript of the treaty, with such verbal alterations as would make it
applicable to Japan, with the view of exhibiting it to the Imperial
co