of statesmen. The truth of this utterance was soon realized by the
leaders of the new government.

The first thing which the new government had to settle was its
attitude toward foreign nations. The leaders of the government who had
once opposed with such vehemence, as we have seen, the foreign policy
of the Tokugawa Shogun, now that he had been overthrown, urged the
necessity of amicable relations with foreign powers in the following
memorable memorial[5] to the Dai-jo-Kuan (Government):

"The undersigned, servants of the Crown, respectfully believe that
from ancient times decisions upon important questions concerning
the welfare of the empire were arrived at after consideration of the
actual political condition and its necessities, and that thus results
were obtained, not of mere temporary brilliancy, but which bore good
fruits in all time....

"Among other pressing duties of the present moment we venture to
believe it to be pre-eminently important to set the question of
foreign intercourse in a clear light.

"His Majesty's object in creating the office of administrator of
foreign affairs, and selecting persons to fill it, and otherwise
exerting himself in that direction, has been to show the people of
his empire in what light to look on this matter, and we have felt the
greatest pleasure in thinking that the imperial glory would now be
made to shine forth before all nations. An ancient proverb says that
'Men's minds resemble each other as little as their faces,' nor have
the upper and lower classes been able, up to the present, to hold with
confidence a uniform opinion. It gives us some anxiety to feel that