FOREIGN RELA'IlONS.


                               No. 161.

                     Mr. Henderson to Mr. Davis.

No. 36.]                     UNITED STATES CONSULATE,
                       Amoy, June 23, 1874. (Received August 16.)
  Sir: On the 19th instant I received a visit from the Chinese Admiral
Lec and Taotai Chain, of Foochow, the latter bringing me a letter from
the Viceroy on the Formosan difficulty, an extract from which is here-
with inclosed.
  Their business was to thank me for the friendship I had manifested,
as they said, towards the Chinese government in ordering Americans
to withdraw from the Japanese expedition to Formosa; to see if some
further action would not be taken on their cases, and especially to ask
me to go to Formosa and assist them in bringing matters to a peaceable
understanding with the Japanese commander-in-chief, in this connection
calling my attention to the first article of our treaty of 1858. They
seemed to think that Mr. Le Gendre, an American, had planned and
was managing the expedition, and therefore it was my duty to assist in
getting the Japanese away. I reminded him that whatever Mr. Le
Gendre or other Americans had to do with the affair was by authority
of the Japanese government and not the United States. The TaotaiY
with much apparent confidence, desired my opinion on the merits of the
questions between China and Japan. I replied that it would not be
proper for me to express an opinion on that part of the subject; but hav-
ing received instructions from the United States legation at Peking, I was
now prepared to warn all Americans to withdraw from the expedition
under penalty of arrest and trial for violating the neutrality laws, and
as soon as an opportunity was offered I would send them word to that
effect. (The admiral having- promised to furnish a gunboat for that
purpose, it was agreed that a messenger should be sent to Formosa to
give the requisite notice as soon as a ship could be got in readiness.)
   What I had done in the matter I considered to be nothing more than
 my duty, and I was entitled to no thanks for it. As to my going with
 them to see the Japanese commander-in-chief, I thanked them and the
 Viceroy very much for the high compliment they pvaid me in asking me
 to perform so important an office, but I thought it would be inconsist-
 ent with my official station to act in that capacity, and in no event could
 I do so without express instructions from my own Government. I
 thought it certainly the interest of every nation to preserve peace be-
 tween China and Japan.
   At that time I attached no particular importance to this request, but
 when, two days after, it was renewed by them with much importunity.
 with the offer to place a man-of-war at my disposal and give me every
 facility for comfort and convenience, I telegraphed the fact to Mr. Sew-
 ard for instructions, and was advised by him to answer the Viceroy in a
 friendly way, but to assume no prerogatives.
   I presume nothing could be accomplished by complying with their re-
 quest, even if there were not more potent objections. I shall, therefore,
 do nothing inconsistent with a strictly neutral course.
   To-day I dispatched a messenger, per China steamer, with instruc-
 tions to go to the Japanese camp and serve personally Messrs. Cassel
 and Wasson, and any other American found taking part in the expedi-
 tion, with a notice to withdraw, under penalty of arrest and trial for
 violating the law of neutrality.


324