to palliate the act itself. Surely the Dezima records were open to Fischer, the
last Dutch writer on the subject, (1833;) why, then, instead of producing
them, does he admit the fact, and urge in extenuation compulsion of the
Dutch by the Japanese ? As to the relations of respectable natives, we can
only say we have never seen, in any work on Japan, such relations as M.
Fraissinet has named. But there is one fact which, as it seems to us, conclusively
negatives the supposition that it was a mere political insurrection
which the Dutch assisted in suppressing. Over the vast common grave in
which these unhappy Christians were buried at Simabara was set up, by
imperial order, the following impious inscription: “ So long as the sun
shall warm the earth, let no Christian be so bold as to come to Japan; and
let all know that the King of Spain himself, or the Christian’s God, or
the great God of all, if he violate this command, shall pay for it with his
head.”
And now, as to what respectable natives really did say about this sad
transaction, let us hear one who was on the spot, honest old Kaempfer. He
was the physician in the Dutch service, and thus writes : “ By this submissive
readiness to assist the Emperor in the execution of his designs, with
regard to the final destruction o f Christianity in his dominions, it is true,
indeed, that we stood our ground so far as to maintain ourselves in the
country, and to be permitted to carry on our trade, although the court had
then some thoughts of the total exclusion of all foreigners whatsoever. But
many generous and noble persons at court, and in the country, judged
unfavorably of our conduct. I t seemed to them inconsistent with reason
that the Dutch should ever be expected to be faithful to a foreign monarch,
and one, too, whom they looked upon as a heathen, while they showed so
much forwardness to assist him in the destruction of a people with whom
they agreed in the most essential parts of their faith, (as the Japanese had
been well informed by the Portuguese monks,) and to sacrifice to their own
worldly interest those who followed Christ in the very same way, and hoped
to enter the Kingdom of Heaven through the same gate. These are expres-
sions which I often heard from the natives when the conversation happened
to turn upon this mournful subject. In short, by our humble complaisance
and connivance, we were so far from bringing this proud and jealous nation
to any greater confidence, or more intimate friendship, that on the contrary,
their jealousy and mistrust seemed to increase from that time. They both
hated and despised us for what we had done.” This, then, is the testimony
as to the opinion of the natives who knew something of the occurrences; and
it is a sad reflection, that, i 1 the work of excluding Christianity from Japan,
Romanists and Protestants alike bore their part. Neither can, with justice,
reproach the other. I f the worldliness and pride of the Portuguese Christian
prompted him to conspiracy, and drove him and his companions from
the Empire, the avarice and cruelty of the Dutch professed believer finished
the work, and extirpated the last remnant of the faith in the destruction of
the native followers of ChriBt. True Christianity indignantly disowns both.
In 1641, the Dutch were ordered to remove their factory from Firando,
where they were comfortable and unrestrained, and to confine themselves to
the now forsaken station of the Portuguese at Dezima, a miserable little
island in the port of Nagasaki, “ more like a prison than a factory,” says
Kaempfer. Here they were placed under a surveillance the most rigid, and
subjected to many a humiliating degradation. “ So great ” (says our honest
old German) “ was the oovetousness of the Dutch, and so strong the alluring
power of the Japanese gold, that rather than quit the prospeot of a trade,
(indeed, most advantageous,) they willingly underwent an almost perpetual
imprisonment, for such, in fact, is our residence at Dezima, and chose to
suffer many hardships in a foreign and heathen country; to be remiss in
performing divine service on Sundays and solemn festivals; to leave off
praying and singing of psalms; entirely to avoid the sign of the cross,
the calling upon the name of Christ in the presence of the natives, and all
the outer signs of Christianity; and, lastly, patiently and submissively to
bear the abusive and injurious behavior of these proud infidels towards us,
than which nothing can be offered more shocking to a noble and generous
mind.” And to such humiliation have they submitted even to this day.
Dezima is shaped like a fan; and the island is, for the most part, of artificial
construction. Its greatest length is about 600 feet, and its greatest breadth
about 240. A small stone bridge connects it with the town of Nagasaki;
at the end of this bridge there is always stationed a strong Japanese guard,
and no one passes either to or from the island without lioense. The whole
island is surrounded with a high fence, on the top of which are placed iron
spikes. Two water gates, on the north side of the island, are opened to let
in the Dutch ships when they arrive, and are at all times kept shut save at
the ingress and egress of these vessels. The Dutch are not permitted to
build a house of stone on the island, and their miserable habitations are of
fir wood and bamboo. The island has on it, at all times, Japanese spies, in
the situations of interpreters, clerks, servants, &o., whom the Dutch are
obliged to pay; and is beside subject at any moment to the intrusion of the
police of Nagasaki. In short, a more annoying and thorough system of
imprisonment and espionage was never devised.
When a ship arrives, the first act is to take out of her all her guns and
ammunition. She is then searched in every part, and an exact list is made
of the goods and everything else she has on board. The crew are then permitted
to land on Dezima, where they are kept, as long as the ship remains,
under the inspection of guards. Every Japanese official, whose business is
with the Dutch at the factory, is bound twice or thrice in a year to take a
solemn oath of renunciation and hatred of the Christian religion, and is
made to trample under his feet crosses and crucifixes. I t is not true, how