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Letter from B. J. Bettelheim.
FEB.
learned what became of him. Servants who formerly delighted to join in our family worship, are now "permitted," because cominanded, to run froin their master's house, simply because the name of Jesus had been mentioned to them. Similar facts, showing that this nation is train- ed—yea, forced, to abhor the names of foreigner and Christian, besides the many instances of personal obloquy mentioned in this paper, this Government has heaped upon us do they not call every Christian and civilized power, to speak a word to stay the nuisance? And what if we be quite ejected, by open force or starvation? If I rightly under- stand the measures the Lewchewan authorities now employ against us in our very kitchen, and their open interference with everything of a domnestic nature, we are not far from such a catastrophe. We drink our water for money, our wood is sold unto us, and yet we can not order what we find necessary for our health, nor can we get a work- man into the house to make or repair utensils for our use.
The transition from respect to an utter disregard of all civility to- wards us was sudden. This whole nation is like a machine, the key to which is exclusively in the hands of the rulers? A move in any direction is no sooner indicated, than the whole current rushes thither- ward. Can any one suppose our disgraceful expulsion will promote the interests of Christianity, or facilitate our intercourse with Japan? I can assure you none in the world. The eyes of Japan are upon us. Our ejection from Lewchew, an act which would not be simply that, but a submission of the foreigners to their law-submission, because military arms are not, though stones, sticks, famine, and cruel vexa- tions are employed against us-will disgrace England as much, and in its moral effect be tantamount to the dismission the American Com-
modore had scaled on his forehead at Yedo. Do not think such events pass off in Japan for trifles. They are played off as such to the inex- perienced stranger, and his pardon is begged for them as for any other common blunder by chance committed against him; just as they would beg my pardon after having pelted me, by saying, children or rude peasants had from inadvertency forgotten their instructions to behave politely towards me, or had intended to strike a bird and missed, the stone finding its way to the wounded spot; but no sooner has the ex- cuse grown a little stale, than the insults are repeated, and the mis- takes dished up to the people at large as victories over Christians or Christianity, and perhaps a battle lost against Japan can not do more to clate their pride, and feed their eninity. One of the great reasons that forbid my leaving, believe me, is to prevent or at least retard, shame and reproach to fall upon Christianity. Our defeat is the defeat of our