Gold Hill Daily News

Letter From Japan,

The following letter, from the Hon. Charles E. DeLong, U. S. Minister to Japan, to a friend at Virginia, which we are kindly permitted to publish, will be read with interest by the numerous old friends and fellow citizens of Mr. DeLong in this section:

U. S. LEGATION, JAPAN.
YOKOHAMA, December 4, 1872.

My Dear Sir: The last mail, which arrived here on the 26th ult., brought me your esteemed favor of the 11th of October—an unexpected and pleasant favor indeed. From your intimations, I think I understand the situation of the fight in Nevada, and I shall be much surprised if Jones, after all, carries off the victory, yet I trust he may, rather than a Democrat. I should not be surprised, however, if the thing yet got so badly mixed that Mr. Sharon might see his way to victory.

I am pleased to assure you that, notwithstanding all of the newspaporial reports to the contrary, the affairs of this Government are being so managed that 'reform' is still the watchword and the effort. The railroad between here and Yedo is finished, and paying extravagantly. The American assistants in the custom-house here have caused the receipts to double this year over any preceding one. The crops of tea, silk, rice, etc., are better than ever known before. The telegraph line, just finished, fails to meet the demands made upon it. All is quiet, internally and externally. A commission, just sent to Corea to carry them some shipwrecked Coreans and obtain and bring away some Japanese who were promoting trouble, and also charged with the mission of adjusting all mercantile accounts between the people of the two countries, has returned, successful in all particulars, whereas it was the expectation of nearly every one here that it would return empty-handed and insulted, and a war at once ensue.

I regret to state, however, that in the selection of some of the American employes this Government has been remarkably unfortunate. One of the commission under General Capron I shall probably send home by this steamer, as he got drunk and raised the very devil, striking and cutting several officers, shooting the people's dogs, and I know not what. The others are malcontents, having done everything in their power to thwart the wishes of their chief and to injure him. (I mean Capron.) The Attorney General, E. Peshine Smith, is living in an open state of prostitution with a Japanese harlot, whom he boasts is enceinte by him; and he brings her to his table and introduces her to his friends. He gets boisterously drunk and boasts of his power to circumvent me, as he claims to have intimate friends about the State Department who keep him advised sub rosa of all I write, and, as he of course knows all I write to the Government, he has indeed an advantage that I presume is unknown to our Secretary of State, yet I constantly hear of what should be unknown beyond him. Thus, after laboring earnestly for months to get an office created and filled by an American that would give me a decided advantage in affairs here, I have been so unlucky as to have one installed who constantly uses the power he possesses so as to thwart every effort I put forth, besides covering the American name with contempt by his unparalleled course of shame and debauchery. From this you will see that my course is not entirely free from surroundings of annoyance that at times tempt me to throw up this office and return home.

We have received the news here of General Grant's re-election, but cannot expect to receive particulars as to the general election, and as to the special results in Nevada and California until the arrival of the next steamer, which happens provokingly not until the 27th of this month.

Please communicate my kindest regards to any and all inquiring friends, and believe me, I remain your sincere friend,

C. E. DeLong.