Presidents and Monarchs: Ulysses Grant Meets the Emperor of Japan
In 1877, after concluding his second term as President of the United States, outgoing President Ulysses S. Grant embarked on a tour around the world. Doing this is something remarkable today, and it was even more remarkable in Grant's time, when travel was much more onerous. The tour began in May 1877, only a couple of months after Grant's second presidential term had ended. It had been a long time since Grantr had a long break. He served as a general during the Civil War, ultimately at the command of the entire United States Army. The was followed by two consecutive terms as the nation's chief executive during the turbulent Reconstruction Era. Grant was probably ready for a vacation. He must have been under tremendous stress, between that war and the turbulence of political life, especially given the scandals that plagued his administration in his second term, and his constant battle to protect the freedmen in the south.
Grant was now in his later fifties. It is said that he looked forward to the tour with great enthusiasm. His wife Julia accompanied him on the trip which they had planned for a long time. President Abraham Lincoln had looked forward to travel an then end of his presidency, but he never got the chance to do so. For the Grants, they would embark on what would become an around the world tour that would lasting for more than two and a half years.
The tour put Grant in personal contact with many world leaders and prominent people, including Queen Victoria, Pope Leo XIII, Otto von Bismarck and many others. They were flexible in their schedule and would visit Paris three times during their tour. Grant was often received by cheering crowds, which must have been a nice change after leaving office with what must have been low approval ratings (if such things had existed them.)
During the tour abroad, Grant was encouraged by his successor President Rutherford B. Hayes, to represent the United States in an unofficial diplomatic capacity, an unprecedented role for a nation barely a century old. Grant and his touring party were often transported to their destinations by the U.S. Navy.
Particularly notable on the tour was Grant's visit to Japan. After going to India, Grant toured Burma (modern day Myanmar), he next travelled to Siam (Thailand), where he met with King Chulalongkorn. He next travelled to Singapore, and Cochinchina (modern day Vietnam) and then on to Hong Kong. The Grants visited Canton, Shanghai, and Peking (modern day Beijing), China. While in China, Grant was critical of the attitude of Westerners living in China toward the Chinese, which he compared to that of former slave owners toward freedmen. He did not meet with the Guangxu Emperor, but did speak with the head of government, Prince Gong, and Li Hongzhang, a leading general. It was at this meeting that these leaders discussed China's dispute with Japan over the Ryukyu Islands
Grant was asked to serve as a mediator in this dispute. He readily agreed, saying "any course short of national humiliation or national destruction is better than war." From Peking, Grant traveled to Japan on the USS Richmond. There he met with the Emperor Meiji. The Emperor, who was also known as "Meiji the Great" or "Meiji the Holy Emperor," was the 122nd emperor of Japan under the traditional order of succession. He reigned from February 3, 1867 until his death on July 30, 1912 and he was known for what was called the Meiji Restoration, a series of rapid changes that witnessed Japan's transformation from an isolationist feudal state to an industrialized world power.
Grant tried to convince Japan to make peace with the Chinese suggesting the formation of a joint commission to settle the disputed territory. The commission never materialized, but Grant had believed that he managed to convince the Japanese to avert a war. Grant met with the Emperor for two hours, during which time Emperor Meiji asked President Grant's opinion on several important domestic and international issues. President Grant later said that he was was deeply impressed by the Emperor. He advised the Emperor to be cautious about the great powers' designs toward Asian countries like Japan. Grant became the first ex-president to engage in personal diplomacy abroad. While there was no war, Japan, being the superior military power, annexed the disputed islands a few weeks after Grant left the country.
Still aboard the USS Richmond, the Grants sailed for Yokohama. They arrived on July 3, and were met by waiting crowds who gave them a warm welcoming. In Yokohama harbor, naval vessels from various nations stood present, while saluting with cannon fire, one ship at a time. The demonstration lasted for 30 minutes. In response, the Richmond fired her volley in salute to the Japanese flag. Admirals and commanders of other fleets, Consul-general Thomas Brodhead Van Buren, and admirals of the Japanese navy were received by the Grant as they came aboard the Richmond.
It was later discovered that during his stay in Japan, a plot to assassinate Grant and the Emperor by Japanese hardliners was in the works, but nothing ever became of the conspiracy.
Grant later claimed that Japan was his favorite country on the tour. Before departing Consul-General Van Buren delivered a farewell speech for Grant. The Grant's boarded the SS City of Tokyo and departed Yokohama bay, heading home to the United States. The ship was bound for San Francisco. As they sailed out of the harbor, various naval escorts fired their guns in salute. A Japanese man-of-war escorted the Grant touring party as far as the Inland Sea, also firing her guns in salute, before the City of Tokyo headed out to open sea.
Grant was now in his later fifties. It is said that he looked forward to the tour with great enthusiasm. His wife Julia accompanied him on the trip which they had planned for a long time. President Abraham Lincoln had looked forward to travel an then end of his presidency, but he never got the chance to do so. For the Grants, they would embark on what would become an around the world tour that would lasting for more than two and a half years.
The tour put Grant in personal contact with many world leaders and prominent people, including Queen Victoria, Pope Leo XIII, Otto von Bismarck and many others. They were flexible in their schedule and would visit Paris three times during their tour. Grant was often received by cheering crowds, which must have been a nice change after leaving office with what must have been low approval ratings (if such things had existed them.)
During the tour abroad, Grant was encouraged by his successor President Rutherford B. Hayes, to represent the United States in an unofficial diplomatic capacity, an unprecedented role for a nation barely a century old. Grant and his touring party were often transported to their destinations by the U.S. Navy.
Particularly notable on the tour was Grant's visit to Japan. After going to India, Grant toured Burma (modern day Myanmar), he next travelled to Siam (Thailand), where he met with King Chulalongkorn. He next travelled to Singapore, and Cochinchina (modern day Vietnam) and then on to Hong Kong. The Grants visited Canton, Shanghai, and Peking (modern day Beijing), China. While in China, Grant was critical of the attitude of Westerners living in China toward the Chinese, which he compared to that of former slave owners toward freedmen. He did not meet with the Guangxu Emperor, but did speak with the head of government, Prince Gong, and Li Hongzhang, a leading general. It was at this meeting that these leaders discussed China's dispute with Japan over the Ryukyu Islands
Grant was asked to serve as a mediator in this dispute. He readily agreed, saying "any course short of national humiliation or national destruction is better than war." From Peking, Grant traveled to Japan on the USS Richmond. There he met with the Emperor Meiji. The Emperor, who was also known as "Meiji the Great" or "Meiji the Holy Emperor," was the 122nd emperor of Japan under the traditional order of succession. He reigned from February 3, 1867 until his death on July 30, 1912 and he was known for what was called the Meiji Restoration, a series of rapid changes that witnessed Japan's transformation from an isolationist feudal state to an industrialized world power.
Grant tried to convince Japan to make peace with the Chinese suggesting the formation of a joint commission to settle the disputed territory. The commission never materialized, but Grant had believed that he managed to convince the Japanese to avert a war. Grant met with the Emperor for two hours, during which time Emperor Meiji asked President Grant's opinion on several important domestic and international issues. President Grant later said that he was was deeply impressed by the Emperor. He advised the Emperor to be cautious about the great powers' designs toward Asian countries like Japan. Grant became the first ex-president to engage in personal diplomacy abroad. While there was no war, Japan, being the superior military power, annexed the disputed islands a few weeks after Grant left the country.
Still aboard the USS Richmond, the Grants sailed for Yokohama. They arrived on July 3, and were met by waiting crowds who gave them a warm welcoming. In Yokohama harbor, naval vessels from various nations stood present, while saluting with cannon fire, one ship at a time. The demonstration lasted for 30 minutes. In response, the Richmond fired her volley in salute to the Japanese flag. Admirals and commanders of other fleets, Consul-general Thomas Brodhead Van Buren, and admirals of the Japanese navy were received by the Grant as they came aboard the Richmond.
It was later discovered that during his stay in Japan, a plot to assassinate Grant and the Emperor by Japanese hardliners was in the works, but nothing ever became of the conspiracy.
Grant later claimed that Japan was his favorite country on the tour. Before departing Consul-General Van Buren delivered a farewell speech for Grant. The Grant's boarded the SS City of Tokyo and departed Yokohama bay, heading home to the United States. The ship was bound for San Francisco. As they sailed out of the harbor, various naval escorts fired their guns in salute. A Japanese man-of-war escorted the Grant touring party as far as the Inland Sea, also firing her guns in salute, before the City of Tokyo headed out to open sea.