LIFE AND LETTERS OF JOSEPH HARDY NEESIMA
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120 SEMINARY COURSE AT ANDOVER. tled time and saw the Minister of Educational Bureau of Japan. Twelve Japanese students in the States were summoned to meet him to give him some advice. The power was granted them to make any motions or give any advice to him, and the motions would be car­ried by the vote of the majority. When they went in the parlor to meet him, they made the Japanese bow to him ; but I was behind them, standing erect at a corner of the room. Some time before this meet­ing I handed a brief note to Mr. Mori stating my present relation to you, and asking him to distinguish me from the rest. Mr. Mori stood for me very favor­ably, and told the Commissioner that he must not rank me among the other Japanese; for I have been supported and educated by my Boston friends and have not yet received a single cent from the Japanese government. So he had no right to treat me as a slave of the Japanese government. "At my request," Mr. Mori said, "Mr. Neesima came here, not as a bondman, but with his kindness to give you some ad­vice concerning education. So you must appreciate his kindness and willingness to do such a favor for you. As Mr. Neesima has such a relation to his Bos­ton friends, he cannot commit himself to the Japanese government without their consent, neither has the government any right to lay claim on him, Ol" to com­mand to do this or that, but the things ought to be done by a contract between him and you. Fortu­nately he has three weeks' vacation, and will do some good service to you if you treat him as a friend. He is a lover of Japan, but not a slave." This speech pleased the commissioner exceedingly and made every one in the room to look at me. When he noticed me standing erect he asked Mr. Mori whether the corner-

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