LIFE AND LETTERS OF JOSEPH HARDY NEESIMA

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ACCEPTS SEllVICE WITH THE EMBASSY. 123 TO MR. AND MRS. HARPY. GEoRGETOWN, Jfarch 10, 1872. Yesterday morning I went to the legation to attend the meeting of the Japanese students. I found there the twelve who were summoned to vV ashington. They are divided into two parties. One half of them is called the upper party, and another hal£ the lower party. As I had obtained, or rather kept up my right, to remain a free Japanese citizen, the Com­missioner of Education and Mr. Mori agreed to hire me during my vacation and pay me so much for my service to them. I at once accepted it, because I thought you would not find any objection to my do­ing so. The object of our meeting is to make stat­utes for the Japanese students who are supported by the government in the foreign countries. I am a member of the upper party. You must know I am a free member, and can withdraw myself from it at any time. Several topics for discussion were given out by Mr. Mori. The parties divided the topics and met in different rooms to discuss their own topics. This morning we met together and brought our separately discussed topics into the general as­sembly. The commissioner was appointed our chair­man, but he did not appear this morning. I rather suspect that he is somewhat afraid of us, because we, the students in this country, are the true democratic. 'Ve do not hesitate to say anything. Last Saturday we made a petition to the chief ambassador to grant us a power to make a statute by the vote of majority, and when it is passed we may order it even to the Commissioner of the Educational Department. So we have more power of making statutes pertaining to

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