Letter of Advice to Queen Victoria
Main concern expressed in the letter: the increasing severity of opium addiction in China;
Even though opium trade became the source of wealth for China after legalizing it, the number of smugglers increased, thus causing the spread of poison among ordinary people;
The proposed initiative is to sentence those smoking and selling opium to death penalty, especially in the case of repeated crimes; the only exception (a favorable extension to the rule) would be excused from punishment those who surrender voluntarily, although if their crimes are repeated after the voluntary surrender and excuse, death penalty would be inevitable;
The foundation of the proposed initiative is a nationwide educational campaign so that everyone smoking and selling opium is aware of its advantages and disadvantages and the new legal code;
Main point of concern: opium imports should be prohibited just like sending foreign smugglers to sell opium in China; otherwise, peace cannot be guaranteed.
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Civilization development is rapid like the epidemics of measles (impossible to avoid or prevent) so that it is better to flow with the Western world than oppose the integration of the Western ideas in Japan;
Unlike the disease, civilization development comes with benefits, and benefits, in most cases, are more significant than losses;
Because westernization cannot be avoided, it should be welcomed to maximize the benefits and minimize losses;
Main conflicting point: traditional values (including the Japanese government) are incompatible with the modern ones, so welcoming them would result in the abolition of the government;
Government abolition should not be feared because the creation of the new government would welcome positive changes in Japan, as, traditionally, Japanese people were different from Asians and their mentality was closer to Western, not Asian;
Another point supporting westernization: unlike Western countries, China and Korea are not supporting Japan, so preference should be given to support and modernization, not old-fashioned despotic relations with the neighboring Asian states, and the new tradition would benefit the quality of Japan’s diplomatic relations.
