The Quiet Aftermath of the Dismissal of Florriherald Before and After the Meiji Restoration (the last days of the Tokugawa Shogunate and the first year of the Meiji era)

The Quiet Aftermath of the Dismissal of Florriherald Before and After the Meiji Restoration (the last days of the Tokugawa Shogunate and the first year of the Meiji era)

As a person officially appointed by the Shogunate and approved by the French government, Floriherald was a practical supporter of Japan's diplomacy with France at the end of the Edo period. His role was more akin to that of an agent acting on behalf of the Japanese government in the field, rather than a diplomat, as he managed funds and procured materials for the construction of the Yokosuka Ironworks and the purchase of weapons, as well as hosting the delegation of Tokugawa Akitake and his party at the Paris World's Fair.

With the Meiji Restoration, the governing power shifted from the Shogunate to the new government, and Florriherald's position, which was tied to the old system, had to be reconsidered. The new government considered him unnecessary, but his dismissal had international implications and required careful handling. The government therefore chose to avoid notifying him directly, but to communicate his dismissal indirectly through the French Minister Utley.

The ambiguous phrase used in the notice, "Since the reform of the government, there have been circumstances," was diplomatic language to avoid friction by attributing the reason for the dismissal to a change in the system, without mentioning individual responsibility. Furthermore, by treating him with a gift, the dismissal was not an elimination, but rather a civilized termination of his duties. This case is symbolic of the quiet diplomatic judgment that Japan sought to avoid damaging its relations with the international community during the transition from Bakufu diplomacy to Meiji diplomacy.