The True Intentions of Martial Relief for Hired Foreigners: From the End of the Edo Period to the Beginning of Meiji Era

The True Intentions of Martial Relief for Hired Foreigners: From the End of the Edo Period to the Beginning of Meiji Era

The record of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' decision to provide relief money to Martial, who was working at the legation in France, when he was in need, citing "the face of the legation," frankly conveys the on-the-spot sensibility of modern Japanese diplomacy. This decision was not based on humanitarian considerations or idealism, but rather was the result of placing the highest priority on maintaining appearances in diplomatic practice.

From the end of the Edo period to the early years of the Meiji era, Japan's legations abroad were on shaky ground. Finances were tight, institutions were underdeveloped, and the treatment of legation staff and their living arrangements were inadequate. Nevertheless, the legations functioned as the face of Japan, and the conditions of the people who worked there were directly linked to the nation's credibility and prestige. The impoverishment of diplomatic personnel and their disgraceful appearance in local society was perceived as an act that would damage the reputation of Japan as a whole.

The expression "our face" used in the case of Martial's relief is a clear illustration of this sentiment. The issue was not the individual's hardship itself, but whether it was detrimental to the legation's reputation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided to provide him with the relief money because it was afraid that if he was left unattended, it might give the impression that the Japanese legation could not even support its own staff.

What this response reveals is that modern diplomacy was an extremely pragmatic endeavor. The first priority was not to design an ideal system or to be morally right, but to ensure that the field would not collapse and that the country's external reputation would not be damaged. It can be said that the recognition that the lives of individual diplomats were directly linked to the state's reputation was more strongly emphasized because the system was still immature.

The true intention of the Martial Relief reflects the fact that Japan was in the process of building its credibility in the international community and was nervous about every detail. Diplomacy is not only about treaties and meetings, but is evaluated as a whole, including the daily life of legations abroad and the lives of the people who work there. This passage shows that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs itself had a calm understanding of this reality.