MASSACRE OF FRENCH BY JAPANESE.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 331, 22 August 1868, Page 4

MASSACRE OF FRENCH BY JAPANESE.

Li the bay of Osaka, near Hiogo, in the Japanese seas, a boat's crew from the French ship Dupleix went ashorOj one day early in March, to bring off the French consul and the captain, who did not arrive, while the crew were attacked by 200 armed Jf panese, and all butchered. The Frcucu officers swore to be avenged, and seized

all Toza's people and ships in Hiogo, and notified Toza that unless the murderers were given up in fourteen days they would hang the whole forty to the yardarma of the ship. On learning the massacre, the English, Prussian, Dutch, Italian, and United States Ministers met at the residence of the French Minister at Osaka, and decided by common accord to to leave Osaka, haul down their ilaga, and withdraw their Consuls until satisfaction should have been granted. On the following day, the Japanese authorities came and declared the massacre inexcusable, and the murderers were placed at the disposal of the Erench Minister. All the Ministers of the others Powers supported the Erench demand for reparation by energetic notes. The " Japan Herald " gives the following as the funeral oration praached by M. Lean Boche, the Erench diplomatic agent, over the graves of the sailors so cruelly murdered : —" My brave lads Tou have been murdered in the most cowardly fashion, without giving any provocation, and while in the execution of your duty. If your noble officers had" acted on the spur of the moment, you would have been avenged by the destruction of a city, and the death of thousands of inhabitants, They had the rare courage to repress this first desire, feeling that Erance should, reply to barbarism by civilization. But because it is delayed, the reparation will only be the more striking and the more just. I swear to yof, in the name of Erance, and of the Emperor, whose noble sons you were, that your death shall be avenged in such a manner that your comrades and fellow-countrymen shall not be exposed to atrocities like those of which you fell the innocent victims. Ton are with God : —pray him to aid us in our painful task."