Townsend Harris Quotes
If you make a treaty first with the United States and settle the matter of the opium trade, England cannot change this, though she should desire to do so.
Harris, Townsend. The Complete Journal of Townsend Harris, First American Consul General and Minister to Japan. Edited by Mario Emilio Cosenza, Doubleday, Doran & Company, 1930, pp. 484-488.
In 1908 Austria had designs on the Balkans, whose small countries have been fought over for years.
Terrorism even then put strains on traditional diplomacy where bombers would take sanctuary or raise money in countries whose diplomatic policy was opposed to terrorism of all types. At this particular time, Irish terrorists would raise money in the United States to support the terrorists bombing English targets.
The notion of Executive Privilege developed over the years. Our first President thought nothing of giving the Senate access to all the papers and records regarding the negotiations of the treaty with Great Britain.
This was the first organization in Great Britain devoted to foreign affairs. In 1867 Linton emigrated to America where he devoted most of his time to the arts.
Hoover and most Republicans were generally opposed to sanctions and an instrument of foreign policy. 25 years after his presidency, the Republican Party started embracing sanctions as a tool of foreign policy and by the end of the 20th century, Republicans were sanction hawks. This quotation illustrates how American political parties and their philosophies change over time.
With promises the success lies in following through and keeping the promise which is usually very costly. A threat that fails meanwhile can be the most expensive thing. We make a threat to deter a foreign power from something. Failure occurs when they are not intimidated and go ahead anyway. Then if we follow through on the threat, that is very costly—a war, a trade embargo, or whatever. Not following through on the threat is the costliest of all as we lose our credibility, trust and honor.
Instructing the navy not to act precipitously during the Cuban missile crisis:
Townsend Harris was an American merchant and minor politician, and the first United States Consul General to Japan. He negotiated the "Harris Treaty" between the US and Japan and is credited as the diplomat who first opened Shogunate Japan to foreign trade and culture in the Edo period.
