There were now two reclamations on the Japanese Government--redress for the murder of the two marines at the Legation in June, and for the killing and wounding of the Richardson party in September. The British _chargé d'affaires_ pressed both demands, without committing himself to specific threats until the mind of her Majesty's Government should be known. Lord Russell's instructions were sent on 24th December 1862, and would reach Japan some time in February. They were peremptory as to the use of force in case of need, whether against the Government or the Prince of Satsuma. V. THE TYCOON'S DILEMMA. Strife of parties in Japan--Impotence of Tycoon--His prospective overthrow--Orders issued by Mikado to drive foreigners out of Japan--Prevarications of Tycoon--Plots and counterplots--French and English troops in Yokohama--Compensation paid for the Richardson murder, but assassin not yet brought to justice--Demand made on Prince of Satsuma--Bombardment of his castle by Admiral Kuper--Happy results--Offensive attitude of Prince of Nagato--Firing on foreign ships of war--Sir R. Alcock's return from furlough--Publication of his book 'The Capital of the Tycoon'--His exposition of the political status of parties in Japan--Dubious attitude of Tycoon--And Mikado--Utmost limit of concession to Japanese pleas of weakness reached. During the interval that elapsed between the tragedy of September 1862 and the expiation of the crime, revelations of a startling character were made respecting the strife which was raging among the various parties in the State--the Tycoon, the Mikado, the great Daimios, and the lesser Daimios, who followed the Tycoon and the Mikado respectively. These revelations, however, though they lit up as by lurid lightning-flashes some corners of the landscape, left the whole in a fog more treacherous than total darkness. The foreign officials who were called upon to act in the midst of it confessed themselves unable to unravel the mystery that surrounded them, nor is it any part of our task to make such an attempt. It was the chaos which preceded order, a period when the elemental forces were in the melting-pot, a phase of foreshortened evolution such as had never till then been dreamed of. However trying such an ordeal was to the foreign agents who had to go through it, the stress upon them was as nothing compared to that which lay upon the principalities and powers of the country itself during the agony of their national birth-throes--a circumstance which has to be borne in mind when judging of the behaviour of the Japanese Government in that trying time; for truly the defence of their proceedings stood much in need of extenuating circumstances.