It is believed that he was overeager because he was strongly concerned that if Tsuda was not sentenced to death, Russia was highly likely to attack on Japan's mainland to defeat and destroy Japan.
これは津田を死刑にしなかった場合必ずロシアによる日本本土攻撃を招き、その結果日本の敗北・滅亡となると危惧した西郷の強い憂国ゆえの勇み足であったと言われている。