The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-03 00:00:00

SIR R. ALCOCK ON JAPAN.

At the second general meeting of the members of the
Leeds Philosophical and Lit( ra y Society, held on Tuesday
night, a lecture on Japan was delivered by Sir R. Alcock ,
K.C.8., her Majesty's Consul to that empire. Mr. T. P.
Teale, the president of the society, was in the chair, and
there was a large and fashionable audience. Sir Ruther-
ford having given a brief geographical description of the
Japanese empire and of its discovery and its resources, said
while the Europeans desired commercial intercourse the
people of Japan desired nothing so much as to be let alone.
The Government of Japan had come of late years to the
conclusion that the time had arrived when it could no
longer carry out its traditional policy, or, at all events, it
felt that if it did attempt it there would be a force and power
brought to bear upon it much too strong to resist. A large
portion of the ruling classes in Japan had never reconciled
themselves to this change, and whether the struggle of civi-
lisation with opposing principles would end during this
generation was a very serious question. The decree hail
gone forth that this isolation should not be, and it was for
them to endeavour to ascertain the facts which would en-
able them to arrive at a conclusion as to what were the
future destinies of Japan and the prospects of foreign trade
and commerce with the people. Sir Rutherford said that
the events which followed the first introduction of Euro-
peans—Portuguese and Spaniards—in the 16th or 17th cen-
tury, the readiness and hospitality with which they were
received, the introduction of Christianity, the erection of
churches; schools, monasteries, &c., was followed, however,
by the utter expulsion of foreigners, from the fear that they
would subvert the power of the Sovereigns of the empire.
Now that foreigners were again admitted they must hope it
would be with better result—that, warned by the past, they
would avoid its errors, and seek through commerce and
civilisation to bring good and not evil. The similarity of
the geographical distribution of the Japanese empire and
the British Islands suggested a striking view of similarity
and of contrast in the development of the industrial arts
and manufactures of the two peoples. In pure workman-
ship, in beauty of design, in command over the powers
of nature, and in many other respects the Japanese were
able to rival the best product ons of Europe, and yet,
side by side with this, they had a feudalism exactly cor-
responding with that of our Anglo-Saxon and early Nor-
man forefathers. Having entered at some length into a
comparison of the points in which the Japanese resembled
the Anglo-Saxons, he gave an amusing description of the
dual character of the Government and the empire. There
were two Sovereigns, one to look after the temporal affairs
and the other after affairs spiritual ; two Foreign Ministers,
two Councils of State; and indeed ever.) man had his shadow,
producing a most complex Administration, which it was sur-
prising could be made to work. The Japanese were not in-
tolerant or bigoted on religious subjects ; indeed, they cared
too little upon the subject to trouble themselves about it.
He could not say much for their veracity, for the last thing
hoped to hear from them was the truth. He believed there
was very little corruption among the judges, and what was
most extraordinary, there were no lawyers. He could not
say much for the temperance of the Japanese—they were
very quarrelsome over their cups, and as they always wore
swords (which had the ) eputation of being equal to Damas-
cus blades), and as life was regarded as of little value, fre-
quent fatal encounters occurred. The Japanese boasted of
their valour, and death was always accepted in preference
to disgrace. If a noble were convicted of any offence, his
property was confiscated and his family degraded; and
therefore, to avoid this, a man charged with crime assem-
bled his friends, and in their presence made away with
himself. Turning to the progress of civilisation, tested by
the industrial arts, he observed that, notwithstanding the
existence of feudalism, the people had advanced in material
civilisation to an extent scarcely inferior to our own. In
the applied sciences, in steam machinery, &c., they were far
behind Europeans; but some of the results of skilled labour
in silk and textile fabrics, in lacquer, metals, porcelain, &c.,
would bear comparison with those of any other nation. Sir
Rutherford exhibited a large 'variety of specimens of Ja-
panese art, illustrating the ingenuity, the graceful design,
and the marvellous workmanship expended in their produc-
tion. The Japanese were thus able to supply all their
wants, and though this was highly honourable to them, it
was little favourable to foreign commerce. It was the upper
class, the nobles, who were most hostile to trade and foreign
intercourse; they remembered the designs of the first lb-
' reigners admitted into the empire, and they regarded the
introduction of commerce as being the precursor of social
, disorder and revolution, and as certain to lead to their im-
poverishment. As to the chances of admission for English
cottons, woollens, &c., he said that, the Japanese having
been self. satisfied for many years, it was clear they must
wait until there had been time to create new wants. At
present any wants Europeans could supply, they (the
Japanese) could supply better and cheaper. We must
wait until new wants were created. It was possible, with
time and patience, and if the necessary force were main-
tained, that the opposition to foreign intercourse would
greatly diminish and even finally disappear ; but
it was impossible to conceal that life was insecure,
and at any moment the people might determine to risk
everything upon the hazard of war with foreign Powers
rather than allow them to establsh friendly and peaceful
relations. They could only hope for the best, and resort to
no means which would bring about any such calamity as
he had referred to if they could avoid it. The dress of the
upper class as as principally silk, and that of the lower
classes entirely cotton. As Japan was a cotton-growing
country, and labour was cheap, it would be difficult for
English merchants to compete with the natives, except in
the finer class of goods. Nothing would take in Japan that
was not cheap, but in the northern parts, where the winters
were of Siberian severity, woollen and mixed goods would be
very suitable and acceptable. A factory for the construction
of machines had been established at Nagasaki, and the Go-
vernment had purchased six or seven steam-vessels at ex-
tortionate prices; but the Japanese were not yet suffi-
ciently advanced to possess steam-engines on railways.
The opposition to foreign commerce he believed to be en-
tirely confined to the governing classes. With reference
to the important subject introduced by Mr. Baines, he hoped
he was not understood as giving any decided opinion as to
whether it was or was not justifiable that Europeans
should force themselves upon other nations. He simply
wished to show the position in which they stood. They
had forced themselves upon the Japanese ; they had begun
by force, and if they wished for commerce they must estab
lish it by force. If they did not wish for commerce at that
price, then they should be consistent, and withdraw from
the Japanese empire. A vote of thanks was then passed
by acclamation, and the audience separated after inspecting
the beautiful objects of Japanese art exhibited by Sir
Rutherford.