New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-08-09


Fce was murdered IN The Imperial Palace on
festival day. leaving behind neither lineal nor
an adopted son Waen the Emperor was IN
iormeS Of this be- ordered thar everything
should happen Is II the Prince was only wound-
Cd The corpse was therefore seated IN litter
and carried 70 the princey residence OF Figo.
where messengers every day arrived nom the
Emperor. inQuIrinc now h. Jared Finally
mesSenger communicated 70 the corpse the I'M
penal permission 10 adopt his Youngest brother,
who was ordered 20 appear before the Emperor
and he installed a. successor. even # the Prince
should II the meantime have died of MS wounds
The Prince Of FIgo was therefore "inwardly
dead. according 10 he Japanese method OF
speech, while he was outwarily still m life
In tins manner an official sometimes lives TIVE or
three years " outwaIdly." after he has actually
died THIS happens particularly when he has
loft debts al his death His office IS then adj
mlnis,ered oy another. who receives only por.
,on Of the salary. the remainder Of which goes
toward dlschargng his liabilities
The principal puniShments IN Japan are ban
Ishment, hOuSe-auesi. decapltatIon, cruclhuOn
and dlsembowelhng. Those condemned 10 ban
lshmeni are sent either to deSer; island. 10
fortress in the mountains or to the c0ppeT-mncs
House-arre>t Is visited on high and low and Is
alike dshonoung The doors and windows
are nailed up with boards, all connection with
the street Is prohibited, and the men are
forbidden TO shave This punishment usually
lasts a hundred days. Decapltailon Is performed
with httle ceremony. The Princes and other
dlenltane> have power to punish their ser
wants and subjects with death and behead-
ing l. frequently performed IN the interior OF the
palaces. without occaSlonmg particular notice.
CuclfiXlOn Is inflicted IN two wayS-elther with
the head upwards or downwarl> Those who
suffer m the former way, 81 upon croSs-plecc
which Is fastened upon an upright post. their
feet bound 10 a beam below. Aner the criminal
has been fastened so that ne cannot move. he l.
pierced repeatedly with a lance having a broad.
thin blade Il Is said that the servants OF justice
are 50 skilled IN their art. that they sometimes
translix the criminals body sixteen times before
he expires Those who are crucfed with their
heads downwaus. are suffered 10 die m that po-
sition Sometimes small gashes are made m
the top of the head, IN order 10 hberate the over
charged blood-vessels This has the effect OF
prolonglng liie. and the terrible punishment is
sometimes endured ten days before death r.
lleyes the sufferer
The act OF disembowelmg is a privilege OF the
better classes who from their youth are al!
taught the rules and regulations under which II
must be observed On the occasion OF perform
ing the act, particular garment must be- worn.
and the mobiles never neglect taking It with them
when they set out upon Journey hen person
iscondemned TO dlsemhowel hlmseli-N Inch does
not often happen-hls sons ami brothers. rs well
as his father and uncleS, are ali obliged perform
the same operation on themselves. All receive
the sentence. so that the act Is done by all al the
same time. The condemned person invites ms
most intimate friends, and assemblies with them,
frequently IN the inner court of temple, where
they carouse and drink Literally OF SAKE IA strong
liquor prepared from rice, whIchis used IN Japan,
instead of wncJ The condemned then pro
nounces a farewell address, takes leave OF ms
friends. and after the imperial command has been
read aloud draws his sabre. leans forward and
a
servant or one of his friends stands behind HIM
and Immediately strikes M head Of In tins
manner. the tnnld are helped out OF the world.
Those who are holder sometimes cash their body
m the form OF a cross, and end 10y plungng the
blade into their throaIs
Voluntary disemboveling Is not nifequent
MOBILES OF warriors make use OF It when, through
their own neglect or the guilt Of their suboftln'
ates they have reason 10 anticipate punishment.
Governors also perform It, when some misdeed
has happened within their jurisdiction the per
oe,rator OF which they cannot point out In all !
hese cases the Japanese prefers voluntary DIS
embowelng 10 a slight but dishonorable pun
shment. since ne thus preserves the honor OF his |
amiN and secures his sons succession IN the Of !
fc, The same operation l. also performed IN |
he presence OF person by whom,he suicide has /
been injured or offended In Japan an insult can !
1nly be washed out by one own blood
Although there IS no division of castles IN Ja-
pan. as IN China and India the different classes I
are distinctly separated, and II Is almost lmpossl-
bic for one of a low rank ever 70 reach a higher /
sxcept through adoption The highest class Is
the nobility. which Is again divided into me /
higher and lower, the fsmer Of whom are al
lowed 10 wear white garments. Next come the
warriors. who carry sabres in their glrdles and ,
then the priests, who IN rank alone but mol IN |
position, stand higher than the former. The m /
telHgent class consists mostly Of civil officers, /
physicians and other scientific men. They have
the night to wear sabres and pantaloons-a right
also possessed by the lowest Of then servants
To the lower classes belong the merchant, the
mechanic, the manufacturer, the farmer AMI me
day-laborer According trade or profession
Is held IN the public estimation. are the persons
who carry It on respected Or depisei. Thus the
artist and even the farmer, though they are gen
erally poor, are more respected than the mef-
! b. -. ~ -.h