Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-11-13

in dgnifed but unauhoritatve seclusion in his nalae,
at Jeddo The charmed slumbers Of the famous king il
tne sleeping Beauty are the only parallel for the i'm
We must however remark that the political history Of
Japans since the expulsion of the Portuguese is
w. TINS principle of dualism which the Law and cerica
PRESENT 10 SAID with what truth we know not
peryade other Japanese institutions.
ltremains to give account of the religion Of In
pan which, from the extremely perpexed and confictins
statements ON the subject is far from easy The
Missed religion, as we said Sntoosm though it would
be hard to say what Sntooism is. The Japanese how
ever seem have solved the problem which causes
much trouble to European States There is an established
rehgon ana there is the most perfect toeration pur
chased as such system only be purchased by an
entire surrender of principle every side The Kobe
sends an embassy or goes pilgrimage to his ecces
astcal elder brother, the Sintoo Emperor and at the
same time builds Buddhist temple while the DaIr
the prince and priest of Sintoosm allows the easy i'm
portaon of strange gods into the sacred temples m his
faith In fact is the height of poteness for diff
ferent religious professors to attend the worship Of the
gods OF their friends The only thing of old which is
prescribed is christianity Neither the Japanese nor the
Roman empire would refuse the Cross its intercommunion
in rites is the exclusiveness of the gospel which is
its scandal sr
Sintoosm was perhaps originally form of Sabsean-
ism its chief divinity is the Goddess of the Sun She is
worshpped through the mediation of inferior gods and
deifed mortals Some doctrine of future state and of
and punishments is retaned but the actual du
ties Of religion consist in, Preservation of pure fire
Purity Of the heart and body 3. The observance of
festival days; 4. Pilgrimage; and 5. The public and
private eafus OF the inferior gods and santsthe Kam
These last to be the ordinary Teraphm of the
ern, and Penaes of classical worship The temple and
domestic worships thus described:
" The religious obseryances festival days appear to
be very simple and very short The worshipper clad in
ms pest clothes aPpoSohes the temple performs his alb
utions at tank kneels in the veranda opposite grated
window through which he fix his eyes on the mirror
he then offers up his prayers and sacrifice of RICE fruit
tea sackee, or the Like deposes little money in box
| aud ala htc 1nvnv %
sports and pastimes in the manner he thinks best
According to Kmper they conclude their ceremonies at
the temple by striking three times upon bell, which is
hung over the door, believing the gods to be highly de-
lighted with the sounds Of musical instruments sAll
this being done they retire. divert themselves the re-
naming part of the day with walking exercises sports
eating and drinking and treating one another to good
things. The temple must not be approached with
downcast spirit sorrowul countenance for that might
disturb the placid beatitude Of the Kami '-IJd pp.
200, 30. 3t
The domestic rites of the ancient and dominant Ja-
panese religion not well known II Siebold from
whom the account is TAKEN be trusted the last SEN
tence apart from its awkward phraseology the follow
ing extract is very curious
At home in every Sntoo house, each meal is preceded
by short prayer and in nearly every garden or court
yard attached to such house there is a miniature mya
or temple. The Sintoo priests called KamiNusi
the hosts landlords Of the gods they dwell in houses
built within the grounds attached to the temples The
money deposited by the worshppers goes their purse
their kitchen and table. They have thus the means of
hospitality, and said to exercise it literally
gers. The Dutch, however, always found that in their
case return in solid cash expected and that these
templevisits very expensive Cebacy is tenet
of the Sintoos the KamNus marry and their wives
prestesses to whom specific rites and duties allotted
1t appears that they act godmohers general all the
female children of their sect that born in JAPAN CIV
ing them their Names sprinkng them with water and
performing other ceremonies.r-I5id. PIP. 30, 2ll.
We need hardly remark that the parallel which Mr..
MacFarlane suggest between what he calls the
Japanese pilgrimages and the Romanist devotion TO
shrnes is snguarly inaccurate The sacred regulation
of the law for all the males to appear at Jerusalem is
closer parallel However, the writer whom have
hitherto followed has compiled with general accuracy
may take his facts apart from his differences:
Pilgrimage is the grand and most sanctifyng act Of
Sintoo devotion. There are fewer than twenty-five
shrnes in different parts of the empire which are fire.
quented annually frequently by the devout The
most conspicuous and most honored of athe very Lo
retto of the Japaneseis Isye with its ancient temple of
-zin the Sun Goddess The principal tenn
pie is surrounded by nearly hundred small Ones which
have little else of temple than the shape being,
for the most part 50 low and narrow that man
scarcely stand up in them Each Of these temples or lit
tie chapes is attended by priest Near to them live
muttudes Of priests and functonares, who call them
selves the messengers of the gods and who keep houses
and lodgings to accommodate travellers and pilgrims
The principal temple itself is very plain unpretendiug
edfce and evidently of great antiquity though quite
old the priests and devoees pretend According
the latter the Sun Goddess born in it and dwet il it,
and that account il has been enlarged mproy-
ed in any way altered Among the priesesses Of the
temple there is almost always daughter of spiritual
emperor
"0rthodox Sntonists" says Kampfer ego in pilgrim
age TO lsye ayear at the very least in their
fetime nay, it is thought duty incumbent on every
true patriot, whatever sect religion he otherwise adj
heres to, and public mark Of respect and gratitude which
every ought to pay the Sun Goddess the pro-
tecres founder and first parent Of the japanese nation
This pilgrimage is made at all times Of the year but the
greatest of people in their three first months
March, April and May, when the Of the year and
the good weather make the journey very agreeable and
pleasant Persons Of all ranks and qualities rich and
poor old and young and women resort thther the
lords only of the highest quality and the potent
princes Of the empire excepted who seldom appear there
in person.
g An embassy from the Emperor is sent there once
every year. in the first month"; which time also another
with rich presents goes Maco with presents the
cesastca hereditary monarch Most Of the princes Of
the empire follow the Emperors example"-Ibid PIP.
211 213.
We cannot say, however that when we read that the
of having appeared at the sacred shrine
sidered as penary remission and that in the available
form Of piece Of printed paper it is sod with all its vr
tues TO all who can afford to pay for it, and who do not
choose to 60 to the expense in time and trouble Of per-
sonal visit to Iye forcby reminded Of the abuses
connected with the system Of ndugences
What the ordinary writers Of japan think proper to call
religious orders and monasteres only the Buddhist
Lamacovcs which the readers Of recent paper on NJ
HUGS Travels are not likely TO have forgotten society
Of female devotees whom Kampfer thinks proper 10 com
pare with the nuns least Beguines Of Europe,
particular faith and of very doubtful morality much
more pontedy resembles the deyotecs of Myltta in the
temples Of Babylon.
Japan, however, like China, seems to have passed its
T..