Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-11-13
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER
THE JAPANESE EMPIRE.

inO ouuJoihON SAlIdcts, WHICH we MAKE from 4
long article in the Christian RememJraace','
British publication, will be interesting at this mo
ment to most of our readers, whether they may con
cur or not in the views which are presented:
japan; Account Geographical and Historical sc. BY
CHARLES MAcFARLAEE. London 1852.
In defiance Of Mr.. MAcFARLANEs assertion to the
rary maintain that educated persons know little
or nothing about Japan And yet it is called empire
and Mr. McCuoch that it contains 90 600 DOC
inhabitants its population believe actually reaches tC
half this amount As far general impressions go, the
ordinary floating feengwe cannot call it knowledge
about japan h that seems to reaize good deal the
notions conveyed by Swifts Flying Island We get to
think Of it Of Atlantis Of the East; mystery and
marvel seldom very partially revealed the of
We hear of ii place surrounded by prejudice
by wall of brass polity complete and total in it.
self great exception the family of mankind: like the
tabled river of antiquity it people which flows through
the of society but minges with the
stream of humanity. And then the whole world takes
offence at this
While writing, the Government of the United
States is meditating expedition compel Japan be
neghbory and civil and to observe the conventional law
of nations that's to say western civilization sresolyed
to open out Japan for the sake of Japan but for the
necessities Of civilization 1t is argued that
nation has right occupy an exceptional position;
that commerce like the air chartered liberne; that
people has right to say, viii not trade with others
except upon my terms If the Japanese systemati-
caly refused food and water and the Of repairs
ships, we should say that the American claim not
unreasonable. No nation has right to block up the
highway and to prevent legitimate traffic with others. If
it does not choose to trade ITSELF it must not present
hindrance to trading with others II is very well TO say
that Japan must be treated though it did exist
and that proper is to take it upon its
grounds and SimDly avoid it But rpyots
at this heorizng the Japanese Empire lies right
fifteen degrees of ATTITUDES is physical obstruc
on if it does not conform the natural laws OF
kind Navigation involves certain abstract rights which
much matter Of consent as of ante
ceden natural Justice ship in distress has claims for
water wood and fresh provisions and for means of re-
fitting and repairing accidents These claims are not
matter Of political agreement but physical results
from the constitution of the planet And in this
and for fundamental elementary necessities the
earth and sea are common property But as fact,
Japan does refuse these elementary rights To take
only our own vessels in l79l the Argonaut received
wood and water; the Providence" landed its crew for
nautical observations the OF Yesso and reftted
the .Phaeton, Captain Peew in the early part Of the
present century took in water the sSamarang'' was
IN SD supplied with stores by the Japanese authorities
and magnetic observations were though very reluctantly
permitted. In lS49 Captain Mackinon, Of H. NJ s.
" Mariner" received vegetables and water from the
islanders.
What the japanese decline is to trade with anv other
country except their own terms. Acutely enough
they guard against the slightest violation Of their prnc
PIE 81 exclusion. In all the which have men
toned payment for supplies board was refused
The transaction Of naturacharity not commerce
Under these circumstances the question simply whether
we cam or ought to- force such people 10 trade with US
whether they like il or not The vague series Of conyen
uonasms known the law of nations has certainly never
been accepted BY japan yattel is not textbook al
Jeddo nor even in Bundum which Peter Heylyn affirmed
70 he an university bigger than Paris" We hardly
think that ii is fair to quote Pucndorf and Grotius to
4 -Esr "a -
quarrel with Japan If the japanese refused assistance
70 shipwrecked vessel, this gigh be the pretex for
forcing their ports As it stands all that the American
President say is Japan is within twenty days sail
Of California; Japan has coal and would be very useful
70 our steamers japan has admirable productions both
natural and manufactured the States have the same
reciprocity and trade are very good things friendly
nercla intercourse is great blessing" &C. But as the
japanese cannot will this the serious question
remains whether there is any inherent right in one ma
uon or in all the nations Of the earth collectively 4
force outstanding member Of mankind into the com
mercial brotherhood Speech great blessing and ne
cessary to the existence of society bt If any indydua
is so suky manageable decline conversation
doubt the natural right in his neghbor to make hin
talk
Nor our doubts lesscned when we survey the aDo
malous and extraordinary history of Japan 1t was IN
known TO recent research till the noble Venetian Marco
Polo a. the end Of the thirteenth century noticed it,
The first European who to have visited il was Fer
nam McndeE Pinto, the Portuguese advent1rer whose
very unusy has been considered equivalent Ia
mendacity itself This visit in 1912 the Portuguese
were most Hospitality received and allowed free traffic
Seven years after fugitive japanese fed TO Goa and
was converted to Christianity The Portuguese combn-
ing worldly wisdom with deep sense of spiritual duties
AZ once the opening boh for trade and the Gospel
which japan afforded and early a. 1851 the splendid
ant successful mission Of Xavier Japan had been ter
minated by the Jesuit apostles death Fifty churches
and tens Of thousands Of composed the
church Of twenty years later During the whole Of hi.
time
= The Portuguese-marners. merchants padres. anC
al-were received with open arms, only at Bungo
but AZ whatsoever other part Of the empire they chose
repair unto The local governments and the minor princes
who then enjoyed considerable degree Of independence
Wei with each other in inviting them their ports am
towns. They went wherever they pleased from ex
remy q the empire the other and by land as wen NJ
by sea The merchants found a ready and most profit
able market for their goods the missionaries ntelec
tua tolerant people, very willing listen the lesson:
which they had q teach them There was no one estab
hshed dominant religion in the country; the most an
Gent iath was split into ects and there least
fee other religions imported from foreign countries and
toerateu IN the most perfect manner Moreover faith
sara y be OF Braminca origin aud which had been i'm
ported from India the time widely spread among
the people This faith bore 50 near resemblance 10 the
doctrines introduced by the Portuguese that IL must have
greatly favored their reception II appears 70 have com
Prseu the eface dea md resurrection Of Sario4r born
II rrgn, with almost every other essential dogma OF
Christianity including the belief IN the Trinity If this
be true statement and correct description and II VIC
then add 70 " the tradition that this form III
introduced under the reign OF Chinese Rmperor Mint
who assembled the throne in about ne ftieth wear az Inc
CHRISTIAN era can we avoid admitting the conclusion that
some early apostle reached the extremity Of Asia
if not the islands themselves Of japan? Then the nor
and impressive ceremonas Of the Roman Church AM
the frequency Of its services delighted the
japanese who, in all probability, would have paid far