Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1852-04-15
Japan.

U
which SO little is known 10 the civilized
world. as Japan. just at this time, when
our Government is fitting out large ma.
val armament TO visit that country, and
demand restitution for wrongs inflicted
upon many shi?wrecked mariners, il may
not be amiss TO burnish up our Tecollec-
tions Of that strange people. They are,
empha,ically, set of egclusiues, pto-
hibiting. with but one single exception.
all intercourse with foreign nations. A.
mong themselves, their trade and COM
merce is quite extensive, and in many
branches OF manufactures, especially in
porcelain, and what is now termed "Ja-
pan Work." they are great profcients,
exceliing even their neighbors, the Chi
nese. The cause of their grea, hostility
to foreigners, and their determined op-
position 10 every thing ike an intimate
traffic with other nations, is ascribed to
the Jesuits. in the early par, of the 10th
century, to convert the people to Cs.hol-
icism, and to root out the prevailing re-
ligion. This Society made great pro
gress there for time, until, finally, the
Government became awakened, and an
Indiscrimina,e massacre of all protesting
The Christian religion was ordered
This injunction was obeyed to the letter;
SO vigorously, indeed, that il is said that
but one of The missionaries was permit
ted to escape to Europe, and he was
commissioned "to tell the Christians
God that He would be served the same
way, provided He ever was found upon
their shores" ......
This occurred about the year 1910.
since which time It is made an offence.
punishable with death. for any japanese
to visit foreign land. And should one
of them be SO unfortunate as to be ship
wrecked on a strange coast, aud after
wards succeed in returning home, he is
made to undergo severe imprisonment.
examination and publication, before he
is again permitted to 60 at large. By
dint of great perseverance and bonuses,
the Hollanders are allowed to carry on a
small trade with them. They are limit
ed, however, to the port of Nangasaki,
to one factory, and to certain number
of ships per annum.
Their language, religion, and habits,
differ almost ia toto from those of the
balance of Asia, although the religion OF
Confucius. and likewise Buddhism, which
were introduced about the first century
of the Christian era, have obtained quite
hold among the people, and possess
not few devo,ees. The Emperor or
King, resides at the principal city of Jed,
do. supposed to contain upwards of a
million of inhabitants, and is regarded
as the ''son OF heaven parsonage too
sacred to be troubled with the. cares
OF the kingdom--too holy to be submit
ted to the gaze of man. and altogether,
by virtue of his relationship with the sun
and moon, as of too much consequence
to be exposed even to their bright and
glorious light. He dispatches all of the
affairs of bis kingdom. except, perhaps,
those pertaining to religion and the dis.
,ribution of offices, by deputy, who is,
in fact, "the power behind the throne.'
The population Of the country has
never been ascer,ained with any degree
OF accuracy, and probably never will be
until the churlish Islanders are flogged
into something like decent regard 70,
humanity. 1t is supposed to amount ,c
somewhere about forty millions. They
possess no navy al all. The coast il
bold and rugged. and the seaports are de.
tended la Chinese, by mud walls. &c
4 heir standing army is said to amount
to upwards of one hundred and fifty
thousand men, which can easily be m
creased TO four times that NUMBER
These troops. j. is true, are weighed
down by tier heavy silk wadded gowns
and their unskillfulness in the use o.
arms, not less tnan their want of disci-
pline. renders them. comparatively speak
ing, an insignifcantioe.
Their laws, which are so rigorous ts
all natives who may visit other countries
are none the less so in regard to ,hos.
who may be shipwrecked upon thei
coast, or whom curiosity or love Of gain
may tempt TO visi, them. They are i'm
mediately executed, or else forced to lin
ger out weary existence, IN some o
their dungeons.
Many American whalers are known
to have been wrecked upon these coasts