The weekly Placer herald., 1853-11-26

Still feel considerable dffidence in do
inS so. | am not only stranger to the
literary world, but ignorant of its usages;
and this being my first effort, thought
the foregoing, having local interest,
would form the best introduction | could
make under which to present myself tn
the favor of the public at large. So
now to my purpose.
The Empire of Japan is Of large ex-
tent, composed of a great number of Is
lands lying between the eastern coast Of
Asia and the western coast Of America,
and extending frota the thirtieth to the
fnrty-frst degree Of latitude, and from
I3O to lat degree Of east longitude. The
origin Of its people, their early history,
and its name, are buried in considerable
obscurity. The Europeans first called it
Japan-the inhaI itants mostly even now
call it Niphon, after the largest Of the Is
lands-a word bearing closer affinity to
the dialect of more northern Asia than to
the Chinese, to which, generally, it hears
great resemblance. Japan was first
discovered by the Portuguese in the time
Of their celebrity, according TO the best
authorities, about she year 1852; and il
was owing to subsequent treacbery on
their part, that the country remained so
long shut out from inter communication
with the residue of the world.
The better, however, to un Ierstand the
exclusvenes< in which the japanese have
existed for so many centuries, in spite of
the extension made by our own ce al
over the world during the same period, il
is necessary first to explain the religion Of
the Japanese. This religion is Paganisn,
hut unattended by those barbarities which
have marked its career and stained its
character throughout the main land of
Asia. Whilst amongst the ASlaStr tribes,
PaganiSm is a uniform whole, consistent
alike in its principles and effects, amongst
the Japanese it is divided into several
aectS, like our own faith, who singuarly
enough live together in the most perfect
harmony. Each sect, also like us. has J
itS own priests and its own temples; but
the most singular thing in this respect is,
that while all the sectS have what they
call spiritual Emperor styled daira a-sana,
as the chief Of their religion, they at the
same time invariably acknowledge and
honor Supreme Being independent Of
the daira-sama In this primary point,
therefore, they differ from the other Asiat-
ne ighbors the Chinese, whom in general
external appearances they most resemble
and appear 10 have most initiated Con
trary also to the general laws of PaganS
and Mahonnedans, their temples are
open to every Individual at all times
whatever his creed or country. This ia
indeed a singular fHct-but it is so.-
w hat therefore, may we not anticipate
from a people, after they shall have
known our laws, tasted our liberty, en-
joyed our freedom, and initiated our ex-
ample, when from the first, even amidst
the darkness Of heathenism, they not only
acknow' ed red, but practiced the divine
principle of religious federation.
Christianity at one time had made con-
siderable progress in Japan under the d-
rection Of the JesuitS of Spain and Por-
tugal, at the head Of whom was the
famous St Francis Xavier. Az in many
other countries, however, so in Japan,
Christianity was destroyed by Jesutical
intrigue. The JesnitS there, a, well IA
elsewhere, not satisfied with power with
out supremacy, commenced their dark |
and tortuous policy of intrigue, which,
after an iil-conducted conspiracy of the |
fathers aga inst the State, excited perSe
cution of forty years duration, and ended
bv a massacre 40 horrible in it's character
and extent, that the Bartholomew of
France becomes almost insignificant by
comparison. On its close the Portuguese
as well as all Christians were expelled the
country and the most precautionary and
effrctua means taken to prevent their re-
turn. How much mischief and evil-how
much crime and gull-how much murder
and deah-hOw many years Of horrible,
hopeless slavery, social corruption, and
religious degradation, have not the ac
cursed Jesuits fastened upon the human
race in all places and all ages. And still
thew exist Is rptribution never to come ,
upon them? Will civilized nations warm
and nurse them into life, until like vile,
cold, Shiny reptile as they are, they 60 on
writhing and craving onward, onward to
vigor and to power, only TO fix their pols-
onOus fngS deep into the hearts of all
people. From Ire and to Japan. from
Japan again to Ice and, the shades of
murdered millions cry aloud for ven
gaance-for the whole race of man, civil
lied and uncivzed to externinae their
name, Ms thoroughly y as Mahmond the
last Sultan of Turkey did that Of the
Janissares.
Some years afterward, about ] think
1911, the Dutch obtained liberty to open
a free commerce under imperial letters
patent, and established their first factory