Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1858-12-18
GNurccsttr Daily Spn,
EASTERN ASIA.

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practical governors They are of two races.
The spiritual emperor resides at Miaco, a city
of half a million population, and Is descend
ant of the old race, who can trace back their \
pedigree for $500 years, but who were driven
from the throne by the ancestors Of the pont-
cal emperor, who resides at Jeddo the capital
the largest city in the world, and, according TO
late accounts is one Of the neatest and finest
covering more territory than London, and con
tanning three millions of inhabitants. The
spiritual emperor is heavenly beng, who
never leaves his palace and whom the people
never see. Everything he wears or uses In
the day is destroyed at night, and replaced
with new He never dies, but his spirit enters
occasionally into a new body. From nm
have sprung, as they would have us belleve
the thirty millions of Japanese The govern
inc emperor. who is a grade lower, is allowed
to leave his palace once in two years, but then
all his subjects must leave the streets, and
close their doors and windows for while cat
, NAV look upon the king in Europe the people
may not see the emperor in Japan. The active
emperor is bound to visit the spiritual, as an
Acknowledgement of supremacy, but OF late
years he has become less subserVlent anu
chooses to send agents.
After the reigning houses, the whole coun-
try, divided into provinces, is held by Princes
or feudal lords, who maintain seml-lndepen-
dence at their homes, but are obliged to live
with their families half the year at Jeddo, and
allowed to be on their estates the other nan,
leaving their families as hostages OF hdehtY 10
the central power. This rule it is that makes
Jeddo so great, for there centres the wealth,
power, learning, and fashions of the several
hundred provincial princes, who live i'll royal
manner The city is thus described in letter
to the London Times:
"Jeddo, without exception, is one OF the nm |
est cities in the world-streets broad and good
and the castle, which includes nearly the whole
centre of the town, is built on slight emil
nence There are three walls or enclosures
round this quarter. Within the inner, the
Tycoon Emperor and heir apparent live
The houses Of the princes and mobiles are
palaces, and you may imagine the size, when
some contain 10000 followers. They are built
in regular order, forming wide streets some
forty yards broad, kept in perfect order; an
immense court yard, with trees and gardens,
forms the centre of each enclosure, III the
midst of which is the house Of the owner; the
houses containing the followers, servants, sta
bles, &C. form this large enclosure They are
built of one uniform shape The gateways
leading to the court yard are exceedingly
handsome of massive woodwork, ornamened
with lacquer and other devices From the
road that leads by the mOat to the second wall,
is one of the finest views ever recollect see
ing-on one side the Gulf Of Jeddo, with the
a portion of the great city of Jeddo, with Its
trees and gardens and antique temples, and
densely crowded streets, extending as far as the
eve can reach; then there is view OF the
trees and green fields in the distance, far away
beyond a thickly built suburb But the most
striking view of all is that close by, the well
kept green banks of the second defence, rising
some seventy feet from the broad moat below
with grand old cedars over a hundred years OF
age growing from its sides. The fine timber
the lay of the ground the water lilies in tn
moat, the grandeur, good order, and complete
ness Of everything, equal, and in some way
far surpash, anything have ever seen in Er
rope or any part of the world.
There other large cities and lmpora1
places for the Japanese an intelligent Ell
terprising, and wealthy people famous 10
good agriculture, a variety OF manufactures
and much trade Thus they have been know
ever since Marco Polo, the Venetian, who Wis
tied them in the thirteenth century He term
ed the principal island the Golden Island, ant
his story it was that inspired Columbus will
the idea of discovering Western passage
When Columbus discovered Cuba, he though
it was the same Japanese island that Marc
Polo called Zipangu. The Portuguese wer
there next, in the sixteenth century and by
them Christianity was introduced Here la
bored the great and good Xavier, the apost
of the Indies. After them came the Dutch
and soon occurred the religious strifes, that, il
1857, shut Japan against the civilized world
and banshed the Portuguese, their mother
and nurses, and whatever belonged to them.
Thousands of the japanese Christians were il
arms in defence of their faith; but the Dutch
who loved trade better than heaven, j0ine
the native authorities, and forty thousan
Christians persisted and as a reward tn
Dutch were allowed little island in the han
Dor of Nagasald The Christians died wit
heroism, and when led to the stake, took thei
little infants in their arms, and chose to max
martyrs Of them rather than leave them
the hcathen
From that day to 1858 the cross has bee
trampled on in contempt of Christianity, an
the nation has been selfimprisoned in thei
own islands. In 1854, Com. Perry visite
them in the steamer San Jacinto and negotis
ted a treaty. Before that, there sprung, prov
dentially, in all Eastern Asia, a desire 70
trade and hence there are two parties, on
adhering to the old order of things, and the Otl
er progressive. The former in Japan, are tn
common people. The stories of the feuds an
wars, and massacres of former times, renal
with them, and they fear what may happe
from commercial intercourse. The progressive
are the mobiles and learned men, who have il
formed themselves of what has been going o
in the world, and who would break down a
barriers, but for public oppression. Com. Pc
~ made his treaty, and he gave to the EmperC
the presents prepared for him-a magnetic te
egraph, miniature railroad, an improved gul
and showed them the superiority OF steam
war. The japanese were favorably impresse
with these marks of friendship, and read
to improve thereby. This year. when tn
Powhattan visited them, they had a steamer
their own, manned by japanese, and manage
by japanese engineers. They were abou
building railroad seventeen miles long, an
they had thousand guns, cast like the OF
presented them, which they fired on the Al
of July and Washington's birthday, in hont
of the Americans. They are very eager
learn, and quickly acquire information.
When Com. Perry left in 1S4d, he was su
ceeded by Mr.. Harris, American consul, Il
same who negotiated our treaty at Siam,
man who had travelled extensively among Il
Eastern nations, and was awake to the dut,
of his station. He acquired knowledge
the language, and what was more, the con
dence of the government, and now we he;
that he has made a new treaty more liberal Il
Ntrade, abolishing the practice of trampling
the cross, allowing Christian worship in Japa
and providing for many privileges adva
tageous TO both parties. In another year
shall have a resident minister in Washingto
from Jeddo The British and French followt
up these advantages, and likewise made ne
and liberal treaties. The country is open, AZ
thus has fallen down the last embattlement
exclusive policy. Trade will follow.-IIo
extensive, time only can tell but some of d
British papers predict that it will not be le
than with the great Chinese empire. Thu
day by day, the division lines between natio
and races disappear, and we are hurried on
the era of universal commerce. and we mi