St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1859-01-06

arena Of the COVE rnment or the institu-
tions that have prodncea SO much peace
and plenty, such wealth and comfort for
a whole people. Ihere is spiritual En-
peror Or chief priest, who takes no part
in governing the country, and who resides
in sanctitied retirement at Miaco.
There is governing Emperor, who has
his seat in the vast castle overtoE ping
Jeddo. There are 800 petty princes or
lords, each exercising sovereign rights on
his own territory, and paying tcudal hon.
age to the reigning Emperor These
mobiles are compelled to reside for half a
year in Jeddo, and when they are allowed,
in the other halt, to visit their est; ties,
they leave their families as hosta ges.
There is some ground for supposing that
they act in some way as !. governing
council.
We are informed that there are parties,
as among ourselves-one conservative,
protective, and exclusive; the other pro
gressiye, eager for improvement, and for
intercourse with European nations Even
political crisises are not unknown, and
changes Of ministers as with ourselves.
1t is difficult to discover what their mill
tary system is, if they have any.
The well constructed Notifications Of
Jeddo show some knowledge Of the art Of
war, but none Of the correspondents saw
battalion under arms.
There are police, but if we can believe
all that We are told, they can have but
little occupation. We are offered series
Of the most perplcxing problems. We
have presented to us an old country with
annals extending back, at least two thous-
and five hundred years, thickly peopled
without surplus population, Or paupers
or bcggars, with teudai aristocracy and
no signs Of oppression or strife, with great
wealth, no poverty, with simple, frugal
social life.
Have we come upon Il natlcn who have
solved problems that have bafAed the
wisdom Of Europe? Have we found :
people who enjoy all the advantages, al
the material prosperity derivabie fror
civilization without suffering from any
the vices or diseases, moral and physical
, Of OH societies
As yet, we have not penetrated beyon
the surface. If the japanese be real,
what they appear to be, it seems pit,
Y that they should be subjected to Europea
!. intrusion Undoubtedly have We incurrs
] Il heavy responsibility hy bringing then
, into close contact with what we must c; /
+ superior civilization. But the die is ca: t
. and higher power has decreed that IL
> community shall be- permitted to isols t
8 itself from the rest Of the world. In tn
$ very future Of things it is not possiJl
$ that Japan could much longer rem' i
+ Theoretically closed Such mystery a
. now surrounds that wonderful country, S
q Ions g self sustained and self supportiI /!
i will soon be dispelled. Observing tr;~,
s elcrs Will follow in the track of commerce
. and tell us how much Of the appar<
: social virtues of the Japanese is lacquer
how much rests on substantial substrat1n II
y of morals. What is now clouded will l.
G made clear by the light Of investigation
1 Meanwhile we may wait patiently, an
), hope that we, at least, will play Chris
e tian part toward the people whom "
: have constrained to admit us to tre
l. intercourse.