St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1859-01-06
From. the London Times, Nov. 8.
The Unknown Land.

Il marvel has been disclosed to us,a new
wonder has been opened to us. Suddenly,
as if by magic, we have revealed to us a
new people, with an unknown civilization
and unknown institutions. We have rent
the veil that shrouded the mystery which
has puzzled the world for centuries. Ac-
cess has been gained for the west to par
adisc in the cast The "brazen wall" of
protection which surrounded Japan has
been thrown down. The gates Of an c:x-
tensive, wealthy and populous kingdom
have been thrown open to the traders OF
the world And all this has been done
without force or menace by reason and
persuasion; and we may add by the pro-
gress Of enlightend opinions amongst the
Japanese themselves. Hitherto Japan
has been a sealed book, but now the seal
is broken. We knew indeed that the
country is about the size Of the British Is
lands; with nearly the same popula tion
and climate, and the same insular posi- tion
between great continent and a great
ocean. We had heard that the State is
governed by two sovereigns, one exc, cis-
ing the spiritual authority, and the other
conducting the civil and military rule
History has recorded that Japan was not
always isolated from the rest OF the world
or opposed the christianity.
MASSACRE OF CHRISTIANS.
Two centuries ago the Portuguese rnis-
sionaries were allowed the fullest latitude
for the promulgation Of their doctrin es-
Not satisfied with this freedom, they in
terfercd in a question Of disputed Success
sion, and brought the aid of the chr ;stian
population to the aid Of the candidate
they supported. Their Intervention was
followed by the most disastrous results, for
the party with which they joined proved
unsuccessful, and two hundred thousand
persons were slaug Uttered. Since ths t pc
riod Japan has been Theoretically closed,
not in the arrogant spirit which animated
the Chinese, but because the governme
dreaded renewal of interference, int rigues
and bloodshed. The Dutch alone were al.
lowed commercial intercourse under the
parrowest and most humiliating rest1 iction
|Shor two hundred years they were confined
TIA small Island, four hundred yards long
bNthree hundred broad; and until within
aasffaW years they were not allowed to pass
| the. Boundary Of their prison, or enter the
town, or the surrounding country. The
American expedition under Commodore
Perry, opened a postern to the empire
The residence of an American consul al
Simoda, and the visits Of Russian and
English ships during the late war, prepar
ed the way for a change, the inevitability
Of which, it is said was recognized by the
Japanese themselves. Mr.. Harris, the
resident Representative Of the United
States, proved himself an able, accom-
plished and indcfatigable pioneer Fo,
two years he labored to obtain a CONNER
cial treaty. and when the news reached
Japan Of the allied operation in the Pehio
his efforts were crowned with success
He did not strive to secure any exclusive
advantages for his own countrymcn, bu
assisted other nations to enter by the wa!
he made.
BRITISH TREATY.
The history of Lord Elyin's treaty il
full of novel adventure and strange sur
prises. While the British Pleni potenti
ary was engaged in bringing his negotia
tions with the Chinese to conclu sion, th'
American and Russian ministers proceed