Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1859-01-06
',Nayboen''--In, Japan aud Elsewhere.

o "Nayboen''--ln' Japan aud Elsewhere
4 b The recent visitors TO Japan mention a
curious custom prevalent there, called
"Nayboeli." or make believe" When
II is 1nconveni5nt or unpleasant to see
: things as they really are, the Japanese
: stoutly ignore the evidence of their senses.
g and pretend to see Just what they chose 70
, see, or what ought to be- Nayboen Is an
act OF special politenesss When guest
2 is boorish or-illnatured, the j Japanese gen
tleman interprets his awkwardness or ma
.ilerolen e by the rule of contrarics, and per-
si'is in speaking and acting as if Just the
right and pleasant thing had been done.
When rnandies in debt, he is supposed
! to be alive and Iii, family draws his in
come rrgula ly till the cred tors are satis-
ned. If man commits suicide on ! e.
ing insulted. as the custom is in Ja-
pan, he is not considered dead until
1 considerable time has elapsed. and then
ldt is charitably given out that he died
OF disease. And all these II IA ant flc
tions are faithfully kept MP, with most
admirable feigning. although all the par.
ties know they are mere fiction Indeed.
ut docs not seem to be the object to deceive:
but only to palhate what cannot be rem
edled by assuming the contrary to be true.
So when Lord Elyin, the British ambass
ador, boldly dashed into the harbor of
! Jeddo, from which foreigners are strictly
xcludcd, the Japanese authorities, not
daring to order him back, resorted to the
usual device Of Nayb zen, and made believe
that Lord Elgin was not in the harbor at
all, but somewhere else, and as being
somewhere else, gave him a cordial wei
come.
y very convenient and pleasant custom
! Is this Nayboen. but the explorers of that
singular country are mistaken in suppos-
ing that it is peculiar to Japan. Make
believe IS one Of the most universal eff in
sttutlons. Wherever society is most cul-
tlvated and refined it is most known, and
1t Is one OF the essential requisites to ad-
mission into good society and to popular
ity there, to know Just how much of So
clal intercourse is Nayboen and how much
is real, and no sin is so hardly punished
as failure to draw tue line between tho
real and the make-believc in the right place
and act accordingly. 1t is an excess of
frankness aul sincerity, and want ofskill
IN the Interpretation and use of Nayboen,
that city and town people count greenness
In their country friends; and everybody
should know that this simplicity is more
serious offence against good society than
any moral imperfection of character. In
deed good society takes no account of per-
sonal character at all, but looks at il in
the light Of Nayboen, and makes believe
that 1t Is In every case immaculate. All
that it requires is sufficient tact and skill
to practice upon all within the charmed
circle that Nayboen, which much more
surely than Christian charity, covers a
multitude of sins.
Z BUTT is in the realms of diplomacy and
politics that Nay boen has its perfect exer-
else. The line between the real and the
assumed is so carefully concealed that only
few of the initiated see where It lies. and
the scene-shiitiHg and machinery of the H.
lusion are SO adroitly managed thatvery few
people suspect that what they see is no re-
allty We do not believe the fattest and
sleckcst of the japanese courticrs can play
Nayboen up to the style of our democratic
He didit admirably all through
the changes of the Kansas comedy. per-
forming the astounding eyolutions from
'quatter sovereign, to no sovereignty at
Ill, but a necessary and unavoidable DOM
nance of slavery, with all the nonchalance
and agility of the most practiced artists
tus has most notable exhibition of Nay
Doen is his last. 1t is most wonderfully
lone. but shows sich breadth of contrast
between 1.-The actual and assumed that
he spectators find it hard to persevere the
gravity required by japanese politencss.
We alludc to bis famous Duquesne let
er. Mr. buchanan hears, and he fears il
nay be true, such is the sad degeneracv of
hese times, that money has been used to
influence elections If such an alarming
act be fact, Mr. Buchanan sees in il the
mems OF corruption and sudden decay TO
ur glorious istitutions--in fact the wreck
i the national union and the blight of all
ur hopes. See the good old gentleman.
he stands agllast before the spectacle
reated by his'ow apprchensionsl You
hlnk it is real do yous-you imagine the
eteran politician is actually distressing
lmself over the idea that somebody's vote
as been bought, and that ,conseouently
lie purity Of elections and the stability cf
lie whole fabric ofthe' government is i'm.
erilels Oh boshl-bywhie we mean
Japanese, OH Nayboenl The old chap
shamingfor moral effect, Just ias the
rientals lspigtais,aow when they think they
mt do beitersisDoyou, suppose that our
neutrality-suspicious. is so short Ia his mem-
y that he does not recolect that little
after of some. tlIousand. dollars furnished
Z Massachusetts ship-luilderr to buy
ties, for one James Buchanan in Pennsyi-
mia and thus elect him to the presidency
ID that lthe'aforesaid contractor has been
ld for that slight investment, with some
p hundred per cent interest. by the gov
nment purchasing up all his old useless
nber at unheard Of prices, to s.lie in cold
livion and to rot" in the governments
lp-yards? Do you think he did not know
Ymuch money was extorted from gov
'ment employees at Washington to buy
tes to elect his Clancy Jones to Congress-
I'M Pennaylvania-an Investment that
not pay, by the way-and how savage
said employees grumble at the freanen-
of these drafts upon their salaries7 Do