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 produced SO much peace
and plenty, such wealth and comfort for
a whole people. There is spiritual EN-
peror or chief priest, who takes no part
in governing the country, and who resides
in sanctiied retirement at Miaco.
There is governing Emperor, who has
his seat in the vast castle overlapping
Jeddo. There are $50 petty princes or
lords, each exercising sovereign rights on
his own territory, and paying teudal hom-
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 surprising that
they act in some way as a governing
council @ - aa5Iag b.: r. IA. {.
We are informed that there are parties,
as among ourselves-one conservative,
protective, and exclusive; the other pro
gressive, 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 we'll constructed Notifications Of
Jeddo show some knowledge Of the art of
war, but none Of the correspondents saw
battalion under arms. 81 ,l...> Z
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 perplexing 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 beggars, with feudal aristocracy and
no signs Of oppression or strife, with great
wealth, no poverty, with simple, frugal,
social life. H..
Have we come upon nation. who have
solved problems that have bahied the
wisdom Of Europe? Have we found a
people who enjoy all the advantages, all
the material prosperity deriyabie tror l
civilization without suffering from any Ct
the vices or diseases, moral and physical
of oil societies a.~as a, 1t ;.
/ As yet, we have not penetrated beyon i
the surface. If the japanese be really
what they appear to be, it seems a pity
that they should be subjected to Europea II
intrusion Undoubtedly have we INQUIRE d
a heavy responsibility by bringing theu,
into close contact with what we must c; ii
superior civilization. But the die is ca: t,
and higher power has decreed that no
community shall be- permitted to isols te
itself from the rest Of the world. In the
very future Of things it is not possible
that Japan could much longer renn in
;: hermetically closed. Such mystery as
now surrounds that wonderful country, Sc
long self sustained and self supportiI g,
will soon be dispelled. Observing trv-
elers Will follow in the track Of commerce,
and tell us how much of the apparent
social virtues Of the Japanese is lacquer,
how much rests on substantial substrat1,m
of morals. What is now clouded will be
made clear by the light Of investigation
Meanwhile we may wait patiently, and
hope that we, at least, will play Chris
tan part toward the people whom We
have constrained to admit us to tree
intercourse. . H.. ,s1#