Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-05-25
NM eaerar ma lhe 5apaneae.


e,,erey ana thc Japaneae.
., Several Of the clcrgymen OF Washington
are accused of being Extensively officious and
obtrusive in their efforts to convert the Ja-
panese to Christianity. Perhaps the best
way to carry on this work wpAld Ne to let
the strangers see he effect Of Christianity
upon the manners and habits OF the people.
We would not, of course, lay down so hetcro-
dox a rule as that the Christian religion
should he judged by the habits and manners
or morals of a Christian nation. PROPOSE
ton so destructive TO revealed religion would
not be tolerated in this community, and 'it
might soon bring out specimen Of, that
allowances ofthc free use of reason in reli-'
gious matters which the .Gazette facetiously
saws is the distinguishing characteristic of
an religions except the Catholic; but the
Japanese are heathens, and that is the view
they win take Of t. II is doubtful II they
will sec anything in the manners of the
Americans to convince them of the superb
orty of our religion. Compared with their
thoroughbred self-possession, dignity, re-
serve, courtesy and delicate sensibilities, the
manner of the Americans with whom they
have come in contact in all the official recep-
tions, seems coarse, vulgar and uncivilized,
even TO us. We can estimate how they must
appear to them. Il requires the utmost care
and an armed force to protect them from the
mob and from intrusion into their private
apartments. Nor is the vulgarity confined to
the vulgar OF American society. The first
ladies of Washington society, invited by. the
President to grace his official reception Of the
Embassy, mounted upon chairs and tables in
the east room, stretched their necks and
made feminine comments on the appearance
of the strangers, accompanied by the charm
| ing te, he, which so graces feminine observa-
tions; all this, while the strangers were OBJ
serving that ceremonious reverence which
they regarded as due to the head of a great
nation and to the occasion.
A correspondent also states that at the re-
ceptiOn given by Secretary Cass, ladies
crowded around the chiefs of the Embassy,
stared them in the face, and made personal
comments in their hearing, although some Of
them understood enough of our language to
catch the meaning. The Japanese notions of
propriety are offended by the way our women
mingle in public. They have taken every
means consistent with their politeness, TO
show that the intrusion of women upon their
notice offends their delicacy; and the expo
sure Of female charms which full dress allows,
aud the liberal possession of them which the
| fashionable dances allow, is shocking to their
inodesty, and not at all calculated to raise
our religion in their estimation.
What must anation so scrupulously ceanly
| as the Japanese, think Of a people whose
habits reduce every place of public resort to
a filthiness as offensive as the sty of the mos
uncIeanly animal? whose constant salivary
excretions make an eternal Stygian food o
nastiness, which defles the earth and smells
TO heaven; which, like the vermin of The
Egyptian plaques, enters into the most sacred
places and the most private apartments and
| is deposited in every corner. What can they
imagine from the zeal and industry and ap.
parent pride with which the American people
pour out this libation, but that it is reli
gious offering which we make to our deity2
i These people are heather. of course, the,
are incapable Of enlightened. Christian reason
ing Of course, in their Pagan darkness, the.
will look at the manners and morals of tn
people for evidence of the superiority of thei
religion, instead of looking at the beauty G
their faith; and it is quite doubtful whethe
they will see any thing in American manner
and morals to induce them to inquire int
the religion which produces such results
consequently, the laudable efforts of tn
Washington clergy will be vain, and the ia
panese will probably go back to theF annua
ceremony of trampling on the Gross witt
more gusto than before, from their acquaint
ance with the habits of people who put thei
trust in it. 1. rrs e.