Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-04-16

!.
Though the ssAbassy now on its way to this
country is the first that has ever been sept to
any lfoieasedly Christian nation BY the central
tgovernment ofJtpan, yet Il has been preceded
By ono OthsT, only emanAting from different
source. The facts In conn ection with that
event are interesting at the present moment
and the lessons conveyed BY them important at
all tmes. Let US Bet out by observing that
while hAtROvernment fesemblesthe Chinese 70
some extent In It's foreign policy, The difference
IN most other respects is striking. The. two
nations belong to races essentially efficient;
their languages arc as unlike as Sanscrit and
OherOkes, and their forms Of government as
diverse as The patriArchAI and feudal The
native Of Japan considers Il an insult to be even
compared With John Chinaman.
The exclusion Of Europeans for 80 many
ages By the Japanese was also owing TO diff
forent causes from those operating on their
western neighbOrs. In the one case the imperial
policy aiued at fostering agriculture, to the
discouragement Of foreign commerce; in the
other its object was simply self.PFeServasiOn
against conquest BY more powerful Nations
The one people have uniformly evinced sn un-
willingness 70 accept the IDEAS or improvements
Of more advanced communities, the other have
been as invariably ready 20 tak0 advantage Of
every opportunity 70 learn, until they felt that
with Christian science aud art tho Christian
religion was 70 be introduced; and with the
latter national Bubiugstion and ultimate extinc.
ton would fellow. While reRretting a result
which had kept generous people so long in
seolusion and comparative darkness, let due
credit be awarded 70 the patriotic and far see
ing policy which dictated il, The convenient
doctrine that the nearth is the Lords; that He
has given il 10 tho gaints; that we are the
~ II. al.
by no means confined 70 the early Puritan set.
tiers of New England, Il was principle unis
VERBALLY acted upon three or four centur, es
ago, whenever the ability 10 enforce it existed.
When the Portuguese first reached those
shores, accompanied by missionaries Of the
Society Of Jesus, about A. d. 1549, Japan, like
Germany was divided into q largo number Of
petty prineipalities, owing fealty to the En-
perOT, whose authority, however, was often
little more than nominal, IL we are to credit
the accounts, sc. Francis Xavier and bis i'm
mediate assistants we're often endowed with
the power OF perioE mag the most stupendOus
miracles. Al all events, their Oamsstness and
boldness, the austeFity Of their lives, Joined 10
the superior knowledge and tact which they
possessed, soon had the effect of commencing
The doctrines 10 number Of the great vassals
Of the Empire, especially on the southern ISL
andB.
When Louis Alymoda frat paid a visit to the
princes Of Kiu siu, they almost quaErelled for
the homer Of hiS aequa. ntance and granting the
first establishment for the new faith. Portu-
gueSe settlements, accordingly, sprang up at
numerous points, Nagaski among Others, and
the work Of proselytism went on at a rapid rate
for nearly forty years, until it was estimated
that the number Of native Christians approach
III -. Al.
princes Of Omura, GOtto, BungO and ArimA.-
The conversion Of Sumitanda, the first chief
tain who embraced Christianity, was especially
propitions, as his death proved the signal for
those disasters which ultimately overwhelmed
The imperial throne was at that time filled
by the celebrated Taiko Sams, who had risen
from the humblsst position, and who possessed
an unusual amount Of penetration and decision
Of character. Observing the progress of the
Spaniards in the PHILIPPINES, ,!.snd urged forward
by the priests Of the ancient religions, his pre-
deeessor had begun 10 show marked dislike
towards the missionaries. Fearful Of bad con-
sequences, the Christian princes, in 1884, de.
cided 70 send an embassy to the Pope and the
King Of Spain; accordingly, four Japanese Of
the highest rank were forthwith despatched on
that efTand. They were favorably rece we'd ct
Rome and Madrid, tEavorsed the greater part Of
Italy and Spain, and returned highly delighted
with their treatment and what they had seen.
Unfortunately, short time afteTward Sums
itandA died, and Affairs began to wear gloomy
aspect. The Emperor despatched two COM
miusionsFs to Father Cusllo, Vice-provincial,
asking why the Christians were forcing theiE
creed on subjsets Of the Empire-why they
bad destroyed temples and persecuted the
! bonzeS-why they consumed useful animal for
t,>od-aRd why they carried away his subjects
and sold them in lndis ss slavesi To some
Of these evlsivs answers were returned; but
the first sud last were admtted, Indeed, the
Fathers boasted Of having levelled three thous-
and temples or other idolstrous edi6ces to the
ground. An edct against propagating the new
faith followed, and IN 1887 some twenty-five
or thirty persons were executed. All the mis-.
sionsrieg at the same time were expelled, and
forbidden 70 return 10 the country.
That storm blew past, and again the Fathers
entered upon their work, with comparative in
difference on The part off the central government.
IN 1890 il burst forth a second time, when over
twenty. .thona4nd Christians were put 20 death
in various ways. The leaders Of the Jesuits
had plunged deeply into intrigusa, end the at-
tempts made by the Portuguese TO foFtify Ne
/ qaaaki had excited the utmost alarm at heads
quarters. Persecution recommended in 1897,
when several priests were oruoifsd. Shortly
Afterwards the Dutch appeared AZ new actors
on the scene. Their intense hatred to Spain
and the Pope whetted their natural aVaricious-
ness, ana a most bitter rivalry for the CON-
meFce ofJapan was the necessary Consequence,
/ Tho errors committed by Portuguese priests
wers duly turned 70 account, and every means
made use Of 20 indame the native mind against
the Catholic religion. When the Last massacre
took place, and thirty-seVen thousand Chris.
tians geFO buicheFed atthe ssck Of Simm-baEra
on the 18th Of April, 1887, the walls were bat
tered down by Dutch cannon Since that date
tbs Catholic religion has never dared to show
itself in those islands, and ne people except the
Dutch have been allowed 10 trade there,
Even the faithlessness and Fapacity Of these
/ traders, who submitted 10 tFampls upon the
symbol ofCh1iltianity and adjufsdi its Founder,
subjected themselves 70 fate little bettor.--
! They were required 70 pull down their fsctorics
because built Of too costly materials and bear
ing the date OF the Christian era. n spite Of
every attempt TO pFopitiats the Japanese, they
were treated with greater indignities end their
privileges stil further restricted, until only
one island (Deoima) wss open 20 their vessels.
This spot--64Q By $40 seet--WaS duly fenced
IN, and psyond its limits no Christian dared 70
venture under the Peuuly Of death. Spies
watched every movsnsnt made and recorded
eyerv word uttered. Al last only q solitary
Dutch shlp every year was permitted to make
TIE sorry pilgrimage, and the trade, previously
70 Commodore Perry 'sexPedition, haddSindlsd
down 70 almost nothing.
Such Is bFiel outline Of the tro lbles IN Ja-
pan and The causes Of iss exclusive policy.
May they impress on ourselves the madness Of
that disposition, which il continual bent upO1
foFsign conquest, regardless Of the means and
the unutterablo loathSOmsness Of that lust for
gold which would saerieeo every principle,