The New York herald., 1868-04-22
}. A p A N
The Imperial Situation Before
the Civil War.
caizure of the Mikado, Battles
and Decapitations.
Native Oligarcbs and the
EoTeign interests.
spscnl CORRESPONDENCE OF TINE HERALD.

SptCEl CVaHsSpoRutNCs Ut The HERALD.
Tae Political Situation Before the Civil v mr.
Resignation of the Tycoon and n so ,thern
Ciigarchical ConfederaiiOn--Seiznre or the
Yonng Mikado-The New Poris--Ba ,,,es and
Wholesale eDecapitntions--F -ForcignJ .osscs,ua
Assaults on Foreign Seamen-Ac, ion or tho
NObles-A COnferenee-War a1J Trod. Re.
ports.
YOKOHAMA, Japan, farcb 1ses
Much OF the events transpring sly zee the denartsre
OF the steamer Great Republic Jam ,ary 2s must have
oeen mace known IN America by the overland mai, |
via Europe. The status at that te was nc lellous-
Stotsbashi, the Tycoon, hay lnq resiunea a ron |
federation OF the Dalmios p iDees, from tbe ont,
of the empire, were using her inauence sv,b tho
Mikado spiritual emperF r TO have him uttor,y |
crushed The Tycoon De- us sn cal, him se, ,uo. ~
OSAKA assisting at the opening of that port and the
neighborlpg port OF logo to foreigners os over
tised for January l, urrent year
'he m'Aaoo was at Kioto, not far distant ana
specuation was RI e as to the issue or the rneet,s
OF all the DaimF IS and the Tycoon. The berson
OF the young M's ado was seized by SAT- una, Chogn.
Tosa and others of the Tycoons eyenss and then tie
real trouDie ommenced. Two AZ least of s,hsae
names are ief iliar as having be Al war with for
eigners smce the country was opene7 by Cornfsodore
Perry a
on tbsseiznre OF the Mikads tneirycoon red from
kioto 70 bsaca and took refuiye in mis- strtlg castle
of dlsaGected Damios.
Meanwhile up at Yeddo Atthe Tycoores c,pitaD the
yash1Si' or palaces OF the aih os air OF whom had
been compelled in former years 70 maintain
estaB shments there, were being dismantIed
and yhe effects being rcrno5ed TO r. rspective
terrs @ orles OF ,he Prnces ahe retarers OF Prince
hoIee OF Ranins lnun OF tad character owning
s asasSS 70 dT m9 % e % se of these
Tyooon's lieutenant in ibe absence OF ther master
authority the tecaptason of The me t,senner and
returniSg ms head with abusive me- sages The
result. was battle, attended with rig htfIl loss of
iile and She escsoe of portion osh ft)rce from she
yashikt who cut their way to a VESSEL of sasurna's
IN nd rom s out OF o " being % @ and fought
sells, sst making az good their escar3to htsuma.
The Tycoon refused to allow thcn to pass out. Sat
suma placed himself at the head of his troops ana
marched out from Kioia to compel their delivery.
The Tycoon learning this marched 1t to give battle
by some unaccountable binneer ~ ae forces of the
Geally composed of the troops o I several of the
Southern Daiinios besides satsuma IS reianers)
and the Gmy OF the Tycoon .e badly beaten
Stotsbashi himself sought refuge the United States
steamer lroquois, and thence transferred himself
and oncials 10 one OF his own stea lners and steamed
away Tor Jeddo. Satsuma, on tax ing Osaca burned
the magnificent palace Of Lhe Fcoon 10 equalizc
matters She Tycoon having burno Il one OF Satsumas
some eighty prisoners brought up by the
tycoon who relieved his mort ffcaton by having
them drcap,tated precaGaon Which Satsuma had
observed with great care IL regard TO the prisoners
takce az the battle.
January 81 the town OF KanaCawa lying between
YoS~hsma and Jeddo, was burned by some OF sat
suma's sympatazers. Upwards of three miles along
the 'Rocaida ttle great government road running
all through the empils1 was burned, and thousands
subscription, and the aext day DR. Hepburn and
aDother good hearted nissionary 10 be seen dis
truting rice and blaDkos to the unfortunaes on the
OF the confiagratio1.
After Stoisia shs niehl the foreigners al Osaca a.
serbiso at Hlgo leaving their goods and chatels TO
destruction. The Dutch Trading Company are said
tc have lost $4,000 worth OF goods in thie way.
UIliiG the guns or the British, French and Amerj-
can'Eea-of-wr, with temporary earthworSs thrown
the Soreigncrs we're safe enough, but one knew
bSw the Sasuma faction might he disposed towards
fsretars1s. and the situation was one OF peril
The folowing day an ARRAY occurred between some
Fvencb marines anl body Of armed Japanese pass |
iBgnesr, ,he ponlt at whth the foreigners were and
several toreigneis--one "an American sailor-were
The ioreigners by wnom this difficulty occurred
wee clearly IN the wrong. They persisted in cross |
tDanse head Of tie japanese column-aways deadly
Insult VA Japan-and were snally attacked by karoo
or retainer OF Prince Bneu, whose retaincrs CON-
poss.lsthenorce.
The iorelrners ignorant Of the origin of the array
angfniy knowing that the &Ourly expected outbreak
haG ssegon acted with great spirit turning ont
pn3iliEtly AN ,irvlse the JaEanese 70 tho hills One
adsohsiiroH- Young American pushed after them AZ
long az the daylight gave hiiG chance TO 'potn
rne fareign mnisera seized rs hostages for this af
fair tlie Japanese steamers lys, OF Hiogo which be-
on9edno pItaees ignonsnt Of se whole transaction,
afne tD'rith q suite aSlong W nom was an inter-
retef, ani maae commanication TO this elect
iat the MikaSsc assumed actgl control of the en-
e by rI,nt az supreme ,.jler uet council was ap-
ihlen 10 nlaf3ue matter tine BlkaGO being a boy |
N the -orihern Princes sis prcphets D, that all
Al ng reatca with foreigb,ouptras we're ratified by
nc new scvernn,eht, and a at The Mikado would be
cs os'bie fSt thefivcs anc iprolsry of foreigners
I'D ,ha, ihe Kero.s Of Bizel sho "a he punisbed.
Dn hs a>suance the vessels were,s leased and the
MIA ,eIs eiie1 we KING ttyteon, y dead Long
i've ne kiDg {Aikadu)l obHi,ous pf the fact mat
oris intercourse has always seen frsi,ysd by the
ryc.t =; and thai the Misadc has not vet even
allow, Il n foreign devil" TO roe lis face or
are -, posed Of acn whose icIer,s i,ss ylce be-.
brongu 10 su~aiss,On 10 foreign nierlcirsc only by
sg5pe ds anT asapelnT s"b,,... s,'Sne Fe e,ef s,s
rmgleai " Sats pash elder, ortss, q ,ibe ainented
have bsl hung any time for sesarsll years pat II
caught IA fokoha. va I
their ciiJ,ns and su veo's 70 return ae psica They
have aysiAd themse Nes of the lesu,s tnne sTorlc,
.subs ;@ get out psoa amason o. asatratv S % ~
which the. Mikado idu tco Ills Masssyn fsr the
yennite Articles substituted Tor recent high tened
uuesl apd y nee an snh,eca ana citizens are or
Of war n 10 ils.r pay@phere ueu,rai,y Jos "ovi
dey penah dire and rsys,s ,de, e, TIE gsnG
aud one speech 81 his should has cut to the qack
~ As cSsjf@a ofeJe meeting of mi, listers a, riisro
he refused TO act IN sending fulst ne answer by !
ehe Miksios envos. 81 have used such language
,Grsdted," " said 70 have been his Nnswer, and
his ssbsequept conduct us0es the belle that those
were eis senta-nents u not words.
yhe hikaao remains nj Kioio, where of course the
southern DaiIns,s are gathered together, Meatlng
WIZ ayMbbt tne bfCoVn. WHOM tncy nave pt ''".ueu |
tbe Mkado to outlaw. Sateuma has been given
charge OF Esgasaki, Iiiogo Osaca with Tn Gus
toms dntes tbereunto ,apperaining and beion ing,
snd ontie- are paid to that princes officals.
The Tycoon n at Jeddo, arming and organiz ng
Iof LIE struggle. He retains supremacy at Y0k,
mama and hokodadL Thus you zee, a foreigner ia
Japan at present has choice Of rulers, while hrs
national representatives are accredited TO one, nc,
kncwengng 'he other and declaring both az 4
and neither beligerens. This state Of anairs s 10
be regretted on every account. |
The exciting topic OF the day IL, are we 10 have 7.
war-actnal @ naniing around u.s. The best informed
A bout this natufe:-That chance exists Of the Nj