New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-04-14
TRADE WITH JAPAN.

| tuah nhU OCcuTIeu IN japan was deprived
Of nearly all its significance and interest by
reason of the lack of correct information
concerning the form Of government in that
far distant land, and the misconceptions that
have prevailed here concerning its internal
affairs. 1t is time that this ignorance
should be dispelled. The whole of the
hitherto unknown land of Japan will soon
be thrown open to foreign enterprise and
trade; the completion Of our Pacific rail
ways will draw the greater part of the fer
eign commerce Of the empire to cur own
shores, and it will be well if we learn to
understand the peculiarities of the instiu-
tons of the people with whom we shall
soon have so. much to do. When one
speaks of the sovereign of Japan he is apt
to style him the tycoon, and this is such a
widespread opinion that when the $50
called brother of the tycoon visited En-
gland short time since he was received
there with royal honors. But the truth is
that there is no such thing as a tycoon
in Japan, any more than there is
a live gorilla in the museum opposite
the REPUBLICAN office. There is, however,
an official called the shogoon, whose bust
ness it is to represent and officiate for the
hereditary monarch of the country, the
mikado, just as the prime minister of
Great Britain may be said to represent and
officiate for the queen of that kingdom.
The principal difference is that while the
prime minister may be changed at any
moment by the vote of parliament the
Office of shogoon is hereditary, and has
been SO for the last 800 years, and is held
only by member Of certain noble families,
those of Mite, Kichu, and Dwarf. The
shOgoon. is selected by the monarch from
cut Of one Of these families, and his ap-
pointment is subject to the ratification of
the council of daimias, which is the
senate of Japan. The case is as if
our president was compelled to select
his secretary of state from one of the
three families Of Seward, Weed, or Ray
AANhN anu nc Il tlAC bChuiG vi OllCG law
gave to the one selected the right of hold
ing his Office for life. The mikados or
hereditary mOnarchs of Japan trace back
an unbroken line of ancestors for more
than 250O years. The first mikado as
cended the throne in the year 667 before
Christ, and his descendant new rules. They
were at FIRST spiritual as we'll as temporal
sOvereigns, but after the Buddha religion
was introduced, in 572 Ammo DOmini, they
gradually ceased to have any spiritual
character. 1t is common to say that the
person Of the mikado is regarded as
sacred, but this is true only in the
sense that the person of the queen of |
England or any European sovereign is
considered sacred. The office of sho-
COON is of comparatively modern origin.
1t was first created in 11s6, and it |
did not become hereditary until 1886. But
ever since the latter date the policy of the |
shogoons has been to endeavor to monopO-
lie the powers Of the government in their
own hands, and to curtail the authority of
the sovereign. Endless civil wars have
grown out of this attempt. The mobiles of
the empire for The most part sided with the
king, and by their assistance he has been
enabled to hold the sbogoons until lately
in. check. Now, it came to pass that when
the Americans and English, few years
ago, made their advent in Japan, and began
to make plain their determination to COM
pei that country to enter into commercial
relations with the rest Of mankind, the wily
shogoon took advantage of their ignorance,
and made them believe that he was the
sovereign of the empire. Under this delu-
ZION the treaties that were made were
effected with the shogoOn, who had no right
% bind the country to abide by his bar
gains. The shogOon reasoned with himself
n this wise: the entry of foreigners is in
'Vitable, and I will make what can out of '
for myself and my friends. They shall 4,
rade at the ports that are in my possession | !
nd under my control; we will tax the goods l
he foreigners bring in; we will tax the goods G
nat are sold to them, and will use the men !
Y thus obtained to learn the usa of steam. )
nd to buy foreign weapons of war, with G
Fhich we can in time make another and I
uceessfnl effort to overthrow the mikado,
nd take the control of the government \
ito our own hands. But not leng since
le foreign ministers in Japan learned how
ley had been deceived, and much, against .
le will Of the shogoOn, they made their i
'ay to the mikado, and obtained the rati- n
cation Of new treaties with him. The no. u
les, or daimias, who sustained the king had 5,
OF been ignorant of what was going on, d
I'D having arranged their plans, they be-
N the work Of suppressing the shegOon, A
hich they accomplished by coup d'etat q
Mako the other day, of which the ae- "
'unts have reached us, dignifed by the ii
anne of revolution. Il resulted in the re- n
rement of the ahOgOon to his country a
at, where, at the latest accounts, he was n
alternating as to whether be would resign e
I'd give place to successor who will not y y
tempt to seize upon power that does not
slong to him, or call his friends around
IA, and make another struggle for the !,
ipremacy. The foreign ministers, on !,
hem he relied for support, finding that he II
ID deceived them, have announced their in
,tsrminatlon to have nothing more to do