The New York herald., 1868-08-18
The News from Jnpnn and China.

| The News from japan and China.
The news from Japan and China, and from
Japan particularly, published in the HERALD
yesterday is highly interesting. This was
brought by the Pacific Mail Company's steam
ship Colorado The dates from Yokohama are
up to July 26, and from Shanghae and Hong
Kong to July 15-that is, twentyone days from
Japan to San Francisco and thirty days from
| China This is not the quickest time that has
been made, for the Colorado met strong head
winds the entire homeward voyage. Still it
shows rapid progress in the communication
and intercourse of the United States with these
populous and rich countries of Eastern Asia.
The Pacific Mail steamships are becoming
success, and are the pioneers of vast COM
merce about to be developed between Asia
and America. AS an evidence Of this we no
tice that the Colorado brought eight hundred
Chinese steerage passengers, beside cabin
passengers, and twenty thousand packages of
tea and silk for the United States and Europe.
In Japan there had been some fierce battles
between the forces and partisans of the Mi
kado, the Pope of Japan, and the adherents Of
the Tycoon, the temporal sovereign. Jeddo
the capital Of the empire, is the stronghold of
the Mikado and his northern partisans. This
city was attacked on the 4th Of July by
twenty thousand southerners, the supporters
of the Tycoon and the princes who adhere to
him. The news, however, is brief and not
very clear as to the rival parties. Still it
appears that the southerners, or Tycoon party,
which were repulsed on the first day, renewed
the attack the next day and were entirely
successful. Half the city of Jeddo, it is said,
was destroyed by fire, including two large
temples. Another terrible battle was fought
| at Tichino, about eighteen miles south Of
Osaca, in which the Mikados general, Sat-
suma, was defeated with great loss. The
general tenor of the news shows the decline of
the Mikados power and the success of the
Tycoon's party.
Some features Of the news are very shock
ing. 1t appears that Satsuma, the Mikado's
general, had issued proclamation condemn
ing all native Christians to death, and
| that several executions had taken place
at Nagasaki and Sendai, within sixteen
|
from Nagasaki that one hundred and fifty
Christian Japanese had been taken out of that
town and drowned in spite of the remonstrance
of the foreign consuls there. 1t said, however,
that the northern princes have, both on their
| own part and on the part of the Mikado, made a
proposition to refer all differences between
them and their opponents for settlement to
England, France and the United States, and
have agreed to bind themselves to the arbitra-
ment of these Powers. Their desperate situa-
ton has led them, probably, to this step,
though they are bitterly opposed to foreigners
and foreign ideas and influence. If this be
true there is some reason to hope for settle
ment Of the difficulties in Japan. At all
events the great Christian and commercial
Powers cannot witness long the outrages upon
and wholesale murder of native Christians and
the Interruptions to trade.
II is evident from these and former events in
Japan since that country was opened to for
eign trade and intercourse that the ia
panese are destined to succumb to the
power of modern civilization. Chris
tianity and the commerce of Christian
nations 60 with gunpowder aud the cannon
ball. This seems an anomaly, but il
is nevertheless true. The progress of mo-
dern and European ideas in such countries
arouses the hostility of the old conservative
and privileged classes. This has been the
case particularly in Japan where the chic of
the native religion and priesthood be- s1ge-
reign power divided with the tempora. ruler
We have seen what desperate struggle the
Pope Of Rome has made in modern times for
the maintenance of his privileges and power
Need we be astonished, then, that the Mikado
of Japan should make a desperate fight for his
ancient privileges? Yet he must yield to des-
tiny; and above all he will not be permitted TO
outrage humanity by the wholesale slaughter
of the converted and progressive Japanese.
AZ to the news from China, that's more salts
factory The imperial government is putting
down and Furnishing in an exemplary manner
the pirates that infest the coasts and rivers of
the empire American Improvements are being
adopted and enterprise encouraged Among
the latest improvements proposed to be intro
duced are the American fog horns on the
Yangtse river Foreigners had begun to pros
pect and develop the gold diggings at Chez Foo.
The rebels, who have been formidable fol
several years past, appear to have succumbed
aud the imperial government seems TO be more