The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-01-08
Tycoon and 1Iikado.

The cable dispatches tell the wondrous
tale that the Tycoon of japan has abdica-
ted in favor of the Mikado, and that there
is. in consequence, considerable excitement
in the Empire.
1t is not expected that even an all-know-
ing American should have an intimate ac-
quaintance with the theory of government
in vogue -.n the skilful Japanners of
the East, any more than that he should be
able to tell with certainty whether there
was man-suffrage, woman-sufrage, negro
suffrage, or all three combined, in the last
comet which a collision with the sun brought
to an untimely end; but, as the purchase of
st. Thomas, Alaska, Cuba, Great Britain
and Polynesia may be followed by the pur-
chase of Japan, with its fifty millions of
industrious people, it is as well that Japan
ese history and manners should be studied
with view to the comprehension at least
of the distinction between mysterious Mi
kado and gorgeous Tycoon.
The Government of japan is hereditary
in character, the form being monarchical.
There are two sovereigns, the one an eccle-
siastical chief who is called the Mikado
and, the other a military chief called by us
the Tycoon and by the Japanese the Scojun
or Kubo. The latter is the true sovereign
as regards civil rule, and, with the assis-
tance of a council of five hereditary princes
and a senate which forms the legislative
body, he decides in all civil and criminal
cases. The Mikado has the entire super
intendence of religion and education, he is
looked upon as man of no mortal mould
and is treated with almost divine honors.
Mikado and Tycoon have been separate
in their functions although coequal in au-
thority and power. But King Tycoon has,
since the opening of Japan to the outer
world, been pestered with revolt and dis
affection and had no claims to divine au-
thority to shield him from danger or harm.
King Mikado has never attempted the diff
cult work of government, and, as it is al
ways better to rush to the ills that we know
not Of than to bear the ills that we have,
the japanese have been anxious for his
Spiritual Highness to fill the temporal
throne. 1t has not been an exchange which
is no robbery; it is an entire loss Of power
by Tycoon and doubling of power by
Mikado.
The banished Kings of Naples and Han
over, the Princes of Italy, the Dukes Of
Germany have now companion in distress.
Another monarch has retired from business,
and perhaps will seek in Europe the pleas
ures of private life Paris wants new
sensation and New York Graves O successor
to DICKENS. But banished Tycoon may be
less puissant than reigning Tycoon, and
when he has visited the New World he will
wonder that he could ever have been happy in
Japan when the men wear one petticoat and
two swords, where the women purple their
faces, blacken their teeth and pull out their
eyebrows. where the alphabet has forty
seven letters and women may not write in
the form used by the men, and where even
polygany is not permitted to be practiced.
These are great inconvenience to even
Japanese; and the Tycoon will soon find
that, if he has an abundant supply of money,
he can do thousand things in Europe and
the West, as private individual, which he
never could have done when surrounded
with all the pomps and splendors. of the
lacquered throne of Japan.
The King is dead, long live the King
Tycoon is gone, hurrah for Mikado