New-York tribune., 1868-04-23
THE NRW ERA IN JAPAN.


The extraordinary dimensions which the civil
war in Japan has of late assumed cannot fail
to add largely to tho interest which the whole
civilized world has taken In tie wonderful
transformation of this country during the last
fourteen years. When the treaties with the
United States and Great Britain were concluded
in 1854, there was all over the world natural
curiosity to learn something of the remarkable
country which for fully two hundred years had
been able to live in complete isolation from
the rest of mankind. Nearly all the nations OF
Europe showed desire to enter into diplo
matte intercourse with the Japanese, and the
first treaties with foreign parties were followed
by treaties with Russia and the Netherlands
in 1850, with France in 1853, with Portugal IN
1860, with Prussia and the ZolVerein In
1861 with Switzerland IN 1854, with Italy IN
1885, and with Spain in 1867. Three OF the
best ports of the country We're thrown open to
the Treaty Powers, and lively commerce
sprang sp, the number of vessels entering
these ports amounting, in 1868, to ITO, and the
exports in vessels under the British flag rising
in the one year 1864-'65 from S9,941,4O4 to
$161S6,S23. Resident Ministers of most of the
Treaty Powers established themselves at YeddO,
and Japan, in its turn, sent special embassies
to the United States, France, England, and
other States, and last year appointed a resident
Consul General in San Francisco This con-
tact with the civilized world produced
powerful effect. Japan solicited and obtained
from the French Emperor able instructors for
her army. She imported books and steamboats,
from the United States and began to build
some miles of railroads and telegraphs. Prot
estant and Roman Catholic missionaries re-
explored the field which, more than two hundred
years ago, awakened an extraordinary interest
in the Christian world by an apparent incli-
nation to embrace Christianity. The Bible has
been translated into japanese, Japanese die
tOnary has been prepared, and 1T is even as
serted that among the descendants of the
Christians of the seventeenth century power
full movement toward an open profession of
the Christian faith has shown itself.
Thus the relations of Japan to the world
abroad have undergone a complete revolution.
IL was to be expected that the revolution would
not stop at foreign relations, but would
produce change no less radical in the home
government The relation of the Tycoon to
the Mikado was altogether abnormal and un-
tenable The Tycoon is not, as was formerly
believed, the Temporal Emperor but only the
first among large number of semi-independ-
ent DaimiOs. The MikadO is not, as was
formerly believed, the Spiritual Emperor but
he is the secular ruler of Japan, who, however,
has hitherto taken little or no part in admins
tration affairs. That a better acquaintance
with the governments of foreign cOun-
tries would change this unnatural state OF
things, was to be foreseeD. Either the Mikado
had to assert his supreme authority, or he must
anticipate that the Tycoon would become the
nominal as well as the actual ruler. The pres
ent struggle in Japan does not appear to have
originally been so much one between the Mi
kado and the Tycoon as between the Ty-
coon and a large number of the other,
especially southern, Daimios who have
seized the person of the young Mikado and
seem to use his name for breaking the preem-
inence which has been established in the course
of centuries by the TycoOns. But it is easy to
see that whatever may have been the occasion
for the war, the real point at issue is the reOr-
ganzatiOn of the Government of Japan. Ac
cordng to the latest Cable dispatches, the Ty
coon deies the authority of the Mikado. Hav
ing been beaten in an encounter with the hos
tile Daimios, he has collected at his capital,
Yeddo, new force, and instead of committing
hari-kari, he has taken the field for the defense
of his position.
1t has been common to represent the Tycoon
as the head of party friendly to the foreign
ers, and his chief opponents among the Dali
mios as the heads of an anti-foreign party.
Whether these statements were fully correct
or not, the MikadO and the Daimios who act
with him now disclaim all intention of vio-
lating the treaties. The foreign policy is to be
carried on in the same spirit as before, and
full indemnity is promised for every injury that
during the civil war may have been inflicted
upon foreigners. We think it likely that these
promises will be carried out. Japan could not,
if she would, retrace the step which she has
recently advanced in civilization The force of
circumstances will drive her forward, and from
the vigorous character of the people we have a
right to expect that she will be the first among
the East Asiatic countries to rise to level
with the more civilized nations