The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-07-31
JAPAN AND CHINA.


From the NJ Y. Tribune.
There is enough in our present news from
japan to give to that neglected topic high
and dramatic interest. Never before have the
Japanese witnessed such an event as that of
the naval battle for the possession of Hako-
dad. We almost experience a new sensation
in reading that on the 20th of June the navy
of the Mikado, with a heavy modern arma-
ment, moved in and gave battle of twenty
six hours to the ships and forts of the anti
Mikado general, Enomoto. Two vessels were
destroyed by the forces of the Mikado, and one
of their own was blown up by shell; and
though it was said that several forts and line
of earthworks were still held by General
Enmoto, our special letters and dispatches,
both from Japan direct and by way OF Wash
ington, give equal report of the capture of
Hakodadi.
Here the war chapter of the Japanese ends
for the present. But in other respects the
affairs and progress of Japan are brought out
in bold relief. The remuneration by the
Daimios and Haitimotos of their enormous
feudal tenures, and the consolidation of
power in the hands of the Mikado, is a pro-
iect less deceptive than might have been i'm
agined. and much nearer to generalization
and accomplishment than has been conceived.
Japan, for wonder, has its own rather
mOdernized press, in which appear the letters
of a large number of Daimios who pledge
papers, land control, and retainers, into the
power of the Mikado. TO us these letters
may seem abject in spirit, but to the
slow japanese will appear to be ex-
pressons of patriotic self-abnegation and
of religious loyalty The Prince of Ise wishes
the NIikado to control all the lands of the
empire, and so makes a return of his
papers, his territory, and his people to the
throne. Yanagizawa, Prince of Shinano, aAers
L.. c,,l b, 1,N.,,
the Mikado, who is going to return to the
ancient government-such government, we
presume, as prevailed i'll the good green age
of Confucius and over that benevolent philo-
sopher rather than under him. Prince Choshu,
leading party of Dalmios, makes offer of his
substantial allegiance. But we detect the
secret of this general remuneration in the con-
fession of one of the Daimios that his lands
| are too extended and separate to govern, and
that all classes of his retainers are demoralized;
| and we fancy that when the Mikado comes
face to face with the work of organizing and
civilizing many thousands of unruly retainers,
the business of consolidation will still be a
| problem to him.
| The contrast between the situation of China
and that of Japan presents interesting fea-
lures. The Japanese troops are armed with
breech-loaders, and the general war service
of the country has a modern armament
Lighthouses, and hghtshlps, and hospitals
have been built, and coal mines are being
successfully worked in Japan. The blunder
ing attempt to force bad order of paper
money on the people had distressed the
financial situation at Yeddo, but the elements
there at work were believed to be more pro
gressive than those of native China. China
however, can boast of the remarkable arsena
and of the scientific ambition of which ou
correspondent treats-and here we pause
Doubtless her treatment here and there o
! foreigners is anything but wise or tender
Doubtless, also, the British Government hav'
fair reason-unpopular as that reason is eve
likely to be among those who are the imme
diate neighbors of the Chinese, and the wit
nesses of familiar inveracity-to put an EN-
to what Mr.. Secretary Otway calls gunboa
> policy.