The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1872-07-19
me Japanese Embassy.

u
The japanese are evidently nj en-
terpFising people. and are blessed with
a government which Il fully aware OF
and determined to possess the adyan-
tagcs Of western civilization. Their
dignitaries, including the young ern-
peror. in their speeches, frequently
term the Christian people of the worM
1.-THE more enlightened nations, q
very suggestive fact. contraStctl with
tie opprobrious epliliet of ''outside
barbarians" applied to lls by the Chi
nese. The embassy numbers forty
nine persons, and Is almost entirely
composed Of young men. whose ages
do not otayerage twenty eight. one ofthe
oldest being iwakur, who Is only
forty-seyen.
While tile heads Of the embassy
mostly remain in Washington, or iiit
back and forth to Japan, Involving
only seventeen Thousand miles of tlay-
el, the subonlinates are busy rs bees,
examining the routine Of business IN
the departments at Washington. and
travelling over the comtry, acquiring
information ofall matters relating to
Our American civilization, which, like
bees, they will carry home to their
,IaaneS hive, there to be worked
into aud improve their own institu-
tons, 80 fir as it may be adapted
thereto.
Recently, three of the embassy.
Messrs. Yassuba, Deputy Commission
er ofReycnue In Japan; Wakayama.
Of the japanese Treasury, and Ka-
wage. Third Secretary of the Embas-
sy. spent a couple Of weeks In the
study Of the internal revenue system
of the United States, under the III
struction ,by direction ofonr Commits
sioner of Internal Reyennel Of brother
William II. Armstrong, Assistant So
licitor, ltor many years y inenber Of
the National Diyision.) lie found
them ia be gentlemen of refinement
and ability, exceedingly intelligent,
and quick to apprehend and remember
everything explained to them.
Brother Armstrong took accession In
cidently to mention that, although
they saw much OF intenperance in
America. there was nevertheless
ycry large and respectable body Of the
people, numbering nearly three mill
ions. and constantly increasing, who
totally abstained from all Intoxicating
drinks.
One of the japanese, Oh brother
Armstrong referring to the large pro
portion of crime and pauperism ocea-
stoned here and III England by liquor
drinking, showed his quick eqmpre-
hension of the logic of the flets, as
applied to the business he and lisasso-
ciates had in hand, by exclaiming IL
reply, ''IIow great the tarati0nf
The popular drink IN Japan Is saki, q
ftrmented liquor made from rice. 1t
is very generally drank, and while the
evils Of intempemnce are probably not
so great there as III our own country,
they must necessarily prove draw
back tothe prosperity Of the Japanese
people.
1t il to be hoped that among tho
best of the advantages of our in9rote:I
.'westem civilization" which the en-
bassy viii take to their country,
\ will be the practice Of total abstinence
from all that intoXieates. 1t Is fortu-
nate for Japan that the still has not
vet been Introduced there, and il l. To
be hoped that it never will be. Efforts
to secure its prohibition should be
made with the present embassy, who
are men of powerful influence at
home. N. Z. 1idrocae.