Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-02-09

The most remarkable incident of the
moment in this country is the arrival and
the speeches of the japanese ambassadors.
1t is, however, no "Tommy" affair; and it
is with a consciousness that we are not per-
haps quite perfect in political wisdom that
an American ctiZcn may reflect that Gov
ernOr Ito, who made the recent striking
speech in san Francisco, is not. under our
laws, capable of naturalization 1t has be-
come so much our habit to consider Asiat-
les rs barharians that when the Burlngamc
embassy was Toasted in New York il was
scarcely possible for some of the chief ora
tors upon our side to restrain tone of hu-
mOrous sarcasm; and there was very
general popular feeling that the yellow for
eign ers with almond eyes had rs little in
common with sensible American citizens
as if they had just stepped of the dinner
plates upon which their portraits were
painted. Indeed, to call any thing Chinese
is to brand il as hopcleSsly outlandish; and
there are great many Americans who
will be very apt 10 regard our japanese
visitors as if they were Laplanders or Es-
quimaux.
1t will he Il most interesting revelation,
that Of the progress of the reform of Japa-
nese society. In the speech of Governor
Ito at San Francisco he said that few but
native japanese knew any thing of the iu-
ternal condition of the country; while by
reading, hearing. and observation in for
eign lands, the japanese are anxious, he
says, t o reach the highest point of civiliza-
IL, ,iss I'd hox a ta1 I,a
military, naval, scientific and educational
| institutions of the most enlightened lands.
But with the instinct Of the Orient. the
mot her of thought and of religions, the
Governor docs not cXaggcraSr the import
ance of material advantages. The mental
| Improvement of the country has been far
| gre alter than the material although the ma
| terial opened the way. Despotic sover-
eiGns had held the peop'e in ignorance for
ages. With improved material advantages
came the consciousness, of rights which
| had been long denied. Within year the
feudal system Of many centuries has been
entirely abolished, without Il shot or Il drop
| of blood. What country in the Middle
Ages, proudly asks the orator. broke down
its feudal system without war?
He then adds what is perhaps the most
remarkable statement of all, that even ia
pan already secs what the Western nations
of the highest civilization see so slowly,
that the welfare of the country depends
very much upon the education of women.
Already japanese girls--'our maidens,"
as the Governor calls them-are coming to
American schools. The full force of this
fact will appear only to those who know
what the traditional feeling in regard to
women has always been in China and ia
PAN The embassy has come to observe
more closely the details and developments
of our government and inventive genius
and enterprise, ana to gather every kind of
valuable suggestion for Japan. Then, says
the orator, 'the red disk in the centre Of
our national flag shall no longer appear
like wafer over sealed empire, but
hencciorth he in fact what il is intended to
be-thc noble emblem of the rising sun,
moving onward and forward amidst the
enlightened nations OF the world"
There has been an exchange of courteous
messages between the national and local
authorities and the japanese ambassadors.
and Congress has appropriated fifty thous-
and dollars for their cntert ainmcnt while
in Washington. Both the good feeling
which the embassy expresses and the in
telligence with which il studies aud apprc-
ciates ourinstitutions have been manifested
in very striking degree by Mr.. Mori, the
resident minister q Japan at Washington
and the advantages 10 our manufactures
and commerce of the opening Of vast and
friendly country like Japan are so evident,
that, for every reason, the reception Of the
embassy will undoubtedly be such as to
show plainly the cordially of the national
welcome Hdrper'S Weekly.