Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-10-18
lI,e Lnnanese Exneriment

Although Minister Mori hastens to diSa-
buSe our minds of the impress sion that re-
fJlm III Japan has gone to the dogs, and to
assure us that Commissioner CanrOn and
NJ. T.. PeshinG Smith still draw their sala-
ries with regularity, there is sufficient evis
dence from other sources that reaction
has begun, and that the circumstances
amply warrant it. The only matter Of sur
pr Sc is that the disatitCtiOn has not been
more openly manifested before, when we
consider the character Of the Commission
ers foisted upon the japanese by our Gov
eminent. In all the innocence of their
trust in American integrity, the Embassy
applied to the authorities at Washington
for aid in selecting men best fitted to I'M
dertake the great feat OF reconstructing the
! japanese economy Of government Oh the
modern basis. MI. Boutwell, showed them
| through the Treasury Department, ex-
! planned syndicates, rebates and the hoard
/ ing of gold, and ended by imposing upon
them a deputy of the Internal Revenue
service as one qualified to reOrganze the
! finance Of their Empire. The State De
partInent dug out Of obscurity a subC rdi-
! rate, " name E. Peshine Smith, aud
recommended him fOT the most important
post in the gift of any nation, that Of the
highest judicial and diplomatic adviser Of
the crown, who should not only remodel
lially delicate international business Incl
dent to the changing relations of that peo-
pie with the rest Of The world. In the De-
paltments, too, the Embassy sought one
possessed OF theoretical and practical
knowledge Of agriculture and The mechanic
ats, and found Prof. CaprOn. With these
three suddenly great men Japan was
launched on the current Ct reform.
Only once did ihc embassy, By some
Il, -. -.
side tie chest civil Service in the world, >
and it is to he regretted that Prof. Nor
thrOp did not earlier go out TO Japan, in
some measure 10 offset the incompatentcy
OF the others. The deputy Internal Rev
enue official has NO been heard from, but
the others have made their mark in charaC-
terstic fashion. E Peshine Smith, il is
anotlicially reported, has been politely set
aside by the Government, the habits which
were tolerated in a subordinate at Wash
inGtoa being considered Incompatible
with a proper performance Of his duties at
Gtddo To avoid SC iudal, he is allowed
to draw his liberal salary as before, but is
g ,OGnlz2d IN no manner, either officially
or otherwise. Commissioner Capron,
whose triuMp:}al entry into the japanese
capital and subsequent honors would have
turned a much stronger head, has immedi-
ately acquired III that country reputation
similar TO which lie enjoyed here.
Aud he and his twaddinng reports
have been the laughing-stock Of all
educated and practical trainers, growers
a:.d dealers in America, SO they are in ia
pan. The Govern ment has been quick to
/ discover his uselessness, and officially he
occupies the Same position as Peshine
Smith. 1t is not probable that the Japa-
nesc will blame themselves for the unfor-
tunate result Of their experiment. They
came in all confidence to the Government
for which, az distance, they entertained
the highest respect, and trustingly accept
ed its good Offices i'll selecting men of ca
pacity. They were so unsOphisticated IS
to suppose that our civil service represent
ed the ability, honesty and educated expe,
renee of the nation; and now that they
are uItdeceived, they have every right 10
F. be thoroughly Indignant. I he irilry
! 10 the cause If progress and reform
! Ill ,'apan may not he irl eparable, but it
/ CAT hardly he understood how the contrast
! between the promises and the PERFORM
anceS OF such mrn Is CaprOn and Smith
mus |: cd to Il Strong reaction in favor Of
/ the system tLat was at least decent if no.
exactly mo leIn. If the United States
SHALL thus have lost the most valuable op-
! nrl;tllity ever presented Of stamping The i'm
! i'rtSS Il Its Civilization, UpulI q vast PEG, L.
AtI'I OF binding the great Empire OF the
/ East to itself i'll firm bOnGS Ct friendship
! and Of commerce. the fault lies eiltiieA
With the \. MluiSiratiOn tlaC has abused
the trust placed III its hands. Not all the
balls and banquets IF Washin=to VIII
offset the impression made of this inter-
national expos ton of the Grant civil ser
vice.--BOStOn Post