The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-06-09
YOKOHAMA, May 0, 1873.

Schmadzu Saboro, the ex-Prince OF Satsuma and
the big Chief' OF the opposition, arrived in Yeddo
on the 23d OF the last month. The Old man 10 as
bitter in his opposition to the state OF affairs
as ever and he has come to the capital to see II he
cannot induce the government to take o back
track. To show his opposition he refused to travel
from his own province in any other mode Of con-
veyance but the old time honored nortnon. He
was followed by about seven or eight hundred
men, dressed In the old Japanese style and wear
ing the two swords, a specimen OF which one
hardly ever sees either in Yokohama or
feddo. But, alas consistency Is no more to be
expected In Schmadzu Saboro than II is to be from
less favored and less dissatisfied m0rtas. On hts
arrival at Osaca he actually went on board Of a
steamer-an internal foreign lnvention-built in
foreign lands and commanded by one of the hated
"halry faced barbariansn although the said steam
chip belongs to q Japanese company. In this
vessel he made the voyage from osaca to Toxic,
never once appearing on deck during the fifty
hours voyage. But on arriving at his destination
instead OF requesting the foreign captain appear
before him, to be genteey Sliced for daring to ex-
ist and have his being in the sacred Empire OF
Japan, he absolutely made the aforesaid parsonage
a present OF lacquer ware for having brought the
vessel containing himself and his Importance in
safety to his destination. On arriving at the capt.
tai SchmadZu again put on the severe air OF mar
tyr and the nortn.On was again put into requisi-
ton, althOugbcarriages and jin-rick shays were at
his disposal. He was followed by about two hun
dred men, the rest Of his retaincrs to the number
OF about i've hundred more having travelled by
another route. To Schmadzu in his noriDaoas,
followed by 200 men, carrying his baggage, his
armour, &c, in the Old, old style, something
OF novelty even for the Japanese, and the sight
evidently carried them back to the tme-Ony
few years ago-when that method OF travelling was
the universal custom oil Japan.
AT AUDIENCE.
Schmadzu had an interview with the Tcuno four
days after his arrval-vz., on the 2Sth ult. What
took place at that interview no one can tell There
are many rnmors anOat a. to the cause and uti-
mate result OF his visit AS TO the cause, Schmadzu
has come here upon the express invitation Of the
Aikad0, who evidently wishes TO gain over one to
whom he is not o little indebted for his present
| position The result is doubtful. question much
whether the exPrince goes SO far In his opposition
to the reforms and innovations OF the government
he is gets credit for. If he be the able man ne is
| represented to be he Will soon see how useless il
| Will be ior him to fight against the incredible.
| Should ne, however, be amcnable to reason ana
admit the necessity Of reform and change
| Japan, and could he be induced to take ofice hts
presence In the capital might turn out to he great
| boon. The government Oi Japan requires Just
now wise, intelligent, conservative opposition
not fractions opposition, coming from those who
| who would be opposed to everything new, simply
that would act as brake 10 the too rapid progress
OF the present party in power.
THE PUBLIC POSITION.
Notwithstanding the glowing accounts which ap-
pear in all the newspapers Oh both sides
are not all coMeur az rose. 1t is wen
LOT the Japanese to make. progress to as
similate TO our civilization, to introduce steam,
telegraph and the arts and sciences 10 learn the
and 20 wear % and pps Sss sat
there is no necessity for nat1On<lke The Japanese
t Ss. re
doing nothing else. Japan has u history behind
ner at least as well worthy Of Preservation as that
OF her own which is AT least unique and there is no
more in her past that she need be ashamed
"Young Japan desires al one jump 70 become
cond be taught the good old maxln OF ''sow but
surc'' II would be a vast boon to her.
ECONOMIC HINTS TO 4 .ao-AnEAD" GOVERNMENT
requires strong pull at the checkreln Is In It's
financial affairs venture to assert that there is
more peculation going on IN all branches OF the
Japanese government than we can boast OF at
Washington or New York. The government has TO
pay Eve times the value Of anything it purchases
There are now ten persons employed where one
should sun1ce and there is nothing out constant
drain npon the treasury, and with nothing coming
in TO replenish It, The currency OF the country is
In terribly confused state and 10 IL likely to be
more so before IL becames improved. 1t il for
these reasons that IL is absolutely necessary that
wise and moderate opposition should he developed
to check the extravaganza OF the present govern
ment. both in ideas and expenditures. Whether
Schmadzu Saboro is man capable OF taking sucn
position, or whether he Is Still so welded TO his
old customs and prejudices that nothing but q
retrograde movement will satisfy Pin, j cannot
say. II he is wise he will see the position
and take IT.. and not only make himself
the most powerful man in Japan but be also the
means OF doing his country vast amount OF good.
H. on the contrary, he is an rreconcilable, then
his fractious opposition will only lead to his own
sure destruction, and '.Young Japan'' will run the
government unfit it strikes upon some shoal ano
what them
FIRE IN TnR PALACE AND ALARM GUNS DISCHARGED.
Al about one O'Clock OF the morning Of the 9th OF
May the people Of Jeddo were awakened by the
fire! The cause Of the conragrati0n has not vet
been ascertalned. On the day previous, during the
fres in different parts OF the city. These were
however, In outlying districts, and the fire was
confined In each instance TO comparatively small
space. Next morning IL was ascertaned that
few hours after the burning of the palace the Mill
tary Hospital and College were burned. II was at
nrst suspected That these several fires were the
works Of incendaries, and that the perpetrators
were probably the turbulent followers OF Satsuma,
but nothing has yet transpred 10 corroborate this
vIew The probabilities that they were al
casualties. IL All,
Offices reception rooms, the private rooms OF the
Empress ana the quarters oi his household, but his
own private apartments, which we're In a building
dense grove oil trees, escaped. several persons
lost their lives, the number being given "a gh as
At least ,ye Zines over the true figure. The
Mikado and his family have retired 10 Hamagosen,
palace which used 10 be the summer residence OF
the Tycoon hut which the present Emperor mas
had fitted up partly In European style for.tGe &C.
commodation Of foreign guests Of distinction.
KOwBY yisfTURs. - 49,
lf Schmadzu Saboro himself does net cause
troublat to the government, however has followers
most likely VIII. IN TACT they have already Killed
two policemen. party OF them went down TO
sivagawa, the Bowery oil Jeddo, where sakl shops,
gambling places ana houses "a the iasr but iran
abound, anu created a disturbance. policeman
interfering, one of she Satsuma men drew password
aud killed him and wounded another, from which
wound the policeman is reported to have died.
When the Yokohama papers published an account
OF TINS. the government officials sent commun
cation to them denying the truth Of the story and
stating that the disturbance was nothing but q
drunken broil, and that nobody was hurt. have
since made INQUIRIES into. the matter and become
convinced that two policemen were killcd-onc in
stantly, the other dying lew hours after the in
fiction OF the wound.
GuBERSAroRIAL COUNSEL IN EXECUTIVE coHGREGA-
TON.
The Governors " all the provinces VI the Empire
are now assembled at Toxic. The gathering has
been called for the purpose OF considering the
financial condition of Imam I'd mnaSureA