The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-10-17
JAPANESE LITTER.

The following letter was written by Rev.
Francis O'Shea, a priest of the Pittsburgh
diocese, and by him read before the '.Boz
Club literary association of the Smoky
City. The Rev. gent possesses a bright
intellect, ready wit, and marvellous flu
ency of speech. That he is an able writer
and master of his subject will appear to the
most superficial reader of the letter. Next
week we will publish another and more in
teresting letter from the pen of Rev. Father
O'Shea. 1t gives very clear idea of the
machinery of the United States govern
ment.
WASHINGTON, D. c., May 1, 1879.
To HIS Excellent HtghneSS, Bttngs Kami
Prime Minister of Japan.
Most great, most wise, and most learned
Lord In compliance with your instruc-
tions, | write to you again to give you in
formation about this curious and interest
ing country, the United States of America.
The United States of America is in terri
tory much larger than Japan-in fact, if
the maps be correct, it is as large as China;
but the population is not so deEse. AL
though the Americans, they call them
| selves, are m0re similar in their manners
| to the Europeans than to the Asiatics, still
| they are not so barbarouS as l supposed
| GDGln 10 D6 D6lCTe NlSlI 10 COuHGIJs
| However, they have many eccentric traits
of character, which must appear very sim
| gular when recounted in Japan, although
| they appear to be natural enough to the
people here. Among these may be men
| toned that with the exception of the sea-
faring classes none of them ever live on
| water; their women, or ladies, as they are
mostly called, are never harnessed to the
plow or sent to work on the roads. And
( n, Iuhon I that r. in
public they receive as much respect as
| men-even statesmen-do.
The women wear quantities of false hair
on their heads, and consider it an indis-
| pensable ornament, though it seems to me
| that if they would, in time, cultivate their
natural hair, it would become as profuse,
and therefore more ornamental, especially
| if they would not destroy it by the eHccs-
sive use of ungents, Another popularity
| OF the aInorioo.is iS, that oil their revoln-
| tions are effected without bloodshed, and
| the only revolution they have attempted
with bloodshed has been signal failure.
! Hence, although public men are often
ousted from office in this country, their
| heads are rarely, if ever, taken off; and
am now able to inform you that the ac-
counts given by our first Embassy to this
| country, about cutting off the heads OF
public officials, was altogether mistake.
| In America, to cut off PERSONS head;
means merely to dismiss him from Office
| under government.
There are many other singularities in
the national character of the Americans,
the account of which must be reserved for
| another communication; however, deem
| it proper to correct a mistaken impression
which our former Embassy to this country
! carried home with them: namely, that
! ssrowdies'' were class of hereditary Man
darins or Princes in the great cities of
..la of cfNrae
especially in these great cities, called
ssrowdies," but they are not hereditary
Princes, although they have great power
and authority over the appointments and
| conduct of the local magistrates. con-
fess myself little puzzled to clear this
matter up but the above statements, al
though apparently irreconcllable, are sub
stantially correct.
There are various religions in America,
but will not give an account of any of
them, as intend to reserve the whole sub
ject for distinct disquisition.
/ will now attempt to give you some
IDEA of the government of this country, al
though, of course, you cannot expect that
l can exhaust the subject IN one commu-
nication. q.
The highest ruler of this country is not
styled tycoon, as he is with us, although
a certain one of them was, few years ago,
called the taOld Coon" There are things
in this country they call "coons," which a
philosopher- told me were quadrupeds,
whatever he means by that. have been
since told that quadrupeds are beasts, but
as they don't worship either beasts or mag
istrates in this country, there is something
about the subject am not able to explain
Well, as l have said, the highest ruler
of this country is styled the President ol
tbe United States of America. The title
10 a verv grand and magnificent one, and
comnared with the titles of European rul
ers. is very beautiful and sublime-at leas
in sound. The title of President, as de
scriptiye of supreme ruler, was first adopt
| ed by the American people of these parts
- noru almost universal throughou