Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-10-16
THE JAPANESE.
Their Religion, Romance and His
tory.

Hon. G. L. DeLoDg, ex.minister tc
Japan, in arecent lecture at Sacramento
Cal, gives the following interesting &C
count of the religion, romance and his
tory of the Japanese:
1.-THE ancient religion of the people
was what is known as the Sintoo faith.
1t teaches charity to the poor, cleanli
ness of the body, publication of the
spirit, flial devotion, and fidelity on the
part of the servant TO his master. The
ceremonies attendant'upon this religion
are very simple. An altar, within lit.
tie building, surrounded by railing
contains a mirror and some white paper
cut into little squares pendant from the
corners of each other. These are the
emblems of faith. Other decorations
are added to the altar, such as lotus
flowers and lilies in bronze and gold.
No priests officiate. A bell is suspended
at the front of the inclosure, with a rope
convenient for devotees, who, when they
arrive and before praying, pull this rope
and ring the bell. This is done to notify
the god that penitept is about to pray.
Then, with clasped hands and bowed
head, he repeats his prayer, which ordi'
narily is selfish wish, and then, in
closing an Offering of money in q
piece of paper upon WHICH he has
already written ont the prayer which
he offered verbally, he tQsses this into
the inclosure in order to propitiate the
god and to prevent his forgetting what
the prayer was; rings the bell again, to
notify the god that be has concluded his
devotion, and leaves. In the evening
servants gather the offerings which have
been RECEIVED during the day, and the
money goes into the treasury Of the gov
ernment. The deities which they wor-
ship seem to be as innumerable ss those
of Grecian mythology. They are be
l,ieyed to interfere directly in the affairs
of life Iftbe penitents prayer is an
swered, he is very grateful, believing
himself to be in i'll favor with the god,
and more thoroughly convinced Of the
truth of his religion; ifitis not !. .nswefea'
he aseribes it to some inscrutable cause,
which it is not wise or we'll for him to
bnow, but which justified the god in dis
approval Owing to this religious teach.
ing, the Japanese character is that OF
strong filial affection and fidelity TO sn.
periors. Their poetry, romances, and
history are largely devoted to the com
memoration of heroic acts on the part
Of subordinates or servants in support OF
the persons or property of their superb
ors, and also OF children in support oi
their parents. From this also arises the
custom of furnishing parricides aud ma.
tricides with death by crucifxion, after
which the bodies, still attached to the
cross, are sent from city to
city through the Empire as a
warning to others. The Buddhist re-
ligion was introduced into the Empire
many centuries ago from China. 1t was
during the reign of the Tycoon the pre-
vailing religion. Many magnificent
temples were erected throughout the
Empire by the adherents of this faith,
and still remain as monuments of the
taste and splendor of that people when
unaffected by foreign intercourse. The
laltars in these temples are magni6cently
decorated with images of beasts and
flowers, in gold and bronze, while the
temples themselves are filed with paint.
ings and statues. They also have deities
who are supposed to control the different
affairs of men, and gods who have local
jurisdiction. Hence you will freqently
see a portion of the city illuminated,
and religious festival proceeding, in
which the citizens Of the sther portions
of the city do not participate. Such a
festival is in honor of local deity, who
is supposed to preside over that portion
of the city. Images Of Buddhe are
found everywhere throughout the coun'
try. One at Kamakuro, near Yokohama,
called Daiabutz,s has been frequently
visited aud described by travellers. This
represents the prophet in posture Of
deep contemplation and study. A much
larger and liner statue Of Buddha is to
be found at the city o; Nara, one of the
ancient capitals of japan"