Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-07-11
RRFORmM JAPAN.

The reform, political and social,
now in progress in Japan, has been
compared, so radical is it in every
respect, to that effected in Europe
by the French Revolution, with only
this difference, that the revolution in
Japan is.a peaceable one, attended
by no commOtion, convulsion, or up
heaving of any kind. The leader of
this remarkable reform is a noble
Japanese attached to the Court of
the Mikado. His name is Iwakurs
Tomoni, and is assisted by one San
10, like himself a noble, and by four
Princes. Formerly, Japan was divi=
ded into districts and provinces.
The districts were ruled from the
Central Government, and the pro-
vinces by feudal Princes. The di-
vision into provinces has been done
away with, or rather the provinces
have been changed into districts, and
are now governed by officers chosen
from among the people, no matter
what the class, but appointed by the
Court of Jeddo. The former rulers
of the provinces have been all called
to Jeddo, where they are compelled
to stay in their palaces. ~l
Iwakura has prevailed on the no
bIes to relinqulsh all their old priiyi-
leges and rights, which have been
transferred to the central power.
The military forces of the four ''eon-
quering'' Princes have been united
SO as to constitute but one army,
governed by the Mikado through
his Ministers. There is now but one
army in all of Japan where formerly
there was one for each province.
The pensions of the gentlemen of
the sword" have been stopped, and
they have been ordered to put away
their arms. They are allowed now
to practice q profession or to engage
in trade; and the right which they
formerly possessed to strike persons
of inferior rank with their swords
has been taken from them. Mobiles,
gentry, and the people are permitted
to intermarry, and the workers in
leather have been relieved of the op-
probrium that rested on them and
their trade.
The monastic institutions of jap
anese priests have been suppressed,
the buildings taken for public use,
and their resources confseated to
the State, Tae bronzes have been
authorized to marry and to use flesh
meat, spite of their religious promises
to abstain from both. The ediet
against the Christian religion was re-
pealed last year, and at present the
Japanese may embrace il unmOlest,
ed. Schools in large numbers have
been established over the Empire. A
small number only of males and
still smaller one of females in the
past learned to read and write.
This was owing very largely to the
fact that TO learn the Chinese char
acters required very long time, and
because a great many were deficient
in memory to retain an endless 81
phabet. 1t was therefore decided
to apply the Roman letters TO the
Japanese language; and children are
now taught to read aud wr'te ln
those characters, EngiiSn : oeo1Il'' III
ing to Japan what Latin "Ss y Hu
rome in the middle ages,-the IAN
g,aga of the educated, rs wen sS
u"Sv ',,rnsge ~ Of diplomacy, and Il iS
tne -" in all the higher schools.
tSusnb 5ssnb lawyers have been engaged
: ru,odifv the Code Napoleon 50 IS
20 70 make il applicable to japanese
circumstances. The interior of the
country is not yet open to foreign
travellers, but 1t is expected that II
will be before long, and the Govern
ment has now law TO ths' eneot
undar a6visement The American
-. 1o,,;,,,ol s,,stem of money has been
odontad and all the gold and silver
as H. country recoined in accord
onoe with it. Two telegraphic lines
6ave been built, one connecting with
he Anglo-Indian cable and the 9th
or with the siberian line. The first
railroad was inaugurated on June ~,
1872, and on Nov. Is following
line was completed between, IeeSS
and Yokohama. -Four other i'Ies s.e
already projected. In iS'V' the io
e;gb commerce was valued at s4e'-
26j,000. .-sos he.
fore European civilization will havs
fully invaded and conquered 'ne
MOngoian.