Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-12-27
The Revolt in Japan.

graph Of disturbances in .Iapan is co
rious, but will hardly surprise those
who have closely followed the coursa
Of events in that country. There
changes, political and social, have been
made in ten years which in other conn
tries have occupied centuries; the
wonder is that SO much has been done
peacefully. Among other things. the
feudal system, which had existed
many years in Japan, has been abol.
ished, and central Government of
European fashion has been substituted
for it; and we have only to consider
the effect which this sudden breakine
up of feudality has produced to find
explanation enough for the present
agitations.
Japanese society consisted, and to
certain extent still consists, of three
principal classes, in many respects en-
tirely distinct from each other. These
are the kwaZoku, the Shizoku and the
Heimien. The first comprised the no.
bility, the second the middle class. and
the last the agrlculturists, the traders
and all those engaged in any occupa-
ton in which money is made. The
ShiZoku class consisted of the re-
tanners Of the feudal lords, and
We're supported out of the large
revenues nominally belonging to their
chiefs, to whom tt ey rendered in return
their services in war The names
Shizoku and Samoural are almost
identical in meaning, and it is bv the
latter appellation that this class is best
known to Europeans. The Heimen
class comprised the rest of the Japan
csc. They were the bread-earners for
the whole country. They cultivated
the soil, they engaged in trade, they
furnished the artists and the mechan-
les for whom Japan is SO celebrated,
and they were till lately satisfied with
but a small share of what their indus
try produced.
The so-called revolution in Japan.
which a few years ago resuscitated the
dormant authority of the Mikado and
abolished that of the Tycoon led to a
change in the relations between these
three classes of society. AS for the
Samoural, they found that there
would be no place for them under a
Government based on European eXpe-
rience; and though at first the pay
ments made to them were not reduced
TO any very great extent, and though
many of them were provided for by
being drafted into the army and other
wise employed, it soon became evil
dent that the entire system which had
given to 50 large proportion of the
1ntI Ill Il Ell g..
would have to be abolished.
1t has been lately decided by the
Central Government not only to reduce
the emoluments of the Daimios, as the
federal chiefs were called, but to sub
stitute different and far less onerouS
payments to the Shizokus-to the
evident advantage of the producing
class of the community. 1t may be
safely assumed that to these measures
the revolt among a portion of the
ShiZokuS is attributable. AT present
it appears that the insurrection has
been almost entirely confined to the
kumamotto clan, which inhabitS part
of kiouSin, the most southern OF the
principal islands of Japan. The tele-
gram, however, mentions rising at
Yamagutsi, which is near the extrem-
ity of Nippon, where the powerful
clan Of Choshu is located, and if the
movement should spread in that direc-
ton or in that Of the Satsuma District
(Which is also in the island of Kiousin),
it might occasion great trouble to the
lately organized Government.
The standing army is under 10000
men, and if the estimates are at all
correct, the Shizoku class must, includ-
ing women and children, number over
O,000,0 900. 1t is evident, therefore,
that strong repressive measures Will
be required if the movement attains
any development, and these may sorely
strain the energies and resources OF
the country. Nal Gazette.