The Portland daily press., 1876-09-16
Recent Publications.

| THE MIKApo's EMPIRE, by William Elliot G1iffs,
| A. NJ. late of the Imperial University of Toxic
Japan. New York. Harper Brothers; from Lor-
ing, Short g. Harmon.
| The first three hundred pages are devoted to
a condensed history of Japan, and the last
three hundred TO sketches and studies of the
people and their modes of life, and to statistics
1t seems that their history only runs back to
| 660 B. c., which takes our history back tC the
| good reign of Josiah in Jerusalem, and the
founding of Byzantium by Pahsanias, king of
Sparta, some two hundred years before Herod-
| otus began to write, which makes them q
| youthful nation compared to their neighbors.
the Chinese. This history dates back only to
the conquest by the present race, as little is
known of the Amos or aborgines, of which
race some pure remnants still remain in iso-
lated districts. Our author, however, thinks
that the Amos were really the ancestors of the
| present Japanese race with some admixture of
Chinese, Coreans and Tartars, through they
| now hold the same relation to them that the
| Indians do to US. Their Oldest written history
| dates back to the sixth century, while
the Chinese writings are twelve hundred years
| older. They are evolutionists, in measure,
believing that life sprang from matter. The
Japanese are more fortunate than other ma
tions in possessing religious relics of unques-
toned identity; relics which antedate every
thing which time has spared to u.s. They are
a sacred mirror, the emblem of her own soul,
given by the Sun-goddess to her grandson the
first Mikado, sword named "Cloud-cluster,''
taken from the dragons tail and stone or
seal. These are kept in the shrines of Uji in
Ise, always in charge of virgin princess of the
imperial blood. As Japanese definite history
dates back $500 years, these relics, whatever
their origin, must be as old as that. The fam
GUS relics then existing in the world have all
vanished. The original Book of the Law, re-
ceived at Sinai, Aaron's rod and the Ark of
the Covenant were destroyed; the seven
branched candle stick lies under the Tiber.
Hectors armour and sword, so famed and so
sought for by knight errant in the middle ages,
have vanished. The exhumer of Troy nd the
explorer of Egyptian tombs have given US rel
les, perhaps as old, but they lack special fame
Buddhism was introduced in the sixth century,
and it exercises reslstless and unifying inhu-
ence ON the whole people. At that time orders
of nobility were introduced who gradually
usurped ministerial powers while the Mikados
became puppets. frequently resigning early and
entering monasteries. In the twelfth century
this resulted in the prime minister becoming the
temporal ruler, incorrectly called Tycoon from
"Shogun" which signifies General This
curious double reign, which lasted over six
centuries and until the late revolution which
restore6the Mikado to his full rights, is unpar.
ralleled in history. 1t shows very curiousy
the conservative nature of the people, that
they should submit to the new ruler and yet
that he could never get sufficient strength to
completely do away with the old one
The author devotes chapter to Buddhism,
which he remarks is six centuries older than
Christianity is professed by one-third of the
human race, and has literature larger than all
other religions combined. He suggests that as
it has already established temples on American
soil, and has found admirers in Boston, London
and Berlin, aud may become rival to Christ
lanity, it possesses immediate interest
Japan has never submitted to an invader.
Kublai Khan, after conquering China. sent
great fleet to conquer Japan, but brave fighting
and typhoon which came in as opportunely
as the storm which sunk the Great Arm da,
destroyed the enemy, and every one of them
rerished save three who were preserved to car
ry the tidngs home to their master. 1t is curl
GUS thing that the royal family of Japan never
had family name, and has come down in one
unbroken line 2536 years; one hundred and
twenty-three monarchs have reigned, and their
reigns average twenty years each. Some of
these monarchs, back of the year one, are cred
tied with having lived considerably over CEN
tury; one with reign of ninety nine years and
another with reign of one hundred and one
years. AS this was about the time of Keno
phon, when we know that mankind had begun
to get over fabulous longevity, we must SUP
pose little mixing up of dates by the histor-
ians, but, on the whole, the list looks reliable
1t seems that besides hara- -kirt, with which
we are now familiar, ancient Japanese war
riors were trained to cut off their own heads,
to escape recognition, if overcome in battle. A
feat, at once SO neat and elegant, demands and
merits our warmest admiration. The disem-
boweling, like the Roman custom of falling
upon the sword, is unpleasant to think Of and
doubtless to see, but the spectacle Of a man
swiftly decaptati1g himself with sharp
sword commends itself to the aesthetic taste.
The history of Japan in the middle ages reads
very like that of Europe, and with them it
lasted until the great revolution of 1868 when
feudalism received its death blow.
An old Japanese proverb shows something of
the military genius of the people. 1t was quot
ed by famous general, Iyeyasu, at the battle
where his power vas secured. He went into
the fight with only a handkerchief on his
head. After the battle was over he called for
his helmet and said, 'After victory knot the
cords of your helmet" The hint was taken,
the success quickly followed up and the whole
country ever-run. America needed such pro-
verb at Antietam and Gettysburg.
In Yeddo system of fire alarms by pre-
two hundred years ago.
His sketches of life in Japan in the second
part are graphic and instructive. Reading them
will correct some erroneous notions as to that
curious people. The licensed immortality which
seemed go strange to us, turns out to be pro-
vision to protect their own people from the i'm
morality of foreigners, and it is mortifying to
be obliged to acknowledge that their Judgment
of the foreign nature proved correct, though it
is to be hoped that their travellers among us
will be able to record better average state of
| morals here than than they see among those
who visit them.
Their common people live in a state of des-
titution similar to that of Europe in the mid
die ages They live in the cheapest of houses,
| on almost simple rice diet and are content to
simply live. Feudalism is responsible for this
| condition. Feudalism is lazness; system of
| thrustlng ones duties upon an'inferor; the
same spirit which inspires some Anglo-Ssxons
to think that carrying their own bundles is de-
grading. The rending of the veil which let in
the sunlight of civilization relegated the mobiles
to ohscurty, and illuminated the rights of man
| to the humble Japanese. Whether it will ele-
vate their condition or lower ours is problem
| for the future. We have seen the happy result
| of the abolishment of feudalism in Russia, and
cannot but anticipate the same improvement in
Japan. The setting of SO many idle hands at
l work must better the general condition. One
lesson in political economy is certainly clear to
| all, that middle men in government are super
| fuous, and the accession of two such iron
bound nations as Russia and Japan to this the
OrV in the nineteenth canturv ia a nrnof that