The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-01-24

TIE NEW SYsTfa il jApAs.-A highly In.
teres'ipg lecture, entitled g The New System
ID Japan" WIS delivered last evening at the
PEABODY Institute to a large and appreciatlye
audience oy Hon. b. G. Eorfhrop, IL. D.,
secretary Of The Connecticut Board OF Edu-
cation. Though Professor Northrop las
neVef been In japan, he appears to be per-
reilly at home 10 everything relative to that
country, and more especially with the de-
( tails OF the wonderful progress that has
been made by the japanese In recent
years. he said last night that there were
but very few who had any conception of
the extent Of Japan. It comprises over one
thousand islands, with more sea coast than
| the whole of the United States. It was the
oldest nation 10 the world except China, aud
the present Mikado could trace back his
lineage 1885 years. Japan was old when
Rome was new. The recent material and
| intellectual progress there had been some.
thing marvellous. Five years ago most re.
mat kable change had taken place 10 the abo-
lition Of the feudal system. Two hundred
and thrty.six mobiles, ruling a great nation
Of thirty.three millions Of people, voluntarily
gave I'D their titles and property for the
good of the country at large. Since then
Japan bad jumped from the fifteenth
| to the nineteen'h century. The oldest of
nations was now the Youngest In its aspra-
tions. 1t had little to learn from rs in agri-
| culture, except as to fertilizers and improved
| implements. The couutry was trayersed By
railways and telegraph wires. There was a
navy with first-class iron vessels A dry
dock had been built at Yokohama costing
50 600, 900. The Mint was coinirg some
very beautiful specimens of gold and silver.
The introduction Of so many improvements,
however, soon drained the treasury, and the
Governnent discovered that it was expeudlng
SIS, 000 900 a year more than the income. The
greenback system Of currency was then tried,
bat the rag money theory had since been
thoroughly exploded. This financial de-
preston had htndered the consummation Of
grand plan for REINFORCEMENT Of the edu.
cationa1 system of Japan. including the estab-
lishment of eight colleges, two hundred and
tifty.sx high-schools, and thousacds of COM
mon schools. Substantial progress still con-
tiuued to be made, however. There were
more daily papers published in Yeddo than
in New York, though the journals were not
SO large us those OF the latter city. The peo.
pie had great craving for news not only of
what transpired in Japan, but dlSo 10 the
western countries. There was an excellent
pos..office system in efficient operation. A re
port of it's operations for the past year showed
that there were 1000 post; offices, through
which has been mailed 1900, 600 letters and
| 100000 newspapers, showing very large
increase over the previous year. The post
masters were satisfied with small pay, think
ing the honor of being in the service of the
Government was some compensation.
Of1ice.holders in the United States ap.
peared to entertain diametricallr opporite
views on this score. The moral pro
gress of Japau was also remarkable. The
sale Of obscene books aud papers had been
strictly prohibited, and the old custom of
hari kari had been abolished. Toe religious
progress was also marvellous. The lecturer
said be held in bis hand the first calendar
published by the japanese after their adop.
ton of our division Of time, with the begin
ming of the year on the lst of
January. The custom-house, post-office,
and all public Offices were closed
on the Christian Sabbath. The Govern.
mcnt support of priests was abolished, and
they were invited to work for their living.
Celibacy was no longer enforced, and the
clerical attire was abolished. The Japanese
excelled all other people in the ethics and
fe thetics of etiquette. There was IAN elabo-
rate and complete system of manpers. 10
fact, manners were more preserved than the
morals. To be rude was, with the japanese,
a greater crime than to break all of the ten
commandments Baltimore Sun, 21st.