The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-05-05
as Others See Us.

Szation and enlightenment, us o'hei WV
that q territorial sectarianism called pa
tr;otism'' might not produce such gooa
sru;ts rs Il does. II soldiers were wei ac-
ouainted with their so-called "encmles,
who are their enemies not by reason OF any
offence they have committed against 'nem
but because they dwell upon the o'ner sue
OF an Imaginary line, wars woala W wy
different things from what tneS "'e.
I" Mountains intcrposed make euelh'eS -
nations which had else, like k'ndieo o'ops'
Noon mingled into one" Ignorance
d,,htIoss n large element in other klhas VI
.. dcyotion" than that OF when IL l'aS 'eeA
s.id 70 he the mother. Seh-compElccheS
not confined to Boston and emma. Even
,-iroin;ans have been known to pride them-
selves upon the State OF their nativity.
Though patriotism is sometimes sald 10 De.
..thc last refuge OF n Scoundrei, yet II Is
the mere profession Of patriotism that IS
meant, not the feeling itself. There Is
something ennobling i'll entertaining love
for ones country: 1t is feeling that Is
manifested in high degree only by good,
nurc men. Nevertheless 1t is not wise
IN allow ourselves to be blinded to our faults
bv our locality or car patriotism. LIN the
country Of the blind the one-eyed man is
king He sees better than anybody else.
In this country we arc all more or less
blind, and need man from abroad Win NJ
least one good eye to tel! us what he sees
here. In the North american RerieD lot
Nav and June is al article written by an IN
tellgept japanese which is attracting
rood deal of attention, not because it indi-
Gates any extraordinary ability in its author,
nor because the views presented are alto
eether new or striking, but because it lets us
know what man CT another race and OF an
older civilization thinks about our institu-
tons. ..-. ..- al
The author Of the article says that he first
left Japan eleven years ago. In that country
they had come TO suppose that the states
men OF certain Christian countries must be
almost like gods. GEORGE WASHINGTON
was the greatest OF our leaders in the estl-
nation of the japanese. They thought
also that our political institutions must be
perfect, because our inventions were so
wonderful. The writer visited Washing
ton in 1868, during which year he returned
to Japan. Six years ago he started out
upon his journey and his study OF the po-
litical institutions OF various countries.
He resolved to begin his observations at
Constantinopie and return home by way Of
San Francisco. lie remained in Turkey
only short time; but in each OF the cities
of Vienna, Berlin, Rome, Paris, and Lon
don. he spent nearly year,
The author says that when he set out
though he had made 4 previous BRIEF visit
to this country he supposed the United
States TO be the most advanced country in
the world in political affairs, but that now
he considers it the most backward. All
countries except this change. Here we are
bound by what he repeatedly calls "hun-
dred-year-old constitution and therefore
canf,ot change as new times and new cir
cumstanees seem to demand, so he thinks.
A majority OF the voters can't elect the
President, he says, referring Of course to
Mr. IILDEN's fate. We, are, like the Chi
nese, attached too much to old customs. In
Japan, it is just the other way they are too
fond of change.
Here our author makes such q good hit
that we give to il separate paragraph by
way Of making it conspicuous. lie declares
that in hundred years we have taken only
one step, and that Overwhelmingly, We
have given to number Of ignorant negroes
the power to aid in electing President
who is not responsible to anybody. ...
The writer discovered last fall, during
the presidential election, nineteen difficult
ties'' not provided for in our "hundred-
year-old constitution"
The rite of seppuku, or "sclf-despatch y
what in this country we have called hdrl-
kuri-accounts for the "far higher moral
ity OF Japan." Ahem! He will tell bis
countrymen not to do away with seppuhu
until they find substitute for it better
than itself. If it obtained in this country
would have had to kill themselres-he for
being so much libelled, and they for libel
ling him. Goodness ..
Our author finds that both the President
and the Senate have too much power, whilst
the House OF Representatives has too little.
The Cabinet ought to be selected from the
House, and be made responsible to it, and
compelled to resign whenever it lost the
confidence,of the House. President GRANT
promised to do a great many things, but did
nothing,>ip the way Of reform. President
HAYES has promised also, but the people
are forced to wait to see what he will do.
elbow much longer will they wait and pay
heavy taxes to see their money make sena-
tors and politicians and their friends rich? ?"
The taxes are so heavy that the people can
not get rich rapidly. He likes us, and wishes
us to have "pure and cheap instead Of
dishonest and expensive government"
The Declaration OF Independence speaks
of our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit
Of happiness, but the white man in South
Carolina and the negro in Louisiana told
our japanese that they couldn't enjoy their
life and liberty as they desired to, and
couldn't "pursue happiness" "worth q
cent" western, not japanese Engllsh.]
Our author says that the Chinese "take
warning, reflect 4 good deal, but don't
CHANGE; the French never take warning,
iadyice,] do not reflect at all, but always
change; but the best plan is to take warm
ing, then reflect, and then change.
nnr xyrifnc ~ bn OF