The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1880-03-06
JAPAN.


st. Andrews Church was listened b
= by a very attentive audience. TIL
speech was exceedingly entertaining
and instructive, being an easy ant
Q pleasant recital of facts relating to thu
history, characteristics, laws, litera
, ture and religious progress of the
Empire. According to Mr.. Cooper
who has spent several years in Yeddo
with very considerable success, the
people are fully up to the most adj
vanced nations in mental ability, and
of late years readily take to the inn
provements and civilization of foreign
countries. The laws are at present
and have been for 1000 years or more
simply the edicts of the Emperor, but
a number of French lawyers are now
employed by the Government to pre-
pare code of laws similar to those in
force in France.
The japanese are the politest people
in the world. When a gentleman of
Japan calls on neighbor his host
receives him with a profound bow, his
head reaching to the floor, and this
courtesy is returned by the guest,
and the curvature exercise is repeated
several times with profuse apologies
from both for not being equal to the
occasion in politeness. No crime is
counted so great as impoliteness. Mr..
G. related an instance of man who
was discourteously pushed aside by
another in the entrance to temple.
This insult so lacerated his tender
point, and so outraged his sense of
po!iteness that he went out and killed
himself. They have Code of Honor,
but it don't work there like it does
in England and America. If man
receives deadly insult he don't
challenge his assailant to the field but
proceeds to commit suicide to wipe
out the stain, and then the man who
gives the insult is in honor bound to
suicide also. There is Il great
to suicide among the people,
but their reverence for law, that is,
for the edicts of the Emperor, is SUI
preme. The lecturer told about the
existence of steep bluff over ravine
forty or fifty feet deep, near one of
their temples of worship, where the
iiscontented frequently resorted for
the purpose of ending their lives by
over the bluff into the yawn-
ng abyss below. There was super
'tition among them that if party
umped over this bluff and survived
he feat he was a favorite of the gods,
md they could not afford to lose him.
With such miraculous preservation I
md evidences of cody favor the party
vas content to keep ON living. But
% frequent were these cases of self I
destruction the Emperor caused sign l
'oard to be erected upon which these 4
words were printed. mo one is per-
nitted to commit suicide here.n After
his the self-destroyer sought some :
ther place to end his life. A Japanese =
nay consider it his duty to kill HIM :,
elf but he cannot be prevailed on to ~
o it unlawfully. =
The women of Japan do not occupy +,
he sphere of equality which is ac- @,
orded to Christian women in fact, r
hey are treated very little better than d
laves, no Importance being given to f,
leir education or refinement. But Ii
here is a fine prospect of decided |,
Improvement i'll this respect. The
Impress of Japan has founded in
eddo female, Seminary for theeduca- d,
on of girls, and the Missionary To-
es are also contributing largely to b;
lie improvement of the condition of n
lie women. I"
1t is impossible to go over the whole or
'ound of Mr.. Cooper's lecture in
lief report. 1t abounds in material in
cts, illustrative incidents, etc related an
a clear, unaffected and most en- he
giug manner. There is nothing VI
at can be omitted if full justice is plc
ne to the speech. OF course, his 10,
ject is to enlist Il general interest
the people of Japan and the Ja- r.
nese mission. Japan is a fertile sol
and one thousand miles long, and ia
out an average Of one hundred and
y miles in width, Astounding in mi
inhabited by an intellect Hi
and progressive population of Tia
100000. 1t has only been within sci
! last eight or ten years that ste
ristian Missionary was allowed to is
ach the Gospel of Christ upon that ant
red soil; and it has only been with De-
he last thirty years that foreign wa
barian was allowed TO put foot on lift
soil. Now, the streets of Yok0ha- vii
are filled with American, English ma
French merchants, and the ships eng
Her Majesty and those of Uncle AIRY
n whiten her ports with their and
$. The Christian Mission has ben
en- strong hold, and the church the
: numbers more than ten thou ano
d converts. The field is an inviting airy
growing one, and commends =,
If strongly to the Christian heart . =,
iviliZed America. ioii
can
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