, 1880-08-30
Our Treaty With Japan.


family of nations. For unknown CEN
turies she was almost as much shut out
from intercourse with the rest OF the
world as was China. For several num-
dred years before 1868, the govern
ment was held by usurpation by the
Tycoon, or Shotgun, as the Japanese
call him. In that year, at the end OF
two years civil war, the authority of
the Mikado, the rightful sovereign, was
established.
Towards the end of the Tycoonate,
Japan had been partly opened to trade.
both the military enterprises OF the
commercial nations and the gradual
introduction of European IDEAS unit
ing to effect this change. In 1858. sew
eral treaties were concluded between
Japan and other countries, including
the United States, Great Britain, and
France. All these countries, not ex-
cepting our own, took advantage of
Japanese ignorance of diplomacy to
impose upon her terms which size has
since found to be intolerable.
We will mention two of the condI-
tions, which are found in all the treat
les. 1t is agreed that if offenses are
committed ia Japan by foreigners
against Japanese, the culprits shall be
tried, not by Japanese courts, but in
consular courts of the country to
which the offender belongs, and that
! if guilty. they shall be punished by
oreign law.
1t is easy to see how this would work
if the same rule were to be applied to
ourselves. There are Germans who
have immigrated to this country. who
NAV some time become American citi-
zens. but are now German subjects.
Suppose one of there Germans, living
| in Chicago, should become indebted to
an American grocer, how would 1t
please the creditor to be obliged to sue
his debtor before O German consular
court, and be obliged to conform to
German law instead of that of IllI-
nois? That illustrates the character
of this condition of the treaty. An
American who assaults a Japanese IN
the streets of Toxic, or who commits
al offense against law, has to be tried
before the American CONSUL.
The other condition is still harder
one. These treaties also included an
agreement by Japan, that certain du-
|
be laid and collected. Any govern
ment which parts with the full liberty
to lay such taxes as seem proper, and
places itself at the mercy OF another
government, will, sooner or later, re-
gret it.
Since these treaties were made,
Japan has had a revolution; the new
government is liberal and progressive
| Great public works have been under
taken and carried out. The civiliza-
tion and the educational and govern
mental institutions of the western ma
tions have been introduced. All this
has cost much money. The Japanese
Government now spends ten times as
much meney every year as she used to
spend twenty years ago. The revenue
which she could then derive from du-
ties ON foreign goods constituted at
one time very large portion OF the
whole. 1t is now less than oIe-thlr-
tieth OF it; and she has surrendered
the power to change her tariff, except
by the consent of other powers.
She has therefore appealed to the
governments with which she has
treaties for q revision of the agree
ments. She ought not to ask in vain.
1t would be as unfair to hold her to her
hard bargain as it is to require the boy
who has borrowed money Of q Insurer,
at ruinous rate of interest, to keep
his word when he becomes OF age and
comes into his property.
japan cannot, by the terms OF the
treaties, put an end to the agreements
unless the other parties consent.
There is a provision for revision, but
any government can refuse to make
any changes. and SO stop the negotia-
ton. Moreover, the changes desired
cannot he made unless all the parties
consent. But these facts do not in the
least degree alter the duty OF our peo-
pie in this matter.
As the matter stands, we are pursn-
ing q course of injustice towards
friendly nation, continuing to take ad-
vantage of treaty made when she was
inexperienced. 1t ought to be a mat
ter of national pride with us to be the
first to consent to the changes which
are asked for, and then We should use
all the influence we have to persuade
others to do the same. The subject is
already being considered by our State
| department.. We feel sure that if
proposal is made to relieve Japan, it
will have the hearty support and SYM
pathy OF all who believe in doing u.s.
tice to our neighbors.
CAUGHT. There are idle students in
other countries besides this, but the
folly of neglect is not always SO keenly
regretted as in the instance given be-
low from a French journal:
A young student on the eve Of his
departure to study law at Paris, received
from his uncle code which was to be