New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-05-22
THE MIKADO'S rR4NSF0RnI7I0X
Prom The Japan WccLig lfTL

Prom me japan NTfHfy I'M
Just fourteen year, ago thc MIkado ceased 10 be a
terrestrial divinity and became an active power and
II visible pnsrnc' a!noag his subjects. Had Ice been
required Ia perform tbs new IOi" after years of
habit had adapted his feet to the traditional groove
oi apath-tc S,Husiun. II l. NOT mpOS>bl" that tho
chang might have prov cd unendurablc. ami that TO
the maay difficulties with which his MINI trFs have
already been called upon 10 grapp'e might be- super
added the embarrassment uf serving pUppet Prince
according ~ the forms 0t Responsible procedure.
Fortunately. however, H." Emperor approached his
unprecedented task without any of III pr.jndiccs
of experience. and in the COW lotion that the FASH
ions of tn, past were Incompatible with the neces-
sites of the future lie has succcedtd-thd4oughly
Succreded-in taking an effective place al the head
of the State aud II, conforming Ia tie STRANGELY
novel cirrufnst ancrs of his altered relations With tho
outer world. Not without al ctnt l're,d has tho
transformation been accomplished. In the beginning
il seemed a. though tie icy in~CnSlrlty could not
be laid aside and those foreigners hO i'll thu early
DAYS of our residence here had the honor of being
admitted to the Imperial presence found II dIlcult
to reconcile that ntatnesIue mperturbabiiIty with
anything but the idea NJ pupTt set mp 10 take tho
place of the Sacred Being not yet sufficiently human
izod to endure the aspect of humanity. These. how
ever, are but memories growing fainter day by day.
They were succeeded first by forcbo'llIss subSe-
oueIitly by ACCOMPLISHMENTS Something 1t was
Thought must happcn-SOme Understandable revuIson
of national feeling Or s'le disturbance OF social
cuuibrun-wh the keystone OF feaIty was
struck away. and the Sacred Being men had wOr-
shipped for twenty cycles laying aside bis divinity
shrwcd himself to be OF the earth, rarthy fubnc
opinion. however. proved 80 be completely nj fault.
The faith on which the loyalty OF the japanese peO
pie rests showed tsrli to be- independent of form.
Almost before the reality of the metamurphOsis
had been fairly credited by the outer world, <we
were bcwlderbd by the extraordinary spectacle or
proetares and pariahs gazing unconccrieIly on the
''Dn.gon's vsage' of which they had hitherto
known nothing save that its aspect was &c,
counted fatal to human vision; Some COOL
folk seriously Scandalized by this suddenly de-
vcOpcd spirit OF IrrrVelence. III seemed u thenl
that the demon of revolution was abroad, when tho
Empcrors presence elected from aliens dclnonstTa-
tions of respect denied 10 him by his own subjects
!, tl,af RI
no hats 10 take OH and being denied the privilege of
rubbing their foI"hcadS in the dust all that re-
mnint for them 10 adopt the negative course Of
doing nothing. Whether they regretted or rriOicel
nj a change which enabled them 20 take their own
share of the road whoever happened To hc their fell
low traveller, and To keep their doors open even
when royalty passed there ought not Ia BE- much
difficulty III conJccturng. But they sought for no
further privilege. The phantom of democracy,
which, according TO political prophets, hal been
evoked beyond the possibility Of exorcisIn, mover
assumed any tangible shape, and society moved
quietly along III its old grooves.
Meanw hlic we cannot doubt that the Emperor,
unhe5ltlilnglv as lie has adopted bis altered role,
must have found the new character very difficult I'D
sustain. Everything that he was required 10 do he
has done with grace and dignity. lnaugurations of
public enterprises, reviews receptions and ~ forth,
have constantly been honOrcd by his presence, and
he has taken hiE place in the Council Chamber, not
perhaps ruler with active functions and original
projects but still real, no longer IN ideal bead
of the State. SO far however, NJ intercourse with
the world in a European sense Is concerned. he has
renamed almost as much secluded as ever
and to expect that it could have been other
wise would have been scarcely reasonable.
His conduct in such matters was altogether
regulated by his Minister'S and by many of his valued
advisers what lie had done was deemed enough.
Their counsels not perhaps unsupported by his own
have hitherto snfHced to make the Emperor q pres
once rather than sn influence in the state Hts in-
tercourse with his subjects has been less rsL ta.'
nominal he has seen life with tho eyes gu otne,s
and troddep path where Sgn-posts OF sympathy
or experience ara visible .. a,.,<v,
month ago we had to tell OF huntinge
IL. 'onrtsrs now An order Is issued by the Honsc-
department Isd1e 81 tho SSre4 sssrsash
guar " "a c;ai occaxons-from wich it may iaiIV
Sspt inferred thai tho frequent occurrence OF aa.
oacial occasions Is contemplated In iie ~ lis
S3.s,ra-and We worry much inlslakel "a a., -
r4;St % fashion of life Is not soon aSsimASeo W
s 49, - an Esglish or French potentate.