New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-08-08

The dlopticn of cXtradItlOn practice, a. III
di,atcd 10y the Mikado> willingness 10 consent
20 the cAtIddiion Treaty recently published l.
full and exclusively il The Tribune l. Only
one Of a eleat number OF wonderful changes III
the recent history of Japan. The new era
opened in lSG~ when the Mikado after pcIloc
OF cnio. ccI lct TN ut began 10 govern a. wei
~ 10 reign. The revolution OF that ycar snuk,
the dividing line between two stage, OF Eaten
civilization a, distinct ~ TINT separating m'd!-
nval from modern Europe. The dano, were
the great icudal lo.d, who ODstndtcly man
tanned their local supremacy with the 'nd o.
their ictaincr- and ,washbu klc:S, the s.mur.n-.
The Shotgun Or Tycoon WA The Mayor OF the
Palace whose political authority tar exceeded
that OF the MikadO The iilst result OF I'll,
evolution wls the abolition Of the tom. 'oidl
power OF the Shotgun and the second wia the
overthrow OF the icudl system III the supWc.
sion OF the Sat Mna rebellion, which came 10 IN
end in 1877. Medieval changed ini"
mode IL Japan by the command OF the Mlhado
whose sovereignty had VI tnilly been create
With almost incredible rapidlty the political IN
stitutiOn,, social customs, methods OF education
and even the religion OF the people were trans
TO med The change in religion was the att
foial substitution of an obsolete cut, The alb
>uact worship Of nature, for the prevailing
Iuddhi,tic religion. Til, va, conScIvaCv"
reaction; but III all ether re- poets the trans
formation effected was from Asialic to European
or Asnc. lean idca..
For twenty yeas this process of glaitlnS
modern institutions on the ancicrt Oront,h|
stock hos been continued. The Mhado hi, sent
thousand, Of young men Ia be educated i'll tie
United States and in Eu opc, and comnlS ioncr-
have been dispatched from TINE to time 10 III
vc,iigato the methods of COVE nmcnt and pro
codure prevailing in civilized countiics. The
new ruling class. as il has acquired experience,
has sclcctcd the institutions Of different cOun-
Tries as applicable to Il progressive Eastern
state The military system of tie Empire
with its active army, Iccrvc, landwchr and
lndstmm, has been modelled after the cimln
establishment. cIcdilablc navy and growing
merchant Ill .rine have been fomd with tnr
assistance Of British >hipbuildcrs When Loid
EeacOnsicld was making much noise III the
void the Mikado borrowed iIOm him the ido.,
of a spirited foreign policy and made enc Sotic
demonstrations in the direction OF the Loochoo
Islands and Coroa, beside, casting longing eye.
at Formo,a. The judiciary system an
adaptation of English procedure. The
peeragc created two years ago my be attributed
to the same source. The general political in>ti-
tutOns, now comprising a Cabinet, Senate AMI
local elective councils, and defined enc long 10
include a National Assembly, bear stong It.
scmblance to the French system.
American influence has been strongly cXcltcd
in matters Of practical admnist alton. Educl-
tolal progress has been conducted Oh the lines
of the Yankee common school, and Universities,
The police force has been organized very
much as it is in New-Yolk or Chicago,
The first telegraph line was established III 1871
and the first railway in 1883, and both system
have been rapidly extended. Banking now
rests on a stable foundation and thiivcs even
when national finances are i'll extreme disc del
In 1869 recourse was had TO inconvetIblc paper
currency, the costly cxpcdcnt adopted BY the
United States dining the civil war Win
the point of absorption WIS reached the issues
were continued, until in 1881 the currency Wa.
80 per cent under the nominal value. Then fol
lowed a series of bonding transactions III the
direction of specie payments and the gradual
contraction of the currency. The comm real
tieaties OF Admiral Perry and Lord Elgn I'M
posing restrictions upon the taxation OF I'M
ports have been regarded rs OneIous by the new
administration. and pei sisen: efforts have re