Morning journal and courier., 1888-03-09
THE NEW JAPAN.

The Yale Theological School-A Very
 Interesting Lecture by the Noted Rev.
 Dr. GrIG2s of Boston.
 The first lecture by Rev. Dr. Grifis of Bos. ton took place, as was announced, at Mar quand chapel yesterday afternoon at 8 o'clock The doctor is strongly built man, rather stout, and has something decisive about his looks. Only such man as he could have withstood the tasks assigned bim at Fukui, Japan. There he had been for years teaching science to young Japanese who were picked out by the government. Since his return he has charge of large and influential pastorate in Boston.
 He began his lecture by telling the differ
 ence between the Japanese and Chinese i1
 their social institutions, development and
 progress. Japan, says he, ''is 8 newborn
 country, according to the scriptural Ian
 guage." Then he entered upon narrative of the old Japan, reviewing and sketching as
 he went on the past history of Japan in the
 following manner: The oldest record the
 Japanese have of themselves is called KoJiki (the ancient record), which tells us about the first Emperor Jimmutenno and carries us down to the fourth century. But it is now pretty we'll proved to be literary forgery. The first Emperor and his troop seem to have come from the Asiatic continent and landing in the island of Japan driven off the real na- tives, the Amos, who now inhabit the north ern sland. At any rate, we have no very ac' curate account of those early days.
 Japan is going to have constitutional government in 1890. What change from the military era! From gross feudalism she has already established the present central
 izea government. Now she takes another step. The military power was always &C.,
 H1ro SIvz Nv it5 h..
 ter to tho Emperor. In 1919 Minamoto Ko
 Yoritomo became the first Tycoon in this
 way and established his headquarters in Kamakura, near Yokohama, it's great sea- port. He was opposed by Faira family, who governed the southwestern portion of the empire. It must be borne in mind that a rebellion at that time was a fight to seize sword and revenue of the country and not the throne. The successful family thus grasped the real power, although an inferior by name to the throne, and was called the "camp."
 In 552 Buddhism came over from Corea and converted the members of the | Mikado family. Something more will be said about the religion in a future lecture, \ but be it told that the decay Of morality was | at the height of Buddhism. Minamoto was I succeeded by Hoiio, and then came Asikaga. | During the sixteenth century great man ! appeared; his name was Nobunaga. He sub | dusd petty divisions throughout the country, ! hated Buddhism and patronized the Jesuits. \ The next phenomenal character Taiko. \ He found the divisions uncomfortable, and ! instead of destroying he perfected them. | Iyeyasu settled the Tycoon's seat at Yedo and under his government the | Japanese enjoyed three hundred years of peaceful reign. He saw an excellent system | of morality in Christianity, but strongly sus- I pected some ambitious political scheme in it. | The whole country has bsen closed except | for few Hollanders, who were allowed to | trade in Dejima an island near NagRsaki har- l bor. The Japanese got useful information ! from them; yet they were not to be compared
 with the pecuniary benefit the Dutchmen obtained from them. 1yeyasu's reign is noted | for the revival of letters; Chinese classics | were ushered in; the Dutch language re- vailed the European world.
 1 In 1885 Perry went over to decide the ques- \ ton of American shipwreczs from the Cali | fornia coast. In 1868 southern Daimiyos ! seized the palace with science and skill and demanded the abolition of the ''camp and ! throne" system. This resulted iR the resto-
 ration of the real political power to the Elm | peror.
 Since the present government was firmly established they disarmed Sanlurais, founded r 40, 900 schools, lighthouses and army and | navy The only fear is that she should spend | too much money on the army. There are \ 500 newspapers in the country.
 | la 1885 they put young men educated in | Europe and America at the head of the gov 1 ernnent, together with old we'll known per \ sons; therefore, intellectually and popularity
 are the two elements in the present Japanese l government.
 The treaties with Japan were made when she was but child. She has to put 20 du-
 ties on foreign goods, and refers foreign
 criminals to their respective corsuls. But
 she is now grown up and has right to claim a revision of the treaties. The
 only thing which distinguishes Japan from Christiandom is that she has a1 present l no religion. Let say to Japan that if she can protect Europeans and Americans in hei empire we shall grant it's petition; and I am | confident that she shall be able to do so very \ soon.
 l Dr. Grifis delivered the lecture so easily
 that Le seemed to have the country clearly
 in his comprehension Indeed, he has writ l ten 1.-The Mikado's Empire,' book to be
 read by every friend of Japan. The second lecture will be delivered this afternoon at the \ same place and time.