New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-19
oxr VIEW OF THE JAPS.
.rrAcHE THINKS AMERICANS HAVE
srrS THEM TOO MUCH THROUGH
posE.COIORED GLASSES.

pOSE-COIORED 0kASSES.
...ms to be such a general disposition
'u United States 20 sympathize with the
10 Wv w.. pygmy bantam In the fight which 1t
np'I,'.a with the huge Shanghai rooster. and
hs "shoracteristic American chivalry to side
vi" smaller and weaker OF the combatants.
VIZ ",hrc opinion here appears in danger Of
ms' blinded to the rights and wrongs Of
F" few remarks upon the subject COM
me .,, one who has spent considerable time
b china and Japan, not a mere tourist.
W. resident may possibly prove OF timely
~ =, and enable the reader. even at the sacr!-
ID" .or,e Of his pet illusions to form a more
w.,a correct opinion as to the merits Of the
,,s first place, 1t Is TO the Japanese that be-
,be responsibility Of having started
~..uoht with such grave and inevitable re-
"a the country as to lead to the conviction
~" .,o M,kado, like Napoleon III in 1870. has
"' ,,rced 10 attack China In the hope OF avert
evolution at home. Both he and his adj
10. mus, have known from the outset that
ras no possibility Of ultimate success; their
-. hone of escaping defeat Of the most disas-
S .. character lay in the chance OF an inter-
W. W., on their behalf Of one more OF the for
Hs who can dispose Of sufficient force 10 inter
~ 4, tho fight and to arrest It's progress, hanie-
N vu.s,a and Great Britain. whose sympathies
"-,.rests are altogether In favor Of the Chi
~ and who have everything to gain. both
" s. and politically. by espousing the
Wa 'n.. q, the Flowery Kingdom rather than that
~. Empire of the Rising Sun We may
u Tore look for a war which will be fought
wv .rd which Is certain to terminate in the
.v.n,ual victory Of the Chinese whose resources
,..x,austible. whereas those of the japanese
-. exceedingly limited. 1t Is war that IS
...,a n bring changes In japan. the extent OF
,hich no one can predict or foresee. Ana WINE
y :. ,ossible that the Mkado may succeed in
.r,ne possession Of his throne. yet elmer oelea'
:. ,he equally humiiating and improbable inter-
...,.on OF some European Power In MS pehah
.or,d not fail 70 bring about sweeping reac''o'
,,,n the progressive and ultra estern Po'c'
hitch has hitherto prevailed In TOXIC 10 FORMER
o.,.r,a, barbarism and an abandonment OF oil
..... Foreign innovations and forms OF cviiza-
w., chat are 80 bitterly resented by the people
At large. .,a and
vo,u,;,hstapding all that has been said ana
.,,en 10 the contrary, our views as 10 """'
...,,,r,es civilization are not popular In Japan
u,,.. ,hs sxcept,on Of few thousand natives
-. have travelled abroad. and who are IN
80 ,o- their present advantages OF fortune
~. rork 20 their knowledge Of foreign ways ana
-.,hoA. the vast body of the people, some
=. nnn noo IN number. is Just as bitterly opposed
"a everything foreign-nay. even more so-'"""
~ ,.s- ,,,an the present Emperor recovered his
..,,nora, sovereignty from. the Tycoon by the
49,. - tho revolutionary party which had as
~, "Death 10 the Foreigners! II any
g.. <ore,0ners are even still more unpopular
nov than they were then; ior there are nun
Ava "a ses at present for every one that eAis'eu
,r those DAYS. II Is the foreigner VINO is heio
RESPONSIBLE for the enormous increase III ''e
taxes and in the prices OF the hecessae'
hfe az we'll as for the advent OF inhu"erao'7
fresh maladies and troubles OF every Kihu' Ing
mobiles and Samurai deplore the loss vi '"e''
privileges and Of their exemption from the neces-
sitv OF drudging for their livelihood Ihe ar''sa"
looks back with regret TO the day when ne was
,ble TO work only as and when ne hsteo' 'he
m-cultural laborer and peasant hold the lot
amer responsible for the heavy increase OF the
,.rous land duties. while the immense oody OF
,b.sts and monks bitterly resent the attempts
made to convert the people TO Christan''y' a"
a., tho fore,eners are regarded as the root ana
,.s,. q, ALL evil. and the popular feeling for
..vera, wears past has been TO the erect 'ha' ."e
...,., ,h.v get out the better It will be fof
Janan This Is the basis of the programme VI
tse poverful political party which s'yies 'se''
OM Japan." and which is the japanese cou''-
..rnart Of Russian Panelavism II Is par
that nossesses the sympathies or cohsioer"o'!
oyer g 900 900 Of the japanese popuiatoh' anu
II was with the object Of diverting the Afternoon
and thoughts OF this anti-foreign element IRON
considerations Of domestic and Internal po"cy
that the Mkado was forced to seek as ir1vo'ouS
.pretext as that selected by Napoleon III io'
aecar,ne a totally groundless war upon the
Chinese.
For nv nart-and there are many acquainted
With japan and China who are OF the SAM
opnion-the reversion Of the Japanese 10 '"eN
former WAYS. manners and customs Will DE
source ~ satisfaction, rather than or regret al
that civilization has done for them mas pee" -
electorate their art 70 destroy "ha'e'e'
lsous belief and moral restraint they PoS'e''e
I'D to deprive them Of those oid-fashioheo 'o' ~.
conventionality, courtesy AMI hoho' WIN
sadered the Japanese nobleman. gentieha" a"'
wu peasant of twenty years ago SO lhn"'e'.
nre attractive than he is to-day. whenever
-
compare the Jap Of the present. mean WI"
wsre pleased to call the civilized Jap-"i'n NV
hp Of two decades gone by. call to m'no '"'
remark which Prosper Mermee once maze CO."
erning the Egyptian Prince Achmet. the pro.he'
Il Khedive Ismail, La nature Ia iai' sa"e.
civilization Ia rendu cochon. "a qua, -
nature. civilization has rendered MN "e.
There Ia something noble and chivalrous ever
abou, the wild boar: there Is nothing admirao'
about the occupant OF the sty And so II Il
With the o,dt,ne Samurai. or Daimio on IN
onehand, and on the other the Japanese genie
nan Of the "nouvelle couch.." whose c'vih%a.i"'
mere veneer Of the most superficial ana shanos
a,ure having no foundation nor ra'son de'r'
Civilization. as we understand 1t. is based upo'
Christianity. and is the result Of growth an
esoution during a period If twenty ceh'".,e'
Ne westernized Japanese fondly imae'"eS '"a
stm attain the same degree OF occ'oen'a' Wv