New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-02-22


This work. aside from its effort to satisfy curl
osity about Japan has its value as a contribute"
to the general study Of humanity. There is much
- repative evidence from various sources TO snow
that with a few rare exceptions well known 10
!, history no race Of men has made any advance
/, ment in religion. nor even change, without en-
y ternal impulse and assistance This volume con-
= tains testimony from the positive side 10 sno"
! that in a particular case, that OF an extremely
intelligent nation. every religious revolution o"eu
.,s,s origin 10 interference from without. THIS
testimony is the more Trustworthy for the rea-
son that the author did not aim 10 give IT, ne
has followed the lines. already conventional "a
the science Of comparative religion, ana mas even
dgnfed animism with religious u'ie. =,
doubtful II animism is religion. ferhaps IL
stands to religion In the same relation 'ha'
hunger stands to food 1t may be Symptom
of the needs OF the organism. not means OF
satisfying those needs 1t proves that man mas
an organ or a faculty which Graves re!gious
ideas just as he has an organ which Graves iood'
but II does not satisfy Its own dehahus Inc
instructive effort TO satisfy this craving SEXES
upon everything in sight that VIII staho sun
long enough TO admit of a prayer or genunec-
tion There is nothing from medicine bottle 10
n mountain from pebble TO a star, from poiyp
10 an elephant. that has not had divine honors
paid to 1t some time by somebody. Dr. Gri'hs
ouotes a proverb of the japanese which shows
that they clearly understand this munger or
humanity. Even sardines head" they say,
may become an object of worship" A glance
over the ma -erlal that has already been collected
respecting the notions of primitive peoples Will
suffice to show that they have never escaped
from the condition of craving which may be
Temporarily appeased but never satisfied by
1.-THE sardine's head" The first step upward
from this condition. If DR.. Grifiis is right In his
view Of japanese history, was taken by that
people under the leadership OF tribe which had
brought with il from the mainland some nove
ideas as we'll as efficient weapons than It's
rivals possessed. He describes the earliest popu-
lation OF the islands a composite OF many
races. The aborgines. he thinks, were lmHi-
grants OF unknown afIinities from the continent
of Asia, and these were followed in prehistoric
times by Malays from the South. Coreans IN the
central islands and Amos In the East and North.
Leaving the Amos out Of consideration the re-
mainder Of the population. numbering now more
than Al oO0 600 are homogeneous in language and
in general clinical traits. The process by which
they became united not long one COM
pared with that Of some other nations THE
Japanese" says DR.. Griffis. ARE as younger chill
dren in the great family OF Asias historic peo-
pie Broadly speaking, japan is no older than
England, and authentic japanese history is no
more ancient than British history. In Albion. as
in the Honorable Country there are traditions
and mythologies that projected their shadows
aeons back Of genuine records; but If we consider
that English history begins in the fifth and Eng
lish literature in the eighth century. then there
are other reasons besides those commonly given
for calling Japan the England of the East. "
The history which begins so late does not carry
emerged from savage anarchy. But the legends
" hitch relate to the origin and growth Of shinto.
now as of old the lawful religion Of Japan. betray
potent reminiscence of the nearest Asiatic lands.
p They indicate that the impulse Of this religion,
N which converted temporary fetiches into lasting
deities. and created pantheon in which the
=, gods are numbered by the million. came from
without 1t impulse only that was
needed: the japanese themselves inventive /
0'enough TO furnish all the details soon as the
way was pointed out 10 them. The advance in
religious thought from the stage where every
man had mis- amulet. which he worshipped when
o. It pleased him and changed for a when
things went wrong. to the stage when there were
,deities apart from the individual human being,
accompanied by suggestive political changes.
II involved a nascent feudalism in which the vast
mass Of the conquered tribesmen became the
"a slaves Of a small minority The victory Of the
r minority is compared by the author TO those Of
the Aryans in India. Of the Hebrews in Canaan.
of the Romans in Europe. Of the Germanic races
in North America The conquerors moved out
nj ward from their first abiding place In the islands
under the authority as they believed. Of divine
command.
e They were sent from Takamanohara the High
Plain OF Heaven. Theirs was a war of men with
a nobler creed. having agriculture and feudal
system Of organization which furnished resources
rat.x ht,to.n Gch1
men. They found their foes eager for something
: to satisfy their religious craving and ready to
believe them when they said that they were
sons Of Heaven, relatives of the sun goddess that
their Mikado was the impersonation of celestial
powers and that they made war only on those
who were born of earth. the children Of terres-
trial powers. So far this new system was sat
isfactory II replaced the changeabe vagaries Of
mere fetichsm. 1t could afford to lump together
in round numbers the forces which the savage i'm
agnation fancied IL found In things Where 1t did
not suffice the fetiches could still be used And they
were used and used still. No religion Is pow
erful enough to satisfy all its votares The civil
lized man who treasures rabbit foot for luck.
carries buckeye for rheumatism. or figured
charm to which he attributes mystical efficacy.
Is as real feichist In the exact sense understood
by the so-called fetch worshipper. is the Jap
anese farmer who sets a stone slab to insure
the fertility Of his ricefeld. How far Shinto or
any of its successors thus far has been from
meeting all the ongings of the religious appetite
Is shown by the extent to which IT and the rest
have catered to the demand for keepsakes Of pre-
tended magical efficacy Rare" says DR.. Griffs.
ais the japanese farmer, laborer. mechanic. ward
man or he!min of any trade who does not wear
an amulet charm other object which he re-
cards with or less OF reverence as having re-
iation to the powers that help or harm In most
~ the Buddhist temples these amuets are sold
FOR the benefit of the priests, or Of the shrine
monastery Not a few OF the gentry n
slider II best TO be on the safe side and wear in
pouch or purse these protectors against evil
II multitude of gods could have obvated this
tendency on the part Of each individual to have
something for his own particular worship, one
would suppose that Shinto fulfilled all require
ments. One of It's prayers attests the existence
OF egh, hundred myriads Of celestial gods, eight
hundred myrads Of terrestrial gods. fifteen hun
dred myriads OF local gods. fifteen hundred myri-