The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-05-31
THE HUMILIATION OF JAPAN.
Popular Indignation Likely TO Over
throw The. Governments

Popular Indignation Likely to Over
throw the Government.
Tokyo. May 15.-tPer steamer Victoria
TO Nfctoria, May 80 An imperial proc
lamation. dated May 10. but not published
tlii the 18th, at last gives the people oy
Japan an insight Into the true position
OF Affairs and enables them 20 open in
vestigations on their own account. the
eagerness and energy of which will pres
entity bring all hidden facts TO light.
Criticism can never be directed against
an edlct issued in the sovereign's name.
out the events which the document re-
cords may be considered apart from the
recilal's particular form, and will be dis
cussed with d view to ascertaining the
exact responsibility OF the leading min
listers of the state. and with the purpose
OF holding them to strict account for
occurrences which are pronounced dis
honorable to the dignity and prestige of
the nation. There can be no mistaking
the depth and intensity of popular feel
ing The angry excitement of the multi
tude recalls the experience of six wears
ago. when the nation showed. for the first
time IN modern history, what it is ca
pable OF In an excess of blind passion.
In the summer OF 1889 Count Okums.
minister of foreign affairs. was the idol
OF the country. He was supposed TO
have settled the vexed question of treaty
revision on terms advantageous to the
empire. and was nonored accordingly. In
the autumn of the same year his country
men fancied shat they had detected a
flaw In his negotiations by which fha
national Independence was endangered
and they turned upon him with such
fury as 10 overthrow his adminlstra ton.
NhHe the agitation was at it's height
Count Okuma was attacked hy an as
sassin of the stamp of the fanatic who
shot LII Hung Chang. and was crippled
tfn N1+ ff,n,
against the ministry Of which oktIrna was
the leading spirit was as nothing com
pared with the arraignment which awaits
Count Ito's cabinet. The ground Of of
fense in Okuma's case was that ne nro
posed to introduce foreign Judges for a
limited period into the highest japanese
tribunals.
Ito will be charged with treacherv
cowardice and connivance In the dis
grace OF the empire. His manifold serv-
ices to the state and his industrious la
hors throughout the war will be wholly
lost sight of, and nothing remembered
but the failure to assert the territorial
claims OF Japan In defiance OF the per-
emptory commands of the three great
European powers. The conclusion drawn
by all who know the position of affairs
is that. inaSmuch as the adminis.ra tfor,
OF 1879 was thrown out in consequences OF
an indiscretion which the people exagger-
ated into a crime, the present ministry
Is hundred times more surely doomed.
since the allegation will in this case be
infinitely harsher and severer II Is the
expectation OF the whole official class
that the prime minister will resign Office
before the various political organiz tons
have time TO consolidate against him.
The recognition by iTsteliigent men Of the
power of the people to shape the te.stfnaes
of the administration Is one OF the most
al
Jssparl. Fifty years ago the country was
ruled by an aTistocracy which took no
more feed Of the rsopulace than N the
latter had been dumb animals Twenty-
five years ago. when the cortroi OF the
government PASSED into the hands of an
oiigarchy-s,f whom Count Ito soon rose
TO be one--the ma sses were stfi considered
as having no voice in the state. But the
attempt to Introduce democratic insstitu-
ions had been followed By results which
the advocates of zsle constitutional Sys-
teen never anttcdpated The people have
n1st only taken what was offered them. hut
have grasped az infinitely more until now,
tn an extremity. they find themselves en-
dowNed with strength TO destroy minis
tries. If such is their pleasure II always
has been said by certatan number OF
conservatives thar the ef1cnoachrnents OF
the rnuratu1e could he kept 70 check by
= firm ard resolnite government, hat since
the establishment OF parlsauerst no cab
fna. has ves1t,Fred 10 oppose the popular
win by force The preSerst cabinet Is
least ~ all likely 20 take so vigorous a
stand
II does not now appear that the aioan-
donn1ert OF Aiar1chaIr4a1 territory w-fil he
Ian,s-#ei ny the japanese for any length
of sf7ne. After the first ~ OF tz-sfaEtou is
oyer they VII probably realize that the
possession Of the Shingking province
+-4=-r 49, esr4@
n cause q xea-a1aFaerst aTxiesty. What they
r-ag-r7o,, forgive - the alleged negligence
~ -b.. government IN failing ~ ascertain
s- advance whist her the ACOUSTIC coOld
or could not be retained They entirely
overlook es1e efforts which inquest icrEably
xye-a made 20 eiSc3t the views % European
,ov-e-= which Efforts were unsuccessful
T>ha,- Furthermore aver t7lat tgle ministry
Fssse-4 N, maintain the sssgrtry OF the IA
80, fnrolIehozft The negotiations wtth
T7-,sssa France and Germany. first by
x-ss,g,gr,z r,-e~rsa tslr,1y when much might
i,a,,a beesf ensnn5 Ny prolonged diplomatic
.,.5rs7 ,s1~ss 70 fsTter 1f1e atf1arton. next by
rendering a prOTcsal which was uTe 20
-. -ass~-fesf ~ ftse league and WHICH had
:, - eo17s,ureA ~ addsF sonal humiliation
~, sranv by acceTfsng defeat without
s..s.~trey -, ssaca4-a aMaTTE tive advausz gea
So shasl3ys compensate f0- t7e kneTifa-
4,4s sae-ST<.> The fssf FhaG they are ~
x.rs s4ts.If~ tEnorzrf of tfts ssreftgrss ta-lcez
,,va.s- wst8ch re usfusEEeTs we~e ssou-
strained - at does Tot y. the least deter
- ,.~-f4s.sS from tavishing tnsectfves
-. a,-a-~v s-ae supposed ~ tse accognra-
-. 80 vFys- e4aEy cafi fsae betrayal OF the
.~..ss,r s11a ~ rasekr hste-est grosiTaSsy ~
[---,~sss-sa srsysees. IS the ignorance n
u--s.5r, they we're kept from beginning 20
Ans VERY ex trezne ss1ssssIz'es were aEso5f-
4d =, prevent tfaa Dissemination o. news
-, 80 vress. During Ere period % Fnys-
..-x, ~, tsss than 1o-ty-siYs journals were