The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1895-03-23
THE MIKADO.
He is the Greatest of the Rulers that
Are Living

For valor and Sa@Icity the Emperor "t
japan has wnE distinction and ren"wu this
wear. \ sovereign of whom hut little was
known by the world at the opening of the
wear stands in the front rank of mankind
ruler, At the end Of ANY one VIII" runs
over the list Of Twin" monarchs marking
th,. character and career "t each "i them.
i likely 6" be led To believe that the fore
most among them al j. Mutsuhito the
Mikado If Japan. l.ook at hi, title, to
fame. recall hi, life and work and then
think nf those Of any "f the others. or all
IT them nder thu, rule the greatest
aud most marvellous transformation that
ever ronk place within ~hort time in any
nation of the world hl, l,.ru brought about.
During hi- reign ot twenty eight year>.
and under hi- guidance. Japan ha~ EAST
IA the trudah>m which had existed there
from time lmn,rmotial has changed her
Political system fran that "f lt~olutISt I'M
J-riail~m {" thar 1t parliamentary govern
meat under the rrpwn has re1rganized her
ancient -o,ial -y-tem. h1, adopted all the
arts and industries ~ civilization has be-
,omc the 6r~, military power ot the orien-
tai world. ha, Developed her old resources
aud created new oneS. has enlarged her
commerce iR such measure a. to alarm
her Western competitors and has e~tab-
h>heJ tor herself high maine among the
leading power, It the earth.
The-s arr If the things which have
adorned the history "f Japan since the
Emperor Nut-uhit" a~crnded the thrnc
If ht- ancestors IN February l~6I when
be- IA, in the fifteenth wear Of hi life.
The r,z,,ri i one without parallel in
war lgr 1t it ever had q parallel
Their. s. npl . ds,ubt that the Emperor
h., hs~.n 'hr lcading spirit wel A. the
master 81 the government, during al the
J..ri,d 1t reconstruction. He g Wa> who.
undrr hi, own absolute authority and >'snu
after he assumed the cruwu aud when MT
set twenty wear 1T age issued that rev"
luilnnarS decrcy by whiel. a barge proper
fi..f oi hi~ subjects were u'lirVesi from dI>
aIili,ie- od a. hi- dynasty anil raised 'o
the dignity II ,itilen> Of the rmprr lie
ii wa~ who ~..un aftsrwarl i>,ue,l the decree
isr the entire suppression IT the ieudsl
system which had t.eeu u-ts,l and gruund
vi IN his ruunIrH
he il va. whn ,ix year, Age, voluuIa
ri, divs,ted himself cf part II his own
power. granted . liberal constitution ami
created parliament Of tw" houses, which
has the righ, tu euact measures ut le.si,la
iian subject e. the veto ii the crown and
which within revsnI years. has repeatedly
cy-rri>.d measure 81 independence mot
,ileu surpassed by the Congress ot the
ni,r,i State> I'ral-s "a ,h, enlightened
Mikai". q ,illr which in hi> cl~e vorthily
Illustrate, it, original meaning The
Honurahle Gate such a gate = Nu,>u-
huu
While he has had the counsel IT states
men Il yer high ability 1t !, mainly Ia
him that the new Japan owes it, existence
Then, l. the hest of reasons for believing
that In the ,,nluet oi she war now waged
ul-,u China he has PLAYED q leading part
When the war brnAe uul he lett his capi
ial and tn"k up his abo,lc at point upm
the western c,s,s,. fran which he could.
A. &c we're, the morc easily survey the "p-
er7ltian> hy Sea and bV land at which he
,o,lld obtain pp,mpt intelligence ct the
ypar~e 81 ryrnt, and irm which. a. J.
known with assurance. he ha, issued or-
dcrs that wrrr quickly conveyed To hi
military aud naval commander, The Jap
anr-e minister a, Washington, who l. not
merely courier bat a. proud patrini ~
auy ia Jaran l. he authority tor saving
that from the time the hrst shot Of the war
vas tired in korra. until the army touk up
it, march for Pekin the Emperor h;t, every
dav actively exercised his full and imme-
diats authority a, cummandcr-in chief II
/, MT the les, true that IN the field ct iii
pIonac,. or in the conduct OF negotiations
with European aud other foreign govern
neut-, the Emperor has served his country
at 6r,t hand His recent speech L" the
House Of Parliament gave satisfactory proof
of hi, thorough knowledge Of all Affairs re
lating To the Interests oi Japan.
Who i there amon. the lNin. saver
eiyn, of the world with whom he can be
compared
Not certainly with amy of them in Asia
from the imbecile Hwangti oi China To the
Shah of Persia and the Sultan Of Turkey.
Look oyer the European list The Car
of Russia i, a Young man, who has just
reached the throne. aud of whose ability
nothing l. known The Emperor "l Ger
many has vet To give proof that he pos
sesses any genius for politics or for war.
/ The Emperor of Austria i an amiable old
ruler. who Gets along a. well as he can
with his many -tongued subjects The
King of unhappy l'mberto l. ! The
lesser kings are not upon the hist The
Queen of England i, not upon ii. The
President of the French republic has no
place there. The score of other repubh-
can presidents in North aud South Amer
ica-peacc he TO them
More than the reign of augustus was To
Rome more than was that of Alfred on the
Conqueror to England. on that Of Gustavus
( Adolphus to Sweden. or that of Peter the
/ Great to Russia. or that Of Napoleon Ia
France. or that of Victor Emmanuel Ia
Italy. or that Of Willirm l. to Germany.
more than the presidency of Lincoln was
to our own country. has been the reign Of
Mutsuhito to Japan.
Mutsuhito. The Honorable Gate. Is
in the prime of life; he is bu forty-two
years Of age He may Yet have long
career as the sovereign of the Sunrise
Kingdom. If he be not the greatest OF
living rulers. who is there in any country
that can dispute his title to that distlction:
If he be not the foremost of the world ;
reyolulionists. what is the name of the