Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-01-15

do, II they cried so much for such
little ache, when their arms
were cut of In battle or they
were called on to commit hara-kari"
(suicide by disembowelling). The ut
most infliction Of pain, endured with
out tear or groan, was imposed as
an ordeal on all children. Even death,
a self-inflicted death, was, under GER
tain conditions, regarded as the plain
est duty, and boys and girls alike
were taught how to take their own lives
with calmness and dignity. Self-con-
troll was indeed. the very keystone OF
the Samurai character, and this not
only from the side Of endurance and
fortitude, but also from that Of polite
ness, which required that a man should
not spoil anotfers pleasure by any
expression Of his own pain. A Sam
urai must show mo sign Of Joy or an
GER" and this iron control, imposed
on men and women alike, has entered
deep into the national character. ITO
bear what you think you cannot bear"
say the japanese. "is really to bear"
Duty Of Loyalty.
Inseparably bound up with the duty
Of courage was the duty Of loyalty.
A perfect loyalty required a perfect
courage. and loyalty has always been
the primary human duty of the Japan
ese. Between affection, and loyalty
Samurai must never hesitate. He was
taught to sacrifice wife and child II
LOYALTY demanded 1t. The story OF
Genzo, who cut Off the head Of his own
son and took it to the enemy Of his
lord in order to save the son OF that
lord, Is not at all an isolated instance IN
Japanese history. And the story-as
/ Il goes :on to tell how Genzo. returning
home that night, called to his wife as
he. entered the house: Rejoice, my
wife, our son has proved of service 10
his lord'-touches one Of the deepest
fbres in the Japanese character. IL
was never required Of Samurai to
sacrifice his conscience to his loyalty
merely himself-which, in the Japan
est mind, included his family-but both
his family and himself he must be
ready to offer up. His conscience was
his own. Many a Samurai who sin
cerely believed his master wrong would
demonstrate with him, use every en-
deavor to persuade him. and, falling.
make the last supreme appeal OF his
own life's blood. It was this duty OF
utter loyalty which involved the duty
Iof revenge. Revenge was justice-1us-
tice executed on the wrong-doer; ana
no man might shrink from carrying
out Justice on those who had wronged
his lord. His own wrongs, including
injuries to his wife and children, he
was taught to forgive, but sins against
loyalty demanded justice, not forgive
ness.
Defence Of Honor.
II a Samurai was taught to forgive
his own injuries, he was also taught
| to defend his own honor, at all times
and at all hazards; and as this, to
warlike race. was the easiest COM
mandment Of the two. he naturally
gave 1t precedence. To protect his
name from all aspersions was his con-
tinual care: and the most powerful ap-
peal which could be addressed to him,
whether as boy or man. was the one,
Are you not ashamed?" 1t was Gus
tomary for a Samurai to pledge his
honor in a manner more liberal than
our term implies. The form Of agree
ment would run thus: I'm default OF
repayment of the sum lent me. shall
say nothing to being ridiculed In pub
lic;" or, "In case fail to pay you back,
YOU may call me a fooT (baka-the
one form Of insult in Japan: and such
pledges were considered the surest Of
guarantees. Honor was the pearl OF
great price to the Samurai, the prize
of his earthly existence. And to shun
shame, or to win for himself a name
among men, Samurai boys were ready
to undergo any suffering or privation.
It was fame, not wealth. not knowl-
edge, for which they strove. Life was
lightly laid down for honor's sake. 1t
was the overestimation Of this honor,
or rather the confounding Of the ap-
parent with the real, which produced
most Of the excesses Of the Samurai.
For their code was not without Its
teaching of patience and long-suffer-
ing, as the sayings Of Ogawa, the great
Tye-yasu. and many others can testi-
| fy. Kamazawa taught: when others
blame thee. blame them not: when 9TH
ers are angry with thee return not an
ger. Joy cometh only as passion and
desire part" And the term Bushi no
nasake, the tenderness Of warrior"
was the living phrase to the grim old
Samurai.
Whole Training.
The whole training Of the Samurai
went to the building up Of his charac-
ter-not to the cultivation q his intel
ligence, or his tastes as such. Religion
and theology were left to the priests.
Science was outside his sphere. Liter
ature was to him a pastime, while
philosophy he regarded only as prac-
tical aid in the formation OF character.
|
so his training was chiefly In fencing,
Archery, jujitsu. horsemanship. and the
use Of the spear. He learned CALL
graphy. ethics. literature and history.
But a mind stored with information
was not greatly admired. The Sam
urai valued decision Of character, not
superiority Of intelligence; and all
their education and training had this
practical end so much in view that the
Samurai became the best fighting unit
of the Orient II not Of the world. His
code might almost be summed up in
the words of one Of them, for 1t was,
indeed, to know how to die when 1t
was right to die, how to strike when
It was right to strike" for which the
Samurai strove. This Is the spirit
which, handed down through genera
tions of dead warriors, forms today
the training at the back of the Japan
ese officer.-Chicago Record-Herald.