Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-01-14
QUALITIES THAT MAKE
THE JAPS GOOD FIGHTERS.
The Fellows Are Born Athletes and Soldiers and They Are Not
Afraid Die For Their Countrywide Wonderful Rapidty with
Which History Made the Land Of the Rising Sun.

I nNN wears NlNNN Jal'sti NhNN' "N'''' ~ -
baptism W the sword. the transforms
lion nom fcudallsm 60 western civil
gsation the tlst forward step in that
wonderful advance which has since
Won the admiration Of the world
History records few countries more de
voted To feudal institutions than was
the lapan ~ the old regime, Two hun
drca aud arty uohlemen, known rs
daimins, ruled the land through chief
executive called the Shotgun, the
mikado being virtually prisoner, liv'
8lue behind screen, not daring To show
himself on the streets OF his capital.
Zach fcudal chief had his powerful
fret{nue Of followers, devoted to him
aud hoastng no other occupation than
+ the study and exercise of swordsman'
shin. Foreigners lives were not worth
a moments purchase If they angered
8the daimios or any of their men. me
islands isolation from the rest OF the
world was well nigh complete, an $50
ilation Of choice, not of necessity,
From the appearance of Perry ana
his feet in Yeddo bay July s, 1858, may
/ said 70 date the awakening of Japan.
perrv's mission was to oVerawe the
/ Japanese into extending to American
ships the privileges then enjoyed by
I tho Dutch only History does not say
"a what lengths he was prepared to go
should his show Of force prove insum'
cient the fact being that the mere
sight of the war ships was enough 10
convince the Shotgun of the expediency
of acceding to Perry's wishes. Accord
ingly. much against the desires OF the
mighty daimios, American trade was
granted access to two ports. AS might
have been expected the European
mowers were not slow to profit by the
example. forcing similar concessions
until. little by little, the shotgun haa
surrendered the domestic trade OF the
country to the control of the treaty
mowers Out of this state OF afairs III
timately grew the revolution OF 1863
in which several of the most inhuentiai
among the daimios took charge OF the
nerson of the young mikado, Mutsuhlto,
declaring their intention OF restoring
him 10 full power as the real ruler OF
Japan made war on the shoguns troops
and signally worsted them. Thus ana
the young emperor find himself placed
IN the throne of which his ancestors
had been deprived centuries before.
The ultimate result of this reoelllon
was ANYTHING but pleasant even LOT
those daimios who had participated IN
the restoration Of the mikado. Grad
ually falling under the sway OF cuiu-
waited and liberal minded statesmen,
the Youthful Mutsuhito began to eNer'
else his titular prerogatives in way
that was contrary to all Japanese ira
ditions. For this change two men, VINO
have since been prominently identlhed
with Japanese politics, were largely
responsible, these two being the Mar
ouis Hirobumi Ito and Count lnouye,
the formers lifelong friend and pollti,
cal coadiutor. Chiefly as a result Oh
their efforts the policy of cultiVating
the foreigner sprang into being, ana
It was also in no small measure owing
! Ia them that the mikado announced
his intention Of providing the country
with an up-todate western parliament
Then It was that the daimios surprised
themselves and the world by taking a
sten which insured the solidarity oil
the empire and its future high posltlon
among the nations of the world. vol
unfairly they agreed to surrender all
the privileges hallowed in their eyes
lby centuries of custom and at the same
time promised to do their utmost lo
| further the interests Of a united Japan
! In return the government OF the
mikado pledged itself to give eacn
daimio thus yielding his rights pen
sion equal to one-tenth of what had
/ heen his income and for this purpose
found It necessary to effect the loan OF
no less sum than $l65,0OOOO Bs
this grand act of sef.sacriRce was
born the modern Japan.
In this act we can discern what has
since been widely recognized ms one
of the distinguishing traits OF TINS
most remarkable people-the readiness
to yield life itself if by the death OF tho
individual good will accrue to the com
monwealth But self sacrifice alone
cannot account for the progress Japai
has made, nor, for that matter can tht
faculty for imitation which the japan
ESQ possess to SO great degree Thcn
adaptability to western civilization
their willingness to accept the move
in the place of the customary, thel
amenability to discipline, all of whtc'
have become proverhial in speaking o
Iarnn-iu a word, their liberality-.s
due to their innane auickness in th'
direction Of mental initiative. The jar
anese think quickly, they are shrewd
they are farsighted, and out Of thes'
qualities they have evolved into a sci
reliant, sturdy, independent nation
asking ravors cf no one and uuwillin
70 submit to any slight Of their nationa
.s1., yI,1,,,. hotsty ,@t,YaA IN thN rplligN