The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-01-17


Is long to the old hghting class Of
the samaurai; the proportion is
indeed so overwhelming that the
word air is not misleading. And
the Samurai. with the rest Of the
feudal system, lasted in Japan
right up to the revolution OF 1861;
therefore every japanese officer Of more
than Sc actually began life under the
old conditions. In many parts Of the
country the old state Of things lasted
beyond 1851, and IN more etiH the old
training remained even when the old
conditions were altered. And so it
happens that every senior officer in the
japanese army or navy was trained
with the training of the Samurai, while
the younger men share that training
by the blood which they merit Il IS
just this training, lying as it does at
the back Of each Officer and forming
in some sort the stuff out of which each
man, and therefore the whole army
Is made. that becomes of paramount
importance at such crisis as this.
The Samurai. as the fighting class.
necessarily placed the highest value on
courage and fortitude; and the little
boys-and foE that matter the little
earliest age. with a Spartanlike endHT-
ance which left even the Spartans
themselves far behind IN order to
train the body 10 hardship young chill
dren were made to get up before sun
rise for their lessons. or they We're sent.
before breakfast, to walk with bare
feet through the winter snow to their
teachers II was usual for parents TO
gather a party of children together,
sr.-a
fore such festivals as those of the God
Of Learning in order that they should
pass the whole night without sleep,
while they read aloud ia turns. some
times they We're made to so without
food. and taught that Samurai should
be ashamed to be hungry. The little
boy prince Of Sendai--in one of the
most pathetic of Japanese plays
speaks the Samurai thoughts when he
says to his page az the two starved
children watch a sparrow feeding its
young:
Look at those tiny birds, how wide
their yellow BILLS are open. how eagerly
they eat; but for a samurai when his
stomach is empty. ii. is a disgrace to
feel hunger"
After hardening The body. the
Samurai training sought TO tougher
the nerves and children were frequent
~ sent TO graveyaFds and haunted
houses. Small boys, after being taken
to see an execution. would be sent out
alone. and at night. to find their way
back to the spot. 70 touch the body. and
TO leave a mark of their visit on the
severed head. Even the crying babies
were hushed 'nto silence BY mothers
who called them towards TO cry for
such tiny PAIN asking them what
they would do il they cried so much
for little ache. when their arms were
cut OF IN battle or they were called
on TO commit hara-kira" (saicEde by
dieembOweling.) The utmost inhietiOn
of pain, endured without tear or a
groan, was imposed as an ideal on all
children. Even death. a self-infiieted
DEATH was, under certain conditions,
regarded as the plainest duty, and boys
and girls alike were taught how TO take
their own lives with calmness and dig
nifty. Self-contFOl was indeeu eAe key
stone Of the Samurai character. aIs-
this not only from the side or endurance
and fortitude. but also from that Of
pliteness. which required that man
should not spoil anotheris pleasure by
any expression Aof his own pain. A
Samurai must show no sign OF JOY
or anger and this iron control, i'm
posed on men and women alike, has en-
tered deep into the natural character.
ITO hear what you think you cannot
bear" says the japanese. is really TO
bear.
Inseparably bound up with the duty
OF courage was the duty of loyalty. A
perfect loyalty required a perfect cour-
age. and loyalty has always been the
primary human duty of the japanese.
Between affection. even natural affec-
ton. and loyalty a Sdmurai must never
hesitate. He was taught to sacrifice
wife and child If 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 iso-
lated instance in japanese history. And
the stOry-as it goes on to tell how
Genzo. returning home that night.
called to his wife as ne entered the
house. Rejoice my wife. our son has
proved Of service to his lord'-touches
one Of the deepest fihers in the Japan
csc character. 1t was never required Of
a Samurai 10 sacrifice to his
loyalty merely sbimself-which. in
the japanese mind, included his family
but both his family and himself he
must be ready to offer UP. His con-
science was his own. Many a Samursi
who sincerely believed his master
wrong would reusons lrate with him, use