The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1904-02-19
A BIT OF HISTORY.
Commodore Perry's Guns
Woke Up The Japanese.

Dal Nippn, or Greater Japan, were
peopled 10y Caucasian race, who occu.
py In Japanese history position similar
to The early Britons in English history.
These people, now represented by the
hairy Anus of Northern Yeddo, were
driven northward by the storm of Mon
golians, who sweps across Korea from
Northern China. The first great leader
known was Jimmu Tenno, who founded
his dynasty about 660 B. G.. He is del
fled a, the descendant Of Amaterasu,
Goddess OF the Sun. Another string of
Mongolics came from Malaysia by way
OF the string of islands. To this south
ern strain is probably due the mercu1ial
temperament Of the Japs. Super ficially
the Japs seem 10 resemble the Chinese,
close examination proves that the race
has been evolved Independently. They.
however, absorbed the earlier Chinese
civilization.
The history of the succeeding cenlu-
ries is vague until about 200 A. D. e.,
|
appropriate name Of lingo captured Ko-
rea. This compaign was big thing for
japan in more ways than one. The
vassals brought with their tributes the
Knowledge of writing. the mulberry and
the silk worm. The art of spinning and
weaving followed, and in the year 552,
the first image of Buddha appe ared
In the succeeding century there was a
perfect rage-like that now for western
ideas-for the civiliz ,tion of China.
Arts, customs and opinions-whrther of
society, meals or politics--were assimi-
LATED with the greatest ardor. Bud
dhism made rapid progress. Feudalism
was instituted and great Offices were
made hereditary and the Sbogun Of
Yeddo (sho-general, gun-army) became
of greater power than the Mkado. In
the fifteenth century the mikaio AMI
shogun got TO fighting, and b,th were
| whipped by the Samural, or warr;aas.
After that series of strong shagnns
held sway over the land.
In 1S45, the Portuguese navigator,
| MaDdez Pinto, with lot of followers.
landed and soon established himself.
He was followed by the Jesuit mission
ary, st. Frances Xavier, who made rap
Id progress. the initiative Japs taking
readily to the new visitors and new GUS
toms. But the visitors were too free,
and were ordered away in 1897. BY
1888, after terrible persecution, Christi
anity was extirpated and all foreigners
were kept away except the Chiuese and
Dutch traders. This expulsion was sc-
complished by the Tokugawa Shoguns,
who introduced horrible system of
espionage, which has left its mark until
the present day in the shape of dis
honesty and lack of civic courage.
| When Commodore Perry knocked at
The door of Japan in 1884, the Shotgun
rule and the last phass of mediaevalism
fell before the modern civilization.
That date, when the treaty with the
United States was signed, March 81,
| 1854, was the bilth of modern Japan.
Yokohama, Nagasaki and Hakodate
were opened up to trade 1850, and The
next year we sent minister to the court
of the Mikado.
The daimos, or military leaders, were
a long time in accepting the changed
conditions, and there were many attacks
on the foreigners. Our own legation
was attacked in 1861, and an Interpreter
killed, and the legation was burned in
1868. Reprisals and punitive expedi-
J tions followed for several years, and it
was about 1868 before order came about
after the young mikado had overthrown
the military rulers. The first year of
enlightened rule really was 1868, when
the mikado moved to Tedo, changed its
name to Toxic and made it the capital
| Of the empire. Hesscon abolished the
feudal system and began to copy the
ideas of the western civilization. The
first newspaper appeared in 1870, and
the first railway was opened two years
later. History moved rapidly after that
aud the country was opened to foreign
ers generally. The cdics against Chris
tians was removed and missionaries well
coined. A constitution granted to the
people went into feet in 1889. Japan
declared war Ou : :,iUa on February IL,
1895, which lasted less than a year.
After the treaty of peace Russia stepped
In and robbed Japan of all the fruits of
victory except the Island of Formosa,