The San Francisco call., 1904-03-28
The Sa,nnrp of Japan.


japan with one stride advanced from
her medieval feudalism to the front
rank Of modern civilization Not less
remarkable than the fact itself is the
character Of the revolution Of 1868, and
Of the class from which was drawn the
majority OF the men to whom that
revolution was due.
The Samurai were the unique pro-
duct Of japanese feudaIism and in the
spirit OF the Samurai is 10 be found
the most striking feature in the his
tory OF the event, together with the
best explanation Of the sequel and Of
r the enthusiasm. unerring rightness
and lofty patriotism with which the
nation is marching on fits road Of pro-
gress to-day. A country which could
produce such q class was capable of
great things.
Before the year 1868 Japan was dom
mated by militarism. Originally the
Amkado had been the real as well as
the nominal head Of the empire, but in
the Middle Ages the royal power Of
D the Mfkado waned. outshone by the
military power Of the Shotgun. his
command in chief. Held at first by
royal appointment in time Of war, the
Sbogun's Office gradually came TO be
permanent. restricted first TO men Of
high birth and afterwards 10 represen-
tatfves Of two particular clans; finally
II became purely hereditary, the SOW
ereign retaining merely the right Of
investiture Henceforth, the royal
power was a mere shadow, so attenu-
. ased that when, shortly before the rev
- .af
. negotiating treaties with Japan the
negotiations were carried on by them
with the Shotgun in the belief that he
was the actual reigning monarch.
While the Mikado retained in his
court at Kioto the mobiles Of high birth
AID intellectual eminence, the Shotgun
gathered round him at Yeddo the terri
.torial mobiles. or daimio, men whose in
fuence lay in their landed possessions
and their military skill The daimio
ruled their hefs according to their
own wills. but owed the obedience Of
p vassals TO their feudaI lord. And, as
the Shogunate had become hereditary,
so did the higher military sub-posi-
tions. held by the leading families, be-
come hereditary also; as. too, the Sho-
gun surrounded himself with the mil
itary mobiles. so also did these, under
the necessities Of their offices and cir
cumstances, gather about them their
= military retainers. men who made war
he profession Of their lives. Finally
these. in turn, handed down their Of
iioses and privileges from father to son,
until 4here came forth at last dis
sinct and separate class, to whom ul-
timately the bearing Of arms was re-
stricted. The more troublous grew the
= times. the more important did the SOL
der become, the sharper the line di-
viding him from the mere working
member Of the population and the
greater his pride in himself and his
contempt for the civilian. On the one
side was the warrior, the strong, the
wielder OF weapons, the honored-on
the other the artisan, the weakly, the
worker. the despised. Thus the Sa-
o mural stood out supreme, first Cunder
the nobles) Of the population, wear
ing the two swords as sign OF his
birth and proud position.
Though the bow was long the great
pseapon of the japanese, it was the
sword. the katsnal that was the glory
Of the Samurai. Many years, and the
hest thought and work Of many brains
and hands, went to the perfection of
its making. Men gave their lives to
. the perfection of its use. till it became
. fnEeed a marvellous and a terrible
thing in their hands. All systems Of
eyvordsmanship were studied, each un-
der its best exponent and the pupils
set themselves TO improve on their
tn 4 mir IA q
Of their own devising. Beautiful in
its form, its temper. its power-sur-
rounded by superstition, honor and
worship-tAe sword became a deity,
the Samurai its priesthood. Not only
by his devotion to the sword and its
exercise, but also. s,y physical training,
and by the practice of the delicate and
scientific art Of "jujitsu," did the sol
dier fl himself for his profession. He
could fight, and fight effectively, with
any, even the rudest weapon, and al
any disadvantage; on the field of bat
tie he engaged for choice in single
combat. But he was not merely q
redoubtable combatant; the conditions
Of his service raised him far above
that
g The unique character Of the
. Sanfurai, that which marks
him oG from every other
soldier the world has seen, and
which bore such magnificent fruit in
later times, was moral rather thar
military. The rules laid down for hi:
guidance, binding the highest and the
lowest, enJOined the strictest, the
simplest, the best living. A Samura
must be active and jealous in all thai
appertains to his calling, its science as
well as its practice; he must be stu
dious, but not in vain pursuits, mus
keep himself physically sound, mus
live and dress in the plainest fashion
abstain from dancing and from al
enervating amusements; he mus
make and keep himself man. 10y.
atty, piety. simplicity, and courage
these were 10 be his watch-words: the
utmost self-denial. the freest sacrifice
OF life. not in trivial cause, but IN
the cause Of honor. of morality or O,