New-York tribune., 1905-11-17
JAP4N,S CONSTITUTION.
It Must Rank 4mong Those Bap-
tiged scith Blood.

To the Editor Of The Tribune
sir. Among the national constitutions bap-
tized With blood" of which "Ex-Attacne
writes that of Japan is surely one To one VINO
knows the history of the japanese, every Ins
relating to representative government seems
written in bloo1-the blood OF martyrs for con-
stitutional liberty. Nearly every step of Japan's
progress has been marked py the ASSASSINATION
Of liberal statesmen.
The constitution of modern Japan was really
proclaimed not In 1889, but In 1868 when In
I5,to in Milo castle-the old fortress and seat
of the overawing garrison of the Yeddo bureau
cracy-the ffty-five young men who made the
new Japan took the boy Emperor, then only ff-
teen years old, and made him swear by ail the
gods that he would grant representative gov
ernrnent and do all things according to pubic
opinion This was the Charter oath.' in five
clauses on which the written constitution OF
1899 is based and Of which 1t is only the ex-
pansion.
For twenty-one years tremendous strussle
went on between those who would hasten
and those who would delay the proInuisatiof, as
well as between those who would follow Anglo
Saxon and those who wanted PruSslan IoriIlo
followed In the struggle between reactlonary
and progressive forces oceans OF blood hoWeu,
not only in the relelons and instructions, but
in the assassinatons. to say nothing OF lmpfls-
onments of editors liberals and those who op-
POSED certain political methods followed IN
Toxic.
Japan is not "an amazing country, nor is 1t
difficult of comprehension to the foreigner.
nor has there ever been any popular resolution
i'm favor of the restoration OF the most absolute
despotism to the Emperor. To say that the
constitution of 1880 without any de-
mand whatever on the part of the native press
or platform is to ignore twenty-o years of
intensest political agitation. while prisons were
crowded.
No! japanese are simply human beings, no
more no less; and the story of liberty won is
substantially the same in Japan as elsewhere
We must not be deceived by mere forms of
words. OF course. the Sublime Porte, the
Awful Gate, the Son of Heaven. the Theocratic
Occupant of the Phoenix Car. the Wearer of the
Dragon Countenance voluntarily surrendered
men who smashed the Yeddo bureaucracy who
demanded representative government and got
it. Then, when the men In power fell back
upon old formulas and superstitoDs, those VINO
drew their inspiration from ordered freedom
in the West asitated unceasi singly for the grand
and liberal constitution of to-day, In wnlch are
embodied so many ideas derived directly from
the pupils of American and English teachers.
Wholly of his initfatfve''-that IS the
polite orthodox form OF the Japanese AND or
foreigners who, in reading forms OF words tnat
sound sweet TO the American ear, imagine tnat
these have the same depth, meaning and back
ground those on the lips of one speaking
native Anglo Saxon.
No, japanese history and the reality OF things
are in no way different from those elsewhere.
Japan has now that she has been saved from
milftarism and the deceitfulness Of the riches Of
an indemnity by her wise men (the men or
1868, her greatest problems on her hands-how
to broaden down from precedent to precedent"
to keep Up the mystery-play OF divinity In an
age of science, democracy and the 'self-evident
truths of the Declaration OF July f. l416 May
the fiction go, and the reality of ordered liberty
safeguarded by law and made beautiful by
self-control, come to stay.
Long life to of the wisest ahlest. most
unselffsh of the worlds rulers. the Emperor Of
Japan: long life to the Elder Statesmen who
saved Japan from money gained by war specu-
lation, and success to the people of Japan, who
must solve the problems of liberty according
to law and in reverence to their pastl They
are, all Of them, intensely human than
magically mysterious.
WILLIAM ELLIOT GRIFFIS.
Ithaca Y Y NoN. g 1907.