The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-02-25

81 in Great Brtain--An Rights Reserved.
THE government of Japan is a con-
stitutionaE monarchy in which the
emperor not only claims 10 rule
by divine right but by right of divine
birth He is described as heaven born,
and according to the accepted history
there has been no break in the family
line for $500 years. Among no people
on earth has there ever been more uni
versal respect shown, OF implicit ODE
dience yielded, to the reagning family.
There never has been revolt of any
consequence against the emperor, altho
there have been numerous conflicts be-
tween the shoguns. For about 1000
years, from $40 to 1868, the shoguns
were, however, the actual rulers, and
while they never questioned the SOW
ereignty of the emperor, they did not
allow him to retain much more than
the empty title.
The shoguns were military rulers and
number. of them were men OF great
force and executive ability. First, the
Fuiiwara family controlled the country
thru the shogunate for nearly 400 years;
then for a century the Taira and Nina
motto families alternated in the exercise
of power; then came the HOBO family
and others of less Importance until
finally the Tokugawa family became
supreme in the shogunate- and contin-
ued in power for something like 800
years. The emperor lived at Nara until
about 1900, when the capital was moved
to Kioto. where it remained until less
than forty years ago. Toxic, on the
other hand, was the seat of the shotgun
power, and there is a very noticeable
difference between the two cities. The
shoguhs fortified their castles and re-
CURED the feudal lords to keep head
quarters in Toxic. One cannot go thru
the palace in which the emperor lived
permanently without noticing how plain
1t is as compared with the castle Cloth
at, Kioto) in which the shotgun resided
fora few days during his annual call
upon the emperor. While it may seem
strange that the real rulers never at
tempted to become emperors in name,
it only shows their intelligence, for by
insisting upon the recognition of the
royal family, they were probably more
successful in maintaining the real au-
thority than they would have been had
they questioned the divine right, of the
immemorial rulers. -.: .s.,,> ~......
% N-DolIhS ChS CcIl1y pau VI oACt 1Qoo
century there began to be a reaction
to- the treaties opening the country to
foreign intercourse, his, action was
taken advantage of by the friends Of
the emperor. When. the feudal slords
Of Choshu attacked the foreign ships
at Shimonoseki strait, the shotgun was
compelled to pay an indemnity of
$3,00O,0OO and attempted to chastise
the Choshu leaders. His forces were
defeated and he died soon afterward
The emperor seized upon this event and
the influential lords Of Choshu and Sat.
suma encouraged him to abolish the
shogunate, which he did in 1868 The
new shotgun accepted the situation with
out struggle and those of his follow
ers who attempted a resistance were
soon routed. - .r-,..--,,-- - -
Everything in modern Japan date.
from 1868, which is called the restora
ton. While in the restoration the en-
peror was Acknowledged as the sole ant
absolute ruler in whom all authorit,
was vested, still it was really the be
ginning GINNING Of constitutional government
for the emperor voluntarily promised
his people g constitution, promise
which was not finally fulfilled unit
1889 $500 g.. =
The fervor of patriotism that re
stored to the emperor his original au
fhoraty wrought wonders in Japan. TIL,
feudal lords came forward and svolun
tarily turned their. vast estates over t,
the emperor and relinquished the au
thorlty which they had exercised owe
their tenants; then, they joined will
the samurai (their former retainers) il
supporting the emperor in abolishing al
social distinctions. From that day Il
this the country. has grown more an,
more democratic, the reforms workin,
from the upper classes down. ...~
In 1889 the constitution promised b,
the emperor was promulgated It wa
prepared largely by Marquis Ito VIII
visited Germany and modelled the docu
ment after the Prussian constitution
The legislative power is vested in
diet consisting Of two houses, one re
sembling the English house of lords an,
the other resembling our house of rep
resentatives. The upper house is com
posed of the princes Of the royal blood
marquises (these sit by virtue of thei
rank, counts, viscounts and barons
selected from among their RESPECTIVE
classes, men of erudition or distin