Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-19
OF WORLD wilde INTEREST
THE LAST OF THE SHOGLlNS
BY FREDERIC j. HASklN

l6S Will Tie OliOEuIl, btl6 lIllS-
taken impression that he was the real
ruler of the country. To further this
misconception the Shotgun adopted the
title of Tycoon, meaning the great
ruler" Foreign ideas had been seep-
ing into the country through the little
Dutch chink at Nagasaki, and the Sho-
guns had been transating Dutch books
on military affairs into Japanese. The
little taste of European knowledge
gained in this way created a great ap
petite for more, SO that when the for
eigners came the more progressive Of
the younger samurai became eager stu
dents.
group of these banded together in
one way and another took advantage
of the dissatisfaction of the clans with
the Shotgun, raised the cry of loyalty
to the mikado and started the revolu-
tion. There were a few conflicts, but
the Tokugawa clan was too weak to de-
fend itself, and in 1867 the last of the
Shoguns laid aside his title and estate
and the Shogunate passed. into history.
In the next year the present mikado
assumed actual control of affairs, is
sued a proclamation promising the peo-
pie voice in the affairs of government,
and received the foreign delegations at
Kyoto. He removed with his court to
Yeddo, and the name of the city was
changed to Toxic, the eastern capi-
tal," thus making the imperial power
and the seat of the Shogunate usurpa-
tion one. The daimyos were compelled
to live near the court, and the samurai
were given governmental work to do so
t.. their natural fighting spirit might
not break out into revolution.
This great change of government is
called 1.-The Restoration" and from 1t
dates the history of modern Japan. The
yea 1908 is known in Japan as the
forty-first year of Meiji, an era being
coextensive with the reign of an emper-
or. The word "meijP' is written with
the two Chinese characters for "sun
and moon" and means 1.-The reign of
enlightenment" In view of the prog
ress of Japan in it's forty-one years the
Japanese think the selection of the
name a good omen.
The Meiji era has not been altogether
peaceful. There was clean revolution
in 1877 which amounted to civil war,
and at various times there were signs
Of serious trouble. But the emperor
and his advisers. the same group of
men who restored him to the ancient
power of his dynasty, managed by
granting concessions and by liberal
rule to unite the country and form a
compact nation in which the clans
still exist so far as minor matters are
concerned, but in which disloyalty to
the central government is unknown.
Okubu, KIDD and Saigo were the men
who had charge of the early recon-
struction of the government, and it
was they who deprived the mighty
daimyos of their feudal powers.
The mikado gradually increased his
strength by promising a popular form
of government, often under great pres
sure from the liberal element. In 1880
provincial popular assemblies were or
ganized. and the next year a proclama-
tion was issued announcing the estab-
lishment of a national parliament ten
years later. In 1890 the first parliament
met under the constitution promulgat-
ed a year before. In 1899 the revised
treaties went into effect the foreign
powers resigned the right of jurisdic-
ton of their grants of territory in
open ports and foreigners were for the
first time permitted to trade in all
parts of Japan. Hence 1t is but nine
years since the foreign powers recog-
nized Japan as a civilized nation to
whom they might entrust the protec-
tion of their citizens.
OuriIlS all OF tHlS perlOu OF unrest
and reconstruction Keiki, the last of
the Shoguns, has supported the emper-
or and has passively contributed much
to the peaceful reorganization of Jap
an. Had he taken advantage of revolu-
tionary sentiment it is possible that ne
might many times have raised his
standard and precipitated civil war.
But he preferred peace and now he has
his reward In happy old age, with his
American bicycle and his monograph
to console him for the loss of his
mighty power, his noble fortress and
his royal prerogativnes.
Editors note-The subjects of Mr..
Haskin's articles dealing with Japan
for this week are:
Copyright. 1908. by Frederic ]. Haskn)
Monday-The Elder Statesmen of Japan.
Tuesday-The Great COmmoner of Japan.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Government in Japan.
Thursday-The Guilds of Japan.
Friday-Trade Follows the Cross.
Saturday-American Trade with Japan.
--e~-%-A
Steam Trains to San Pedro and Long Beach
Southern Pacific will run trains from Arcade
station Los Angeles to San Pedro. as follows:
April 1870 a. m. 905 a. m, $3.50 a. m, IL
a. M, Ills p. m. p. M, $50 p. m, 6;l5 D.
m. $50 p. m
April 20. 21. %. 2s-7:3o a M. s;OS a. m, $3.50
m. Except the 2sd). 1850 a. m. 1880 p. m.
80 p. m, $3.50 p. M. 4:s0 p. m., $3.50 p. M.
1880 p. M, $3.50 p. M, $3.50 p. m.
To LONG BEACH-S:sO a. M, $3.50 a. m.
(Ihursday only, 1880 a. M. 2;3O p. M. p.
M. $3.50 p. m
From San Pedro April 19-9 a. m, II a m,
1890 p. M, 3 p. M. $3.50 p. m, p. m, y.
m. 1880 D. m. Through to Riverside and San
Bernardino) 7:4O p m. Through to Redlands),
$3.50 p. m. II p.
April 20, 2i, 22. 2s-9 a. m, 1910 a. M (via
Long Beach,, II a. m. Except Thursday.
D. M, D. M p. m, p. M, D. m, $40
D. M D. m, p. M, 10 p. m, II p. m.
From Long Beaeh-10 M. II a. m, 1859
a. M, p m, sos p. m. (via San Pedro),
u. m.