Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-08-02

and their prerogatives to their sover-
eign. This sounded the death-knell of
the feudalism which had existed for
centuries in japan. and opened the
way for the establishment Of CEN
tralized bureaucracy.
Then began the era Of the frockcoat,
| high hat and patent-leather shoes. The
Japanese turned blindly to the adop-
ton of everything European. At the
same time, the mikado sent commits
sions abroad to study law, government
finance and every aspect Of modern
European civilization. He had invited
representatives Of foreign governments
| to an audience in 1868. 1t was then
that Sir Henry Parkes, the British
| minister, was attacked by a body Of
two-sworded Samural and narrowly
escaped assassination. The emperor
made all possible reparation. The first
railway, running firm Toxic to Yoko-
hama, was opened in 1872, the Euro
pean calendar was adopted, torture
was abolished, a modern judicial code
/ anu was iilioeoSSN
into the common schools.
| In all these reforms the mikado took
the lead, but he did not succeed in put
ting them through without opposition.
Between 1875 and 1884 he suppressed
three serious rebellious outbreaks In
the provinces.
In 1874, China having indicated her
| inability to punish certain Formosa pi-
| rates for outrages committed on ia
panese ships, Mutsuhito landed force
on the island Of Formosa, chastised the
bandits and remained in possession
until Pekin paid an indemnity.
After the establishment of the Diet
in 1890 the mikado sought revision
of his country's treaties. Various
clauses referring to political inferior
ity" were most obnoxious to him. His
| first attempt met with rebuff. He met
| his first success in 1894, when Great
| Britain acceded to his demands. BY
| 1901 all other nations to which Japan
presented her claims were ready to
comply.
His Care For Army.
When the war began with China In
1894 he displayed the greatest zeal.
When the Diet baked at the military
and naval appropriations, the emper-
or set the example Of patriotism, con-
tributing 100000 yen a year to the
national defense and equipment.
The army was always his great
care, and he would often stay In the
open for hours, even in the rain,
watching it's manoeuvers. When dur
| ing the war with Russia Count Hill
kata returned from the front with
tales of frightful sufferings Of the
| troops from the cold, the emperor
would not take his ease while his men
were freezing, and he ordered all
heating of the palace to be discontinue
ed until the war should be over.
At the conclusion of the Russian
war he travelled to the province of
Yamato, the birthplace Of his ances-
tors, to give thanks at the throne of
Ise for the successful outcome of the
war; The streets Of the out-of-the-
way village were narrow and the peo-
pie poor, the houses around the shrine
those of fish peddlers and charcoal
venders. In one of them, used as an
office by the priests Of the shrine. his
! imperial majesty determined to lodge.
But, your majesty, this will never
do, cried the Mortified officials. IF.
indeed, this house is to be honored by
the imperial presence, trade must be
stopped, the shops closed, this crowd
of low-class people must be sent
away"
II have a wish," replied the emper-
or, Ito be close to the poorest Of my
subjects for these few days. Not only
shall none of them be sent away, but
1 forbid the slightest interference with
the occupations by which they gain
their livelihood. Let everything go on
as if were not here"
Mutsuhito literally means Gentle
man." and an incident during the Wis
it of the Russian Czarevitch to Japan
in 1891 illustrated his high sense of
honor. There was at that time a
strong feeling against Russia. and the
cZar felt no little anxiety for his sons
safety. That anxiety was mentioned
to the mikado by the Russian minis
ter. The mikado at once said:
Il take personal responsibility for
the czarevitchs visit. His person
shall be as sacred as my own. 1 ans
wer for his safety with my own hon
or"
| AS it happened a fanitical police
man tried to kill the prince, and sue
ceeded in wounding him. The mikado
was so deeply moved that he personal
ly went on board the Russian man-of-
war and made his apology. At the
same time he sent word to the judges
to have the would-be assassin executed
at once. This they refused to do with
out due process of law The mikado
later commended them for this evil
dence of their loyalty to the new con-
stitution.
An Artist and Poet.
The dead ruler of Nippon was both
an artist and a poet. Notwithstand-
ing the burden of state affairs, he
found time to amuse himself by carv-
ing and to write verses. Some
days he would write 40 to SO poems.
One of these, written in 1904, when
ne saw war with Russia was newt
able, has been translated by Rev. A.
Lloyd:
We have tried to be sincere in word
and deed,
And have exhausted every means to
| state
A plain and truthful case; but all in
| vain.
Now may the God who sees the heart
Of men
Approve Of what we do!
The emperor often showed his skill
as a designer, especially when he
wanted to give souvenirs at his palace
dinners to foreign visitors.
The emperor was fond of horse