Rural Retreat times. [volume] (Rural Retreat, Va.) 1892-1918, 1912-10-04

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WIKNW The succession of 9TH
%-NW W er emperors is clouded
and disconnected; that
Of Yoshihito Is complete and self-suf-
6cient. One hundred and twenty
third sovereign of his line he traces
his royal descent back to the mists
Of the world, back six hundred years
and more. before the time of Christ,
back, in fact, to the great heroic age
Of Japan, when two gods were called
upon to create land from the liquid
Islands of the air-and they created
Japan.
From these gods he claims de-
scent, and not even the most nlghly
educated and scientifically mindeo
| Japanese will dispute it, That IS the
chord of belief which no modern So
phistication can pierce. the oeau
Mutsuhito has taken his harborage
with his fellow gods, and Yosnlhlto'
reigning, is of his blood
This, in part, explains the attitude
Of veneration in which the Japanese
regard their ruler, explains the sentl-
ment which marks him forth from
brother sovereigns. It is sentiment
which few Japanese will discuss.
1T ts a sentiment" said one to the
writer, which it Is impossible for
Japanese to analyze, and which il an
elyzed no foreign mind could compre-
bend.
ut springs partly from the intense
idealism of the people and Is really
q peculiar form of patriotism 1t Is
rs if the Japanese nation were rev
erencing itself, for 1t believes that It,
too, sprang from the gods and that
1t is of the family Of the emperor. To
= nation which reverences its ances-
tors, the emperor represents link
between the present Japan and every
thing that has gone before-a link
perhaps, between the material and
the spirit world. He la at once an
slement of mysticism and the embodi-
ment of material national strength.
1t is as if,''-the Japanese gentleman
paused-"you could merge the senti-
ment of Roman Catholic for the
pope and the affection Of people for
great king"
"Will the present emperor preserve
tor himself the full sentiment which
the people had for his father?" was
asked.
The Japanese shrugged.
I'm measure, perhaps. Wholly.
perhaps not" he answered.
THAT he will command a peculiar
reverence Is certain from the reasons
I have given, which are inherent in
the nation. That the affection of the
people will be as great as that given
to the late emperor Is doubtful. You
see, the last sovereign inspired and con.
trolled Japan from its growth from a
feudal land to worldwide nation.
From the time the great princes or
daimios surrendered their powers and
estates to the granting of a modern and
voluntary constitution in 1889, his was
the initiative of each successive ad-
vance. He had done more even than
the nation expected-certainly more
than ever had been accomplished for a
nation before. That record was per-
sonal to him and is responsible for the
personal love with which he is regard
ed We honor and reverence the new
sovereign-yes. He is emperor, he ia
the embodied spirit of Japan But,
love? Even an emperor must earn
love for himself"
So enters Yoshihito, the new en-
peror of Japan. upon his kingdom
the recipient, in western eyes, of
strange marks of Japanese respect.
For If the race follows the precedents
given to Mutsuhito. Yoshihito's
name will not be pronounced by any
of his subjects. "The sovereign. .
'the emperor" he will be; never
Yoshihito. To call the name of Yo-
shihito will be sacrilege. 1t would be
as if a shrine had been assailed.
And that is only small indication of
the respect which the Japanese will
give him as a sovereign. No man or
woman will sit before him. None. if
convention be maintained, will speak
directly to him. for it Is the custom
to address the emperor of Japan only
through members of his household,
In his presence even the greatest will
look upon the ground, unless the en-
peror be placed at some elevation,
when 1t is permissible that the eyes
be raised, and even this is conces-
sion to the new world of things In
Japan.
To-. M,,tsuhi%o ~ doas