Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-07-30
MOURkS
MIKAD0 DEATH
Beloved by PopuIacs, Whose
Grief is Intense.


emperor has cast a pail over the ma
ton. Everywhere the people are dis
playing their grief. Another mourner
has committed suicide. He left a writ
ten declaration to the effect that he had
sacrificed his life for his emperor.
The moment the death Of the en-
peror was announced the spaces
around the imperial palace were filled
with thousands Of the %populace OF
Tokyo. They were praying for the re-
covery Of their beloved ruler.
Here and there In the vicinity OF
| the palace vas an improvised and
rudely constructed altar at which a
priest was leading at prayers. The
hush was tense; nothing WAS spoken
except the prayers Of a priest here
and there among the crowds. The
only other sounds were the rasping
movements Of feet al the mourners
arrived and departed and the shouts
Of the newsboys In the distance selling
papers calling the physicians bulle-
tins in glaStng headlines. The scenes
were similar to those Of the previous
ulSuL WhCu Iuc llUuI uCID Ahu
the palace grounds.
Tho scene commanded the respect c.
all and the reverence for the emperor
held by tho Japanese was manifested
when the people resented the attempt
Of two photographers to make a
lashlight photograph OF the palace.
The uniucky men were severely stoned
and driven away.
Sketch Of Empsrers Life.
One day In September, 1872, while
private and omcial Japan was In an
uproar Of protest against building a 1T
tic line Of railroad eighteen miles long
between Tokyo and Yokohama and
raj protesting 80 bitterly against this
ungodiy innovation Of the foreign dew
lis that even the military authorities
months before had refused to permit 4
survey through 4 part Of Tokyo. the
Emperor Mutsuhito. then In the TWEEN
tieth year Of his life and In the fourth
year Of his reign. startled Japan with
another innovation.
Tho emperor took the matter IN hand
personally and amazed Japan by pub
icly presiding at the opening cersmo-
MES Of the flrst railroad Japan was to
see. Whereupon open opposition to rail
road building suddenly ceased. Mutsu-
hito was the only ruler. and doubtless
will be the only ruler. who lived to see
a country during a single reign spring
from the trammels Of medieval prim-
itiveness to a place among the first ma
tons of the world In military and do
nestle science. Until a year after the
emperor was born Japan not only was
without a navy or merchant marine.
but she still boosted Of a national law
which absolutely prohibited her people
in their superb ~seclusion' to build an
ocean going ship.
The isolation Of court life affected
the emperor even more than the isola-
ton Of the Vatican is said to affect
Plus X. Mutsuhito was born up in the
mountains Of Kioto, and he early
learned to love trees and open air
there and is said to have longed for the
hills until the end.
He was the one hundred and twenty
first Of his line, according to japanese
history, which holds that it runs back
to $50 B. c., or to the days Of the great
| Mikado Jimmu. Mutsuhito, whose
name literally translated a "gen.
| tleman,'' was the second son Of the
Emperor Osahito.
When he was crowned at Osaka on
Oct. 81. 1868. the country was on the
verge of being torn asunder as a result,
of the bitterness. partly political, part
ly commercial, partly religious and
largely superstitious, which arose after
Commodore Perry had unfolded to ia.
pan the glories Of the occidental civil
zation. Civil war, even the possible loss
Of his throne, confronted this sixteen.
year-old monarch.
The %agitations were at their height
when Mutsuhito and his advisers be
gan rapidly to mature a plan which In
turn was to lead the way to the as
sumption by the emperor Of direct per
sonal rule. and as a step in this direc.
ton Mutsuhito transferred his capita
from Kioto to Yeddo, where the shogur
government formerly had held forth
Mutsuhito added force to the event BY
changing the name of the new capita.
to Tokyo, or eastern capital.
Hs Puts Down Rebellion.
He went back to the old capital ir
1869, but only for a visit that had
sentimental side as well as a political
There he married Princess Haruko-
"Springtime'-who is q daughter Of
Ichijo Tadaka, u noble Of the first rank
In the year of his marriage, ant
after he had been crowned at Osaka
on Oct. 81, 1868, Mutsuhito showed hi
people that he was sincere In his re
forms by listing a number Of them.