The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-09-27
NOGI'S REAL PURPOSE"

We notice that some Of the papers
Of the United States affect to find in
the self immolation of General Nogi
at the time of the funeral Of the Mika-
do some deep patriotic purpose. The
Baltimore Star considers, in view of
the assumed changing standards Of
life, of politics, and of patriotism in
Japan, that Nogi slew himself in order
to bring his countrymen back TO the
old stoicism and utter self-devotion of
tho past; that he saw in tho changing
life of Japan indications of a depart
ure from the old heroic models. and
so. fearful that unless something strik.
ing were done TO call the attention Of
the people to the evil changes which
they were undergoing, and dreading
that the race would drift away into
inconseqUence from the hardibood and
reckless bravery which the japanese
showed in the Russo-Japanesc war, he
took this means TO call halt. This
view assumes that Nogi deliberately
sacrificed himself not on the ancient
superstition of "iunshi,' but in the
hope that sin seeming to practice the
oldest spirit in its highest aspect he
could arouse the dormant patriotism
Of his people,
All this, however, Is the sheerest
assumption. There is not the slightest
evidence that anything of this kind
actuated General Nogi, and no proof
of the retrogression of spirit which his
act is supposed to be protest against.
On the contrary, every indication is
that he performed hara-kiri in quite
the old Samurai spirit, and with the
same old Sumarai idea. The self-im.
notation which General Nogi practiced
is undoubtedly a survival of the more
ancient rites of human sacrifice upon
the deaths of great chiefs or great
military leaders. In the primitive ages
of all great peoples there has been this
sort of sacrifice. Sometimes it has
taken the form Of the Staying of a
number Of the relatives Of the great
dead. In others the slain would be
captives he had taken. In others il
would be his wives, as in the ''suttee -
of India. In Japan the old rite took
the more elevated form OF self-sacri-
fee by those who were assumed TO be
the most devoted TO the personality
and the most intimate Of the following
Of the dead chief
1t was undoubtedly as survival OF
this old self-sacrifeial rite that Nopi
performed the hara. l.iri He was ac.
tuated by the same old idea, governed
BY the same old spirit, and nerved to
the act by the same old supreme de.
votion that has been cherished In japan
through all the ages, II IL had been
case OF trying to win back the Jap
anese from a supposed social and mill.
tary degeneration, it is clear that Cen
! eral Nogi must have taken some other
method OF arousing his countrymen
than 10 give them an example of an
old and familiar immolatiou which
| they would be sure to understand in
quite the old way, the same as when
last year & station agent slew himself
because a train for which ne was re.
sponsible WAS late, and the Mikado wac
thereby delayed In his journey; he had
failed in has duty 10 his chief. and
there was nothing for him to 10 but
to die. The very changes which
Nogi is assumed TO have condemned
among his eountrymen would in them.
selves render his sacrifice less effective
than would have been his continued
life and exhortatiou. And there would
be no service to his eountrymen in hi:
suicide. considered as a protest agains,
changes assumed. since they could no,
so understand his act.
IN our view. it seems idle to spec.
ulate about the suicide of General Noei
being for any other purpose than the
| old histnric 1.na sn Ia arniliar "a .ha Ia.-