Year: 1874

Few Americans have an adequate idea
of the remarkable social and political rev.
olutiOn which has been accomplished in
the Empire of Japan within the last few
wears. By the great mass Of our people
the Japanese are regarded merely as a
distant nation of barbarians who Tor
long period vigorously excluded foreign
ers from their land. and the most intoler-
ant prosecutors of Christianity in exist
ence. though of late years they have been
forced into less exclusive policy in their
dealings with the civilized world, and have
been shamed into an abandonment Oh
open persecution toward followers OF the
Christian faith.


In reality the revolution in social usages
and the government of the country has
been rs great as the change effected IN
routes of travel by the opening OF the IA
cific railroads; change which has prac-
tically brought Japan some thousands OF
miles nearer to us by the establishment OF
new lines of transportation which have
brought the two countries into much
closer commercial relations than previous
| ly existed. Though Japan lies across the
| Pacific Ocean, five thousand miles. from
California, commercially speaking IL IS
now a neighbOring country, and the traffic
between Americans and the japanese Is
| likely to attain great magnitude.


For some centuries previous to 1867 the
civil government of Japan was in the
hands of the Shotgun, or Tycoon at edd0,
and a Council of State composed OF mem
bers of the oldest and highest families of
the nobility, who were appointed by the
Shotgun. The popular impression has been
that the rule of the Shotgun was despOtic;
in reality the power behind the throne,
which was the Council of State, was re-
spOnsible for most of the acts Of the n0ml-
nal head of the Government. In the mean
time the MikadO, the real Emperor OF Ja-
pan under the ancient laws-wh0 traces
his descent back 10 Sin Mu, who first es-
tablished a regular government in Japan
about 600 years before Christ, and Is re-
gar(lcd as direct descendant and earthly
representative of Deity-had been shOrn
of all temporal power, and was known on
ly as a sort of spiritual Emperor, occupy.
ing an office nearly equivalent to that oil
the Grand Lama in Thibet.


In 1861 the Shotgun and his cOunselOrs
ruled the empire, and subordinate to them
were several hundred hereditary princes,
nOminally sOvereigns within their own do
miniOns, vet vassals of the central author
ity, by whose spies their every action was
watched. Indeed, the government OF
these feudal principalities was in fact adj
ministered by secretaries appointed in
YeddO. who exercised the same control
over the nominal princes that was exer-
cised over the Shotgun by the Council OF
State. At this time the japanese people
were divided into eight hereditary classes,
four of which constituted the higher orders
of society, having the exclusive right to
wear two swords, and distinctions of caste
were maintained very strictly. Below
these eight classes was another, which was
deemed so low that it was not ranked at
all among the orders of society, nor even
enumerated in the census. This consisted
of tanners, curriers', and all workers in
leather.


Such was the condition of Japan when
the discontented nobility combined
against the Shotgun and his cOunselOrs
and raised the standard of revolt. In 1868
the authority of the Shotgun was over
thrown, and the Mikado, whose nominal
sovereignty had never ceased, was rein
stated as the real head of the Government.
Internal dissensiOns continued for a while,
but at length the most powerful of the Mi
kado's enemies were eOnciliated, and the
reconstructed Government was established
on firm basis.


Mr.. Charles o. Shepherd, late United
States Consul to Yokohama, in lecture
recently delivered i'm Buffalo, has given
lucid description of the extraordinary re-
suits of this revolution. The first notable
measure of the Mikado was decree that
the several castes that in all ages of the EN-
pire had been denied the privilege of riding
on horseback or wearing garments similar
to the gentry, should be allowed to follow
the dictates of their own will in these re-
spects; while among the gentry anybody
might wear two swords who chose to go
to the expense of providing himself with
such a superfluity. No injurious effects
following this experiment, still more
radical step was taken, and an edict of the
Mikado in a single day removed the stigma
which for centuries had attached to the Oc-
cupation Of workers in leather, and this
useful body of artisans were placed upon
the same footing before the law as other
classes. To appreciate the radical nature
of this measure we must understand that
the occupation Of this class was hereditary
by eompuision Of law; that they could
only marry among themselves that they
were Obliged to i've by themselves; that any
person not Of their class, except an officer
on duty, who should enter one Of their
houses was liable to death, and that the
killing of one of them was not a crime.
The next reform of the MikadO was Of a
still more serious nature, and was aimed at
the pretensiOns of the nobility, who at last
were made to understand that the circum-
stances of birth did nOtgive them the right
to arrogate to themselves unlimited power
over their immediate dependents. At this
there were signs of rebellion, but the dis
affected mobiles faileT % agree upOn any
method of action, AZ 1ally the two hun
dred and sixty feud. .Jrds submitted, and
the unity of the empire was fully estas-
IL