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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 1885)
THE WEST SHORE. 329 OLD AND NEW JAPAN. NO III. BY "01-1 Jnpnn" is mooat tho LluJ Empire as we found it iu 1853, with ita stagnant, evou fossilized civilization, which hiul changod but slightly for hundreds of years; with its divino Mikado of a lineage 3,000 years old; with its warrior chieftain and Botual ruler, tho Sho. gun; with numerous feudal princes (Ammo) and their hordes of two-swordod soldiers (Simurai) in possession of the provinces; with a vigorous general government Bnd an oppressive feudal Bystem that ground tho people to powder benoath the heel of the ruling class and re duced them to abject slavufy. Under Buch a Bystem uo social progress was ixwsihlo. Caste ruled supreme, and the gulf bctweeu tho classes it was almost impossible to cross. The ruling classes wore tho only educate ones, though reading, writing and othor rudimentary branches were taught the children of the ioor in the village schools. Of chances to rise in life there wore none. A child could not aspire to do more than his father, his grandfather and his great-grandfather had done before him, or to occupy a higher position in society. " Liko father, like son," was in its broadest sonso tho underlying principle of Japanose society. There was no encouragement for genius in any of tho fields of science, mechanics, litera ture or art Every one was content to travel iu the same ruts his ancestors had made oonturios before. This fixed state of society continued for uinoteon years after tho visit of Commodore Perry, and it was not until 1872 that the spirit of resistance to innovations finally gave way completely Ixiforo foroign pressure, and "New Japan" had its birth. It was my privilego to study the old system for nineteen years, and then for eleven years more to watch tho development of tho now life which had been infused into the Mikado's realm, and witness the marvelous transformation of customs and ideas which followed. Jajwin was like a living mummy, envolojod in its manifold wrappings of ancient custom, suddenly brought to the light of day. Ancient and modern civilization were brought faot to face. Then, after a season, like a chrysalis, it burst iU bonds and sprang into a uew and more beautiful life. It is of this old and encrusted civilization and this sudden awakening into a now and progressive lifo of which I apeak and with which I Waiue familiar by years of intermingling with tho people of all classes through both the old and new regime. It was on tho 17th of July, 1853, that Commodore Perry Bailed out of Yedo liny, with tho intention of win tering in China and returning in tho spring to receive tho Mikado's reply to the letter of President Fillmore. As the fleet passed down the bay, the ships in tow of the trainers, the shore on either side was thronged with natives, whilo on tho waters of the boy hundreds of bunt darted hither and thither, all intently watching the mar vol of four vessels cutting rapidly through tho water without a Bail being unfurled. A they pas the fort at Uragnwa the garrison, which had More taken to their heels when they had supposed that enormous engine of destruction, Uie Mimsatpph smokestack, to le pointed at them with hostilo intent, again scampered np tho hill, but this time only for the purxmo ot obtaining a bettor view of the departing fleet Tho receding lamlnoao was beautiful, and above all object tho sacred Fuji-Yaiua stood out bold and commanding in the dear sunlight, truo to it name, tho "Peerless Mountain," tho most beautiful objoct in all the landscapes of Japan. Just off tho ontranoo to tho bay black clouds of smoke wero rising from a low volcnnio island, which had sud denly blazed up into tho sky but a few uighU before, lighting up the country for miles around. In tho dim distance could be discerned tho small island of llatchijoa, used as a onal colony by tho Government To tho eye all was Ixmutiful on laud and sea. It was imixMtsihlo that these peoplo oould live iu tho iititlnt of such scenes and not )e impressed in a certain measure with their Iteauty and a desire to reproduce them. Their many works ot art show this, and yet they lived, as It wero, in tho dim past, in the civilization of the aueieuts, unpro gressive and unambitious. As wo departed from tho bay uono realized in what maimer and how quickly our desire for a moral and social resurrection of this peoplo woidd Im accomplished, It was at this time that several small islands lying just within the outranca were named in honor of our ships and some of tho olueors, and these titles they loar to tho present day. The fleet separata), each vessel going to some designated port or engaging in the exploration of boiiio xrtion of tho coast or outlying islands. Commodore Perry returned In tho Miiifi to tho Ijooehoo (solled liiukiu by tho natives) Islands, to resumo tho negotiations heguii there a fow weeks be fore. Nappa, tho most Important harbor, was reached on thofclth of July. Tho Looohoo Islands, over which Japan and China have boon bo long disputing, and which frequently fill so much space in tho telegraphic columns of the pre, aro peopled by tho same raoo as tho islands of Jajmn, and aro in reality a portion of that empire, though not hound to it by close political tie. Their position has always been complicated one, compiling them to adopt the "Good Ijord, OckxI Devil" policy. lining actually a feudal dependency of tho ruler of ftatsuma, the most southwestern of the main group of Jaanose Islands, they were exposed in times past to inroads by Chinese free, hooters, and in order to pacify this powerful and unscru pulous nolghW, they yearly dlsatchud a secret embassy to Pekin bearing tribute to the Chinese emperor. Of late years tho Chinese Government has used this secret tribute as foundation upon which to build claim for complete domination of tho islands, and this is the cause of the existing troublo between the "lWly Knijx-ri.r " of China and tho "Hon of Heaven" who presides over the destinies of Jaaii. Iletweeu the two tho haphwa Ijoochooan are kept in a constant state of turmoil. No one expected the full opening of Japanese porta for several years to come, and therefore Commodore Perry had decided to establish on the Lxxdioo Isltiuls a coaling station for steamers that were eiwt'd to b m1