294
THE WEST SHORE.
xi'iit (jiliHiiimi for every American who uuty twtt his fxt
iiniii tliiMi iniw liiUlilH chores. Kiiiik! of their JXK'ts
have ininii.rUilii'd liix nam in veiw. Shb nn-of tlipm:
" 1 wilii (iji k(M-ti, kono kuiiino fujinotnka neno Ytikiwo
ruin mN-rruri." TraimlaU'd th m raads: "The mighty
(ki iiii fronting, huh it merely to Im'Ii(i1(I tho snow-capped
Mak of tliirt ttiuntry's xmtIchh mountain, Perry?" This
honor, liim liy ansei-ting that hn did not cross tho oconn
for the pleamire of viewing tho holy mountain, Fuji
Yninn, in the eyes of tho Japauoso tho most delightful
night iu tho world, but on nn errand of gixxl to them of
fur gwitr iinjxirtaiico. y thus linkiug his name with
thin holy mountain thoy did him grantor honor than
could bo oxproHwsl in any othor way. Fuji Yama is of
aWit tho .auto hoight and projx.rtioiiH as Mount Itninior,
nml alxwt an far wont of Yodo Pay a tho latter iH oast of
Ommneomoiit Hoy. Ho striking is tho roHomblnnce
that Japanese who visit Puget Sound at once call Kainior
tho "Americ.au Fuji Yama."
AtU trying in vain ovory mannnr of stratcgom, sub
U'rfugn, deceit and throat, evon going to tho oxtramo of
thra.it4.ning to commit suicide iixm tho dockH because of
inability to amnnplish their master's wihIioh, tho officials
Ix-gati Ui relent Thoy agreed to Hiipply tho fleet with
provisions, wood and water, but would not linU-n to the
ido of receiving recomx.nsfl or being boholdou to those
luitwl iuvadoni for anything. Perry promptly rejected
bII such offers, and thoy were givon to understand that
not a chicken, ogg nor in.Uit. would lx. received without
a fair ouid j,ra quo Ix.ing given in return. This wag
donit InvauHo the Comimxlore would not allow them the
Mtiafnrtion of having exhibited a HiiM.riority by giving
him something. Nut by tho alighted act would ho admit
liiii.Hi.lf inferior to their highest dignibirios. He was
extremely ireful U mako no unjust demands; but when
ever ho nttmpUnl anything ho went at it in the nioHt
direct manner, heedless alike of prolyl or menace. Hi.
Invincibility nd tho urbanity of his treatment of all
viH.U.r. KNin 04,uvino4sl th,.ln that he was a greater man
than any other "ouU.do barbarian" who had over dared
to M f.Kj upon tho sacred il of the Land of tho Gods
Day after day, a. the (ot maneuvered ..i,,. tho b '
. .'"'" ''W" official, ware sent from Yedo to
T,.,t II, "Great Admiral," a. they afterwards fomly
called h.. None of those were granted a night of the
Oom.no, ora, but were entertained with tho greaUt cour
Ujr by b,. .....ordinate officers, lK,ig received on Ixmrd
w.th all tho K,mp ad military diHplay of which tho fM
!M "U "titim. were direct! by the Gnm.
lore iu ,., from lK.hi.ul a .croon, where he cmld
.mmieat f raely with hi. officer.. At last, convince"
hat tin. ,, being . even more ,,oworful tlmi
their own divine ruler, it w dido.1 to del,. roya
jrhM la viHit linn and .ive tho IWkif.
Ihu. 0.mm,Klore Terry won the .uinloa. Uurcl of R
bhxHll, ticU.ry, unW the ,K.rU of that hermit cm!
, . and utroduoed it to the civilisation of the nine
Unth century. None Bow rejoice more in hi. U00ttW
Uwj do the JaiwncM thetnK(.
The commissioners thus appointed represented the
Shmjun (Tykun), who had for many years succeeded in
representing himself to Caucasian nations as tho real
Emperor ofJapan. About five hundred years previous
to the timo 'of Perry's visit the actual rulers, known as
the " TciihIU" (Son of Heaven), or Mikado ( Holy Gate),
hud begun the practice of appointing Shoynns (literally
Governors General), who should lift from the imperial
shoulders the burden and responsibility of government
Gradually this custom took such deep root that the Sho
gun became the actual ruler, and the sacred " Son of
Heaven " abandoned all thoughts of government, and, if
an effeminate man, gave himself up to the writing of
versos, the cultivation of his flower gardens and other
equally unofficial pursuits, or, if endowed with greater
mental force or public spirit, directed his attention to
the advancement of science and art, and to domestio im
provements for the good of his people and enrichment of
the empire. In the more primitive times the Mikados in
person led forth the troops to battle, but in later times
the Shoguns were sent out in command of the armies.
Thus the Shoguns gained complete control of the empire.
All the revenues fell into their hands, and all the princes
and their retainers became subject to them. This supreme
governor hnd all the actual power, it being necessary for
him only to make a show of obedience and reverence to
the "Holy Gate," who was still regarded by the people
as tho representative of the Gods of Heaven, the earthly
descendant of the greatest of them all.
Such being the religious faith of the people and their
revoronce townrd their unbroken line of rulers for more
than throe thousand years, the Shogun, while exercising
all the real power, binding and loosing princes at will, was
compelled to be circumspect in his conduct toward this
"Son of Heavon." Wheuover a new Shogun came into
power, he was obliged by custom to accept an investiture
of office at the handB of the Mikado, and afterwards to
pay occasional visits of adoration to this sacred descend
ant of the gixk Yet this submission was but nominal,
for he not only held full political control of the affairs of
the empire, but appointed every dotnil of the imperial
palace iUelf, holding the "Son of Heaven" in abject
financial dependence upon him. By harping continually
ujxin the chord of divine lineage, the Shogun kept this
august jHtrsonage in a perpetual seclusion even more
complete than was that of Trince Russelos in the Happy
Valley of Amharo, allowing him only his harem and such
simple pleasures as would best serve to make him con
tentod with his lot and keep him. ignorant of the oufcido
world. Thus the Shogun ruled supreme at Yedo (now
Tokio, eighteen milos from Yokohama. The word w
rMo, fro,u ye, river, and do, gate), while the holy "Son
of Heaven" was immured in the imperial palace at
Kioto, the nominal capital of the empire, some throe
hundred niilea to the westward When, about three ccn
tunes ago, the Portuguese, Dutch and others visited
JajMin, thPy were informed that the Emperor resided at
ledo, and ail their negotiations were carried on at that
oourl Lator, aome 250 years ago, when the Eomish