Jepan, The almost feverish movement of Japan is in strong contrast to the stolid conservatism of China; and we fear the feeling generally expressed is trae—that one strains forwards as much too hard as the other holds back. Great and useful progress has been made improved means of communication and appliances for developing the resources of the country have been anxiously adopted; a new and more handy coinage has been instituted, to suit the requirements of foreign intercourse efforts have been made to organise the national finatices; embassies have been sent to the nations with which Japan has foreign relations—all necessary steps in the new career on which the country has embarked, and deserving of all praise. But not content with these enlightened and comprehensive measures, the Government has descended to a course of social legislation as unnecessary as foolish, and as irritating as unnecessary. It is not by sudden edict that national customs and modes of thought can be changed, but by gradual persuasion and example. And it says much for the strength of the Government, and the docility and submissiveness of the people, that edicts interfering with food, clothes, hair, furniture, and fifty other details of daily life, have passed without exciting violent opposition and uprising.
Uprisings there have been—caused, however, generally by more solid grievances. The projects of conscript tion; the change in the method of taxation from a contribution in kind to a money tax on the estimated value of land; the unsettlement of religious questions; the taxation of fisheries, and other measures excited riots of greater or less extent, in districts which one or other of these measures affected. The change in the calendar, the destruction of trees around sacred edifices, the slaughter of cattle, the removal of woods from the possession of the peasants to that of Government, and many minor complaints were also urged. The opposition seemstohave come almost invariably from the agricultural classes, who are always the most conservative in every land; and their emotion at the virtual denationalisation of their country which the Government seemed to have undertaken, is not only not sur prising but will excite some sympathy. Foreign visitors to Japan universally regret this destraction of national landmarks, this violent effacement of customs and conditions of life which were quaint, interesting and often pictur es que. It was possible to introduce the principles which have made Western nations wealthy and enlightened, without rushing into a hurried external imitation. At the same time, the anxiety to emulate people whom they saw and acknowledged to be' superior, speaks well for the pride and energy of the nation, and augurs well for its future. We see no reason why future generations should not perfect the new civilisation as cleverly as their ancestors had perfected the old.
It is a noteworthy feature, and argues well for the strength. of the Government in its present career, that the Samourai class were almost always found on its side in the various collisions. Only in one or two instances—notably that of "the Fukuoka riots near Nagasaki—did they take cause with the insurgents. Yet it was from this class—turbulent from the nature of their profession, and likely to be irritated by the change in their condition—that serious danger might have been reasonably apprehended. The Commercial classes have all along
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.