Thus the Daimyos and their important retainers were paid off. But there were still some 400,000 foot soldiers or samurai, There were two classes of these imights—life and hereditary. By the Government de~ erees the hereditary Samurai was granted six years' income all at once, one-half in cash and the remainder In Government bonds bearing eight per cent. The life Samurai was given four years' income at one time. The remainder of the arrangement was the same as in the other case, In order to undertake this delicate and all-important task, the Government was compelled to issue ¥.105,000,000 In bonds. The masterful stroke was administered in 1871.
Tu 1872 an influential mission was sent to foreign countries in order to revise the unilateral treaty of 1858 and at the same time to ascertain the advance that the West had made.
The embassy brought back no result so far as the revision of the treaty was concerned. But the report of the amazing progress of Europe and America sounded like a deathknelt to the exclusionists.
Yet there were those die-hards in Japan who could not awaken from the dream of the good old days of exclusion and isolation. For the advent of foreigners not only disinter grated their social structure but degraded their social position. Furthermore, since Japanese wares were Drought to the very doors of the markets of the world, prices of things were raised and' the cost of living was greatly enhanced. Things being equal there was every reason fo resent confusion and distintegration. "But what was it that brought about a unity to the nation?
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.