revolution continued. The people had become aware of the strength of the foreign fleets, and also of the advantages of foreign commerce, and the conception forced itself upon them that, instead of being barbarians, these aliens held the chief place in civilization and had a thousand yaluable lessons to teach. A complete change of mind came about among the intelligent Japanese, and in less than twenty years after the coming of the Americans, they warmly welcomed those whom they had inveterately opposed, and began to change their institutions to accord with those of the Western world.

LIBRARY

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

UNDANA

CHAPTER XIV.

Japan Under the Mikado

The Mikado's Promise-Feudalism Abolished-The New Principles InauguratedA Short-lived Parliament-The Pension of the Daimios-The Pariahs Made Citizens A New System of Education-Newspapers, Hospitals, etc., Established-A New Code of Laws-Christianity Restored-The Reforms Lead to Rebellion, but are Sustained-Local Assemblies Formed-The Franchise Given-A Nobility Established-The Mikado's Cabinet-Railroads, Telegraphs and Electric Lights-The Roman Alphabet-The Constitution of Japan-Japan and the Treaty Powers-Efforts at Revision-The New Regulations-Japan in the Circle of the Great Civilized Powers.

N 1867, during the height of the struggle for the abolishment of the time-honored institution of the Shogunate, or military control of the government of Japan, and the restoration of the Mikado to the power of his ancestors, of which the imperial family had for many centuries been deprived, the Mikado Komei died and was succeeded by his son Mutsuhito, the able ruler under whom the recent remarkable progress of Japan in all the elements of moderr. civilization has taken place. By July 1, 1869, every vestige of rebellion on the part of the supporters of the old system had ceased and the Mikado's party was triumphant. The trials of the new government now began. The Kuge, or court nobles, and the whole body of samurai, or two-sworded men, the military adherents of the daimios, desired to drive foreigners out of the country, but certain progressive statesmen, who were conversant with foreign ideas, opposed the execution of the plan and sent a noble of the imperial court to give the Mikado's consent to the treaties and to invite the foreign ministers to an audience with the emperor in

Kioto. The conversion of the court nobles to the party that desired to see Japan reconstructed on European principles now went on rapidly, and the young Mikado was induced to appear in person before the Council of State and to promise that a deliberative assembly should be eventually formed.

Indicative of an intention to revolutionize the mode of government was the emperor's departure from Kioto, which had been the seat of his ancestors for twenty-five centuries, and his adoption of Yedo, thenceforth called Tokio, for his capital. To a considerable extent, freedom of the press was now guaranteed, and a number of newspapers sprang up. Books expounding European methods of thought and education were published, and many pamphlets advocating the abolition of feudalism appeared. Four of the great daimios, or feudal lords, advocated the change. They addressed a memorial to the throne, offering to restore the registers of their clans and proposing that the Mikado should resume possession of their fiefs.

In conformity to this request, an edict was issued in September, 1871, summoning the daimios to Tokio for the purpose of arranging their retirement to private life. With scarcely an exception, the order was obeyed; even the daimios who disapproved of the measure were unwilling to oppose the resolute men who had framed the edict. The truth is that, even under the feudal system, the real power in each clan had lain in the hands of able men of inferior rank who ruled their nominal masters. These are the men who, in the new dispensation, came to control Japan. Having first driven the Shogun into private life, they then compelled the daimios to follow him into retirement. Of the men who have taken a leading part in the government of the country since 1868, not one is a daimio by birth, and only two or three are Kuge, or court nobles. Almost all have been