No. 285.
Mr. De Long to Mr. Fish.
Sir: A few days ago the Prince of Satsuma suddenly returned from Yedo to his province with a portion of his forces; the remainder are reported to be still guarding the Mikado in the castle at the capital.
As on former occasions, whenever that powerful daimio approaches the Mikado, his former confederates, the Princes of Choshu and Tosa, are known to be narrowly watching his proceedings, and all the other great daimios hold themselves aloof; and, on the other hand, as soon as Prince Satsuma returns to his province, other princes more or less show an inclination to counteract the influence which the ambitious prince is suspected of exercising. Yet the most absolute reserve continues to be generally maintained by the daimios in their intercource with the Mikado’s government.
[Page 469]In former times, when the law of compulsory residence at the capital for daimios was in force, the Tycoon, or Shogung, then the sovereign of Japan, was surrounded at his court by all the princes. This court was an exhibition of sovereign power, and the imperial display was deemed essential to the proper enforcement of the law and the maintenance of tranquillity in the empire.
It is not surprising, therefore, that the Mikado’s advisers, even since his Majesty’s accession to power by the half forced and half voluntary withdrawal of the late Tycoon, should have endeavored to bring about such a gathering of daimios around the imperial throne.
All their efforts in this respect have failed. The Mikado was considered, as heretofore, in the light of a mere political abstraction, without inherent strength of his own, and whose claim to govern was only based on an alleged divine origin, which no one hitherto thought it worth while to question.
The daimios, therefore, only reluctantly yield a nominal obedience, and persistently, under some plea or other, have excused themselves from personal attendance at the Mikado’s court.
The imperial advisers, thus baffled in their attempts to compel a cordial recognition of the Mikado’s sovereign claims, issued a decree abolishing all daimios, reducing them in rank to simple noblemen, and appointing them governors of their respective provinces, though removable at the Mikado’s pleasure. And when this decree, as might have been expected, failed to produce the desired result, and remained unnoticed and unacknowledged, even by means of respectful remonstrances, another one was issued, appointing leading relations of daimios as Mikado’s officers, to act as censors in his Majesty’s behalf with and over the governments of their provinces. This second decree fared worse than the first, and even led, in some instances, to acts amounting to overt contempt of the Mikado’s authority.
More immediately pressing, embarrassments had, however, first to be disposed of. The rice crop had been a failure, and food had to be provided for the large population of Yedo, Kioto, and Osacca, among whom riots had to be prevented at all costs. The population of those cities are dissatisfied with the prevailing stagnation of trade; and, in addition, the people of Kioto, owing to the continued absence of the Mikado, claim to have a political grievance against Yedo, on a question of supremacy or precedence of their city as the true capital of Japan.
Rice, therefore, has been, and continues to be, largely imported from abroad, and is distributed by the government in the three cities named, in some cases gratuitously or below cost. With the rice in the government storehouse, the supply held by merchants, and that now afloat on the way to this country, it may fairly be presumed that the greatest apprehension of the government has been removed, and that this winter will pass without disturbances among the large city population.
The necessary measure being, perhaps, one of self-preservation, has involved a large expenditure on the part of the government; and that this has been in excess of the revenue is clearly shown by the necessity under which they found themselves placed of contracting a loan from foreigners, a step which they would undoubtedly have avoided if possible, for it proves that they are unable to borrow from their own people, or to inforce new taxes, and, further, that they risk to incur further unpopularity in view of the anti-foreign feeling, through the active strength of which they established their authority.
This anti-foreign feeling, though quite personal, appears to be strongest and most uncompromising with the class of independent gentry or [Page 470] country squires residing in the provinces surrounding Kioto. They are estimated to number at least twenty thousand men, and appear to have their headquarters at a place named Tots Kawa, though they are known to have no political organization. At that place they even barred the Mikado’s progress, on the occasion of his coming to Yedo, and they were with difficulty induced to peaceably disperse.
It is through this place that the Mikado will soon again have to pass, if he should be forced to yield to the urgent demands now being made upon him to return to Kioto, in order to assert his spiritual power and perform the customary rites at the tombs of his ancestors, in compliance with prevailing superstition. It seems to be unquestioned that in this direction the Sintoo priesthood is now applying a vigorous pressure, with the ulterior object, no doubt, of at the same time securing some more definite action, in redemption of the pledges made on the occasion of the assumption, by the Mikado, of sovereign power in secular affairs, that their creed would become the prevailing one in this empire, to the exclusion or extirpation of all others.
Although all the foregoing well-known facts have been more fully set forth in former dispatches, I deemed that this brief summary would be acceptable in view of the undoubted and intimate connection which exists between the general state of affairs in this country and the Christianity question, submitted in dispatches of this series, and then more readily enable you to appreciate that difficulty in the political bearing.
Unaccountable as it seemed at first sight, why, at this present juncture of accumulating internal complications, liable at any moment to be rendered still more embarrassing by anticipated hostilities breaking out afresh among daimios, the Mikado’s government should have acted in a manner likely to place their friendly relations with foreign powers in jeopardy. I have, after a careful review of all the facts, arrived at the conclusion that there is but one way of explaining the course adopted by the Mikado’s government on this occasion, and that the motives for their action, however extraordinary it appears on the surface, must be sought and can only be found in the extreme necessities of the situation, calling for extreme measures to meet and overcome them.
It is quite clear that, by the deportation of over three thousand native Christians, the Mikado’s government contemplated to conciliate the Sintoo priesthood, the bigoted country squires and all those numerous daimio’s retainers and others in all parts of Japan, who are only by their own quarrels and feuds with their neighbors prevented from forming and organizing themselves into a great national anti-foreign party, which, if it were possible, would be overwhelming in its strength and unanimity on that basis.
The ostentatious manner in which the deportation was consummated, including the formal reception in conference, at Yedo, of the foreign representatives, who on all occasions annouuced their presence in the capital by flying their flags; the conspicuous place on a great thoroughfare selected for that conference, and the minute subdivision of that large body of native Christians among the greatest possible number of daimios, are all so many reasons, showing that the greatest publicity was intended, and has probably obtained for the measure, as an exhibition of strength of the Mikado’s government, of their independence of foreign opinion, thus flattering the proud anti-foreign feeling existing, and if successful in being acknowledged as evidence of real power, it is no doubt hoped that it may equally be successful in eliciting a more than nominal recognition from the daimios, without whose active support [Page 471] or implicit obedience a Mikado’s government, or any other government, can hardly be expected to prove more than a sham.
The Mikado’s government is perfectly aware, having been emphatically reminded to that effect, of the impression this act of deportation will not fail to create in the civilized world, and with the governments of the treaty powers, but having on so many occasions received official assurances of friendly feeling, they may be presumed to trust that this friendly feeling, though altered by this cruel act of persecution, will not lead beyond energetic remonstrances; and to the official existence of those now in power, the considerations which, led to its adoption and execution are no doubt perfectly excusable on the plea of immediate necessity.
The Mikado’s original decree prescribes that those unfortunate people shall work in mines and live in forests, and this suggests, as there is a general desire now manifested in Japan to work mines of gold, silver, and coal, and as in many provinces a strong dislike is said to exist on the part of laborers, to trust themselves in the volcanic country at any depth below the surface of the soil, that those native Christians whose superstitious scruples in any respect are not likely to meet with much consideration will be made useful as pioneers in this important branch of the development of the immense mineral resources of this country.
While thus the Mikado’s government yields to the bigotry and fanaticism of the many, courts their support by flattering their superstition, and endeavors to turn it to advantage with the aid of the Sintoo priesthood, by obtaining from and through them a renewed recognition of the divine right of their chief, they at the same time combat the superstition against working in deep shafts, among their country people, who appear to be apprehensive that while digging for a vein they may strike an earthquake.
It now remains to be seen what effect this bold and unscrupulous policy of the Mikado’s government will produce, and in what manner they will follow it up, to insure the continuance in office of those who now exercise authority.
It may be expected that as, with them, the end justifies the means under all circumstances, that more high-handed proceedings will flow from those so recklessly inaugurated.
Purchases of arms and munitions by daimios continue. The Oneida, Commander Williams, sails to-morrow, and there will then be no national vessel in this country, except the storeship Idaho, recently disabled in a typhoon.