sends out its students to foreign countries to bring back the acquirements of others. At present there are about 400 or 800 students abroad pursuing their course of studies. The building of railroads and telegraphs is encouraged. The object of Europeanizing or Americanizing the country is executed with rapid success. The changes which had taken place during the last nineteen years, since the opening of the country to foreign intercourse, are entirely new to the eyes of the people who were born some thirty or forty years ago. When we knew not others, we felt ourselves proud and superior; but when we know them, we feel our inferiority, and struggle to take the same step with them. We owe much to the United States. The United States was the country that entered first into a treaty with us; or, I say, that the United States was the country that awakened us from our sleep. We are like a man who, waking late from his sleep in the morning, goes to work hastily. We have slept too much. But we have now waked up from our long sleep. We are struggling to trace the same road of civilization wherein you have advanced. Happy will be Japan, when she attains her desire to teach the highest degree of civilization for which she aims.

CHRISTIANITY IN JAPAN.

BY TOZABRO HYASH.

[The writer of the following account of the Christian religion in Japan acquired his knowledge of the English language in America as well as Europe, and after his return to Japan, was employed as a clerk and interpreter at the American Legation, in Yeddo. The facts communicated by him were drawn forth by a request made by the American Minister, and by him transmitted to the Department of State in Washington, in 1871.]

In reply to your request for me to state to you in brief what I know about the history of Christianity in Japan, and the present condition of native Christian converts, I beg leave to state: That about the sixteenth century Christianity was propagated with so much success in the country, that the Tycoon, Nobunagaya himself, is said to have confessed his belief in the faith. A certain essential part of a castle is always built in imitation of the steeple of a Christian church, which the chief of the castle at times used as a place of worship. This part, which is called "Tenshu," (meaning, dedicated to the Heavenly Lord,) continued to be built long after the prohibition of Christianity in this empire, thus proving that this religion was still, for some time, tolerated among natives.

The Christian missionaries, seeing their growing influence over the consciences of the people, commenced to meddle with the politics of the state, whereupon the Dutch warned our people of the danger from this. Acting upon this suggestion, the Government prohibited its propagation, and compelled all foreigners, except the Dutch, to leave the country.

At the siege, and subsequent fall of Osaca, the final victory of the ancestors of the Tokungawa family was gained, and many leading officers who were in the city escaped to

Shunabarra, near Nagasaki, where the people generally professed Christianity, and excited them to open insurrection, by deluding them into the belief that the Government intended to prohibit Christian worship. Those people, laboring under this delusion, rebelled against the Government, and maintained their position for over two years; and soon after they were overcome they still continued to be rebellious and fanatical, mixing their religious belief with party spirit. This caused the Government to take steps to prohibit this worship entirely throughout the empire; therefore, on this account, and not on account of the belief itself, it was prohibited. This is further proved to have been the motive by the fact that Buddhism was not also prohibited, which is not the faith of the Mikado, he being Sintoo in his faith. These things occurred about the year 1630.

At the time Commodore Perry entered Yeddo, the Tycoon made the treaty with him in opposition to the sentiments of the several of the great daimios, who, having long been jealous of the Tokungawa clan (of which the Tycoon was a member), took advantage of the anti-foreign sentiment of the people, then prevailing, and pretending also to make war to uphold the religion of the Mikado, rebelled against and overthrew the Tycoon, and put his majesty, the Mikado, on the throne in his stead. In fact, they made use of the Mikado as a puppet, to execute their desires in his name, and seemingly by his authority.

The present Government, owing to its declarations, was necessarily severe against any who followed any foreign religion. Against those who professed Buddhism—which being generally professed in the Empire-they took meas

ures only against the priests, who were deprived of many privileges hitherto granted to them.

Whatever promises may have been made by it relative to the mild treatment accorded to native converts, their punishment continues to be severe and cruel.

Under the late Government the punishment was the crucifixion of the convert, but by the law of this Government the punishment extends over eight families, to wit: parents, grandparents, elder and younger brothers and sisters, uncles, aunts, sons, daughters, grandchildren, and male and female cousins of the convert, and is death. It certainly has done away with the punishment by crucifixion, but simply doing this can hardly be called mild treatment. Those converts who were imprisoned year before last would have been killed according to this law, but for the remonstrances of the foreign representatives. They are yet kept in close confinement.

In reply to your request for me to give you the definition of the term "Meidi," I have to say: The Emperor of Japan gives a certain title to the year when he ascends the throne, and thus counts the years of his reign as first, second, third, fourth, etc., of such title. Formerly, if there occurred during the course of his reign any great calamities, such as great earthquakes, famines, tempests, etc., he would change the title, and commence to count the years anew from that time, thinking the title unfortunate and productive of bad results. This superstition was originally introduced here from China about one thousand two hundred years ago. The usage has been so long in force here that the people have become accustomed to it. "Meidi" is

the title given to the year by the present Emperor at his succession to the throne, which was four years ago, this being the fourth year of "Meidi."

By the present law of this empire, our Emperor is not allowed to name the year but once during his reign; therefore the present title "Meidi," which means "peace," after enlightened manners, will continue until the present Emperor dies.

THE STRENGTH AND THE WEAKNESS OF REPUBLICS. By E. R. ENOUYE.

THE republican form of government is now generally conceded to be "theoretically the best," but its claim to be also the strongest is still disputed, or at least not yet firmly established. The Declaration of Independence by the American Colonies, the French Revolution, and various important subsequent events, until the present time, all unite in proclaiming to the nations of the world the right of a people to govern itself, and by so doing demonstrated clearly the absurdity of the divine rights of the kings to rule.

The whole political heaven is, as it were, being charged with republican electricity. The explosion will come sooner or later. Meanwhile, the diffusion of intelligence among the people makes them more enlightened and more jealous of their rights than ever before; despots tremble on their thrones, and as they make concessions most reluctantly, most readily do the people call for more. Judging from such circumstances, it would appear that all the nations of the world, as if by common consent, are converging rapidly toward that point where Republicanism reigns supreme.