Page:Political Condition of Japan.djvu/10

 recognize the necessity of abolishing the feudal system. This abolition was peacefully achieved, but those who brought it about acted from very different motives, and perhaps did not quite foresee the practical results. The members of the Cabinet became divided. Several minor differences existed among the officials, but the main difficulty was that one party desired to enter upon fresh work, while another sought to finish what had been already begun, without undertaking anything further. The enterprising and more adventurous party was represented by Saigo, one of the greatest warriors Japan has ever produced, and the opposite party by Okubo. Each had his followers, but Okubo was better adapted for the new condition of affairs.

These two men may be compared to an adventurous husband and a prudent wife who have recently entered into the possession of uncultivated land, and converted a portion of it into profitable property through their efforts. The husband, after surveying his possession, says: “We must have more ground. Let us cut down more trees, throw away those stones, and extend our borders.” His prudent wife says: “No, let us make a fence around our ground, make our garden look nice, bring pebbles, and plant flowers.” In this kind of contest, the prudent wife is generally successful. She is bound to do everything to promote domestic peace.

Saigo was the adventurous husband, and Okubo was the prudent wife who endeavored to promote the internal peace of Japan at any cost. Saigo resigned his position as the commander of the Japanese army and retired to his country home in the province of Satuma.

From this time up to 1877, the discontented party, more or less allied to Saigo, stirred up civil dissension; yet none of them succeeded in overthrowing the government of Okubo. Meanwhile Saigo had been educating his pupils. The time at last came that the two leaders had to measure their strength against each other. Saigo collected nearly thirty thousand men, consisting mostly of Satuma people, and suddenly marched toward the capital. He besieged the Castle of Kumamoto. The obstinate defenders of Kumamoto refused to surrender. Okubo