Page:Political Condition of Japan.djvu/27

 simply shows the ape imitating the man. It is easy to see the tendency of the ruinous course which the present government is taking, both in the matter of foreign intercourse and in that of internal government. The fate which is in store for Japan is no other than that of Egypt or Turkey. Every means of making Japan an independent and honorable nation will be arrested and suppressed. Every intelligent man, seeing this, wants to point out the danger, but the government uses every means to silence the voice of popular opinion. The present Cabinet Ministers will try to keep their position in the government at any cost. Their numerous police, spies, and harsh regulations are intended to suppress the liberty of press and speech, and several apparently useless officials are maintained solely for the purpose of keeping their position against public opinion, regardless of the injuries to their country. Now public opinion is such that ninety-nine out of every hundred, if freed from government intimidation, will vote for a change of the present ministry.

What we demand of the present government is simply this:—

First, the establishment of a National Assembly, making the present government a constitutional monarchy, with responsible ministries.

Secondly, the abolition of the censorship of the press and the regulation of the newspapers.

Thirdly, the abolition of the regulations for holding public meetings.

Fourthly, the revision of the treaty between Japan and Europe.

Whatever the present Cabinet may do to keep its position, it must submit to the will of the Japanese nation. For every patriotic Japanese who desires to regenerate the nation must first aim to overthrow the present Japanese Cabinet, as it is scarcely possible to do one without doing the other. And I think every Japanese is justified in using every legitimate means to overthrow the government which utterly forfeits the confidence of the nation. Already the government is tottering