Volume II Part 16 (2/2)

”That is true”

”Then, sir, no ood the old ress in industry or commerce or finance, nor even preserve our national independence, by following it We must forsake our past, and substitute law for ood substitute”

”It seeood substitute in Western countries--England especially--if we are to judge by ress

We will have to learn to be e of law, and the reasons for obeying law, must teach a rationalfor a japanese boy, wasn't it? He goes to the university next month,--a splendid fellow Later the Government is to send him abroad

Ever faithfully, LAFCADIO HEARN

TO SENTARO NIshi+DA

kuust, 1894

DEAR NIshi+DA,--Many, raph of yourself, and your kindest letter The photograph brought so vividly before ain the kind eyes that saw so ood things, and advised me and helped me so much,--that I could not but feelmissed you

Mr Senke has sent me the most beautiful letter, which I hope to answer by this sa the old japanese courtesy was!

and how like _Kami sama_ the dear old men who re h schools see japanese manners, and therefore morals--because morals are manners to a certain extent

Those who lose the old ways never replace theely a matter of tone,--tone of voice, address, touch of s, which is our politeness So they reet hardened in some queer way They cease to be lovable, and often beco back, ahtly old ways

I send a reprint of my last japanese story Hope my book will reach you soon, and will not displease you Of course, you will find in it ner eneral effect of the book will not be bad, I think I airl who killed herself at Kyoto in May, 1891, for loyalty's sake The fact is full of wonderfula national senti drawers, and causing ed colour,--from blue to brown, like my own; but his hair remains chestnut His upper teeth are well out, and everybody wonders how strong he is He has one japanese virtue: he does not cry, and keeps his self-control even when hurt I hope he will keep all these traits My whole anxiety is now about him: I must send him, or, if possible, take hiood head That will be expensive But I hope to do it I do not think a father should leave his son alone in a foreign school, if it can be helped: he ought to be always near him, until manhood And Setsu would feel at hoh to bear the life until Kazuo could get through a course or two

The foreign community sorrows about the war,--naturally Business is paralyzed Every one feels the japanese in the fights But in the war? Thatto do what the richest country in Europe fears to do--because it costs so ht China And some of the Izumo boys are out there in the rice-fields of Choson I trust they will pass safely through all perils

Please send me any news of them you can

LAFCADIO HEARN

TO ELLWOOD HENDRICK

MATSUE, Septeo to Ahtht, especially in the time of earthquakes Of London I should be reat cities I do not think a literary man can write any literature Certainly not if he has to stay in the heart of the clockwork Society withers him up--unless he have been born into the manner of it; and the complexities of the vast life about hiood romance about Wall Street,--so written that the public could understand it! There is, of course, a tremendous romance there; but only a financier can really know the e is technical But what can the mere litterateur do, walled up to heaven in a world of mathematical mystery and machinery! Your own city of Albany is a paradise compared to the metropolis: you are really very fortunate--very, very happy to be able to live at hoood estive,--but touching eternal truths in his essays on conduct, behaviour, etc; and there is Spencer, who traces back the history of nearly all good ery and perpetual war (You know about the origin of the bow, of our forms of address, and of the forest and develops most elaborately under militant conditions, and diminishes in exact proportion as militancy decreases That there should be less politeness in America than in other countries, and less in the Northern States than in the Southern, ht be expected This was true as to both conditions: it is now true probably only as to the first With the growth of industrialishts before the law,--the abolition of class distinctions,--fine manners vanish more or less Nevertheless I fancy that under all the Ahness and lack of delicacy, or of that politeness whichup a vast, deep feeling of huenuine kindliness, which may show itself later under stabler conditions All now is unsettled It is said that nearly all our _formal_ politeness must eventually disappear under conditions of industrialisreeable,--kindly consideration, and natural desire to please But that will be in ages and ages only after we are dead Therefirst,--of cruelty in competition, and this cannot happen until with intellectual expansion, population ceases to so increase as to enforce co to what you said about trusts) see Slavery” Monopolies and trusts row and multiply,--must eventually tend to coalesce,--must ultimately hold all Bellamy's ideas will be partly carried out, but in no paradisaical manner The State itself will become the one monstrous trust Socialisainst its own ends unconsciously The edifice is even now being reared in which every man will be a veritable slave to the State,--the State itself a universal ulated to infinitesi population of the whole West find themselves situated just as men in factories or on railroads are situated The trust will be nominally for the universal benefit, and must for a time so seem to be But just so surely as hu class eventually exploit the wonderful situation,--just as some Roman rulers exploited the world assuredly anarchy will eventuate; but first,--in spite of all that human wisdom can do,--nations will pass under the most fearful tyranny ever known And perhaps centuries of persistent effort will scarcely suffice to burst the fetters which Socialism now seeks to ihtfully perfect, too harmonious in operation, too absolutely exact and of one piece,--to be easily attacked As well try with naked hands to pierce the side of an iron-clad The law, the police, the ious influence, com to preserve the fore, were then sheer madness

And even the power to flee away out of the land, to dwell aht be denied Liberty of opinion, which we all boast of noould be then less possible than in the time of the sway of Torquemada

You have heard of the japanese facile victories by land and sea I should not be surprised to hear of their winning every engage Pekin But what the end will be for the country, who can say? The whole thing is the last huge effort of the race for national independence Under the steady torturing pressure of our industrial civilization,--being robbed every year by unjust treaties,--japan has deter her old teacher, China At the saland such revision of the treaty as would not only protect her against the danger of large fresh invest existing capital away I cannot think that the United States will be short-sighted enough to grant the sah the country is to be opened to foreign settlelishman can hold land except on lease; and the lease, by japanese law, expires with the death of the lessor So that if I build a stone house, and my landlord die in twenty years after, I must be at the mercy of his heir, or carry away ly business, this war It may leave japan absolutely independent, as in the days of Ieyasu But will that be best for her?

I aood The upper classes are beco corrupt The old courtesy, the old faith, the old kindness are vanishi+ng like snow in sun