OF THE HUMAN FAMILY. 429 



The political or class divisions of the people are more difficult to be understood. 

 They have, in vigorous development, those cunningly devised gradations of rank 

 which spring up in the transition period from barbarism to civilization, and which 

 the privileged classes are certain to perpetuate long after the absurdity as well as 

 criminal injustice of legalized rank is perfectly understood by all classes. The 

 entire scheme of hereditary rank and titles, having its roots in barbarism, is still 

 essentially a barbarous institution, violative of the brotherhood which should 

 unite the people of the same immediate lineage. - The privileged classes in Japan 

 whose mastery over the people is complete, illustrate in a striking manner the 

 injurious operations of the principle. 



With respect to the civil head of the Japanese empire the common opinion that 

 it is under the joint sway of a spiritual and a temporal emperor does not appear 

 to be correct. The Japanese regard the Me-ka'-do as the true emperor and 

 supreme ruler of Japan, and the Ty'-koon as his prime minister or vicegerent. 

 Man-kl-cM, illustrated to the writer their relative positions by that of a merchant 

 and his chief clerk. Notwithstanding the fact that the people regard the Ty'-koon 

 as the subordinate of the Me-ka'-do, he has the substance of power, and for most 

 practical purposes is the emperor. For several generations the office has been 

 hereditary in the same family. He resides in the chief city of the empire, whilst 

 the Me-ka'-do lives at Ke-o'-to, some three hundred miles distant. The former levies 

 and collects taxes, commands and supports the military forces, and appoints and 

 controls all the subordinate officers of the empire. In all these particulars he 

 appears to be left substantially to his own direction. He is bound, however, to 

 obey the requisitions of the Me-ka'-do in every particular, as Man-ki-clii affirms. 

 The treaty with the United States was negotiated by the Ty'-koon, but it was also 

 signed, I am told, by the Me-ka'-do, who was waited upon by the Ty'-koon and his 

 ministers, to solicit his signature, which he was reluctant to give, and also professed 

 their readiness to commit hari-kari if he so directed. The position of the Ty'-koon 

 appears to be analogous to that of the Mayor of the Palace, in the early days of 

 the French monarchy. 



The remaining orders of nobility and gradations of the people are, 1. The Koo'-gih 

 class. Of their numbers, privileges, and position I could obtain no satisfactory in- 

 formation, except that they are higher in rank than the princes. 2. Koke'-she Di'- 

 me-o class, or the Eighteen Princes. These Dimeos are under the Ty'-koon, and 

 are the persons to whom the great districts or provinces of the empire are farmed 

 out for the letting of the land and the collection of the taxes. They receive their 

 titles from the Me-ka'-do, but whether it is hereditary in their families I did not 

 ascertain. They are called the Koke'-slve Dimeos, to distinguish them from an 

 inferior class of princes. 3. Di'-me-o class. Of these princes, called Dimeos 1 

 simply, there are several thousand. 4. Ha' -tii-mo' -to class. These are the officers 

 of the Tt/'-koon in the various departments of the public service. They are of the 



1 In the Japanese language there is no plural for words signifying objects or things. To such 

 words the number is prefixed. For persons, it is made by adding do' -mo, e. g. O-to'-ko, a man ; 

 O-to'-ko do'-mo, men. 



