8 
who was of a vigorous temperament, Yamagata had the appearance of delicate 
health. He is a man of great modesty, hiding very great energy under an ex¬ 
terior of timidity. 
“ I am already too old, said he 25 years ago, to learn what you (Col. Lebon) 
are teaching cur young officers. I content myself therefore especially with one 
thing, to know thoroughly the value of each, and to employ him at the post for 
which he is fitted.” 
Is not that three parts of the art of command ? 
Abdication of- the Taicoon. 
We return now to the time when attempts on the lives of Europeans caused 
daily conflicts between their governments and that of the Taicoon. The latter 
found himself daily more and more discredited ; and soon the party of the Prince 
of the South, led by Saigo and his friends, induced the Mikado to summon the 
Taicoon to divest himself of power. 
As was said above the Taicoon abdicated almost at once in February, 1868, 
and the troops of the Princes of the South entered Yedo without encountering 
any serious resistance. The partisans of the Taicoon continued the struggle, 
moving step by step northwards. But the Mikado’s crown was not at stake; it 
was the struggle of two influences. The men of the North, habituated to the 
exercise of power for centuries, could not tamely see it pass into the hands of the 
southern men. 
As for the Taicoon, one of his councillors who was very devoted to him, 
pointed out that he could not survive his fall, and that he must rip himself open. 
Seeing that his prayers were powerless to awake the old sentiment of honour, he 
hoped to convince by force of example. So he assembled his family and with the 
usual ceremonial put an end to his life. But even this argument didn’t convince 
the Taicoon, touching though it were. He preferred to retire to a magnificent 
estate on the border of the sea which the Mikado gave him. After the fall of 
the Taicoon the victorious southern princes had no further interest in fomenting 
conflicts between Japan and foreign powers. But the national sentiment had 
been too much excited to calm itself at once, and further crimes against Euro¬ 
peans were committed, for which the Mikado was now called to account. 
the “ dupleix ” AFFAIR. —In 1869 the steam pinnace of the French corvette 
Dupleix was waiting at a small port of the interior sea for the French minister 
who had gone to confer with the Mikado’s government. The crew of the pinnace 
were walking quietly on the bank, when the Samourais of the Prince of Tosa, 
happening to pass that way, massacred the midshipman in command of the crew 
and ten of the sailors. The Commander Dupetit-Thouars and the French minis¬ 
ter exacted a vivid satisfaction. The Mikado’s government could no longer op¬ 
pose delays or plead want of power like that of the Taicoon. In less than five 
days twenty murderers were arrested and condemned to death,but being Samourais 
they were allowed to choose the death reserved for nobles, the death not infamous 
of the hara-kiri (ripping one’s self open). 
Commander Dupetit-Thouars and part of his crew w T ere present at the execu¬ 
tion which took place in a temple. These hara-kiri are a long and complicated 
ceremonial which may be summed up in a few words : the culprit, having squatted, 
slowly divests himself of his clothes down to his hips; he puts them behind him 
and makes a knot with the sleeves behind the knees. A friend, whom he has 
Chosen, presents to him his short sword ; he carries it respectfully up to his 
forehead, then still with solemn slowness lie thrusts the point into his left side 
and brings it across to the right, giving himself thus a transverse incision. At 
this moment his friend, who has followed all his movements, rises quickly and 
