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THE LATE PRINCE ITO.
THE ROMANTIC BEGINNINGS. OF A GREAT CAREER.
in the author's own words :-
"
The reference books tell us that the great statesman of Japan whose career has just been so tragically ended was born in Sep. tember, 1841, that he “ escaped to England with Count Inouye in the days of the last Shogun and took part on the Imperial side during the war which led to the Restoration." This brief statement covers a story of the most romantic interest. We are not aware that any adequate biography of the great statesman has ever been written. From time to time Prince Ito has been urged to write an autobiography, but whether we are destined to have that fascinating story from his own pen Time will show. Ito Hirobomi was born of humble "parentage, and the first time we come across his name in the literature which has been written about Japan we are told of his being smuggled on to an English ship in the dead of night to proceed to England with the object of improving his education. This first interest. ing and important incident in his career is fascinatingly told in "Gleanings from Japan, by Dr. W. G. Dickson, and we give the story Upon a fine summer evening in 1862, while residing with a friend in Yokohama under the hospitable roof of Messrs. Jardine, Matheson & Co., I returned home in the evening, and in passing through the little garden looking out to the beautiful bay of Yedo, I observed four young Japanese in European dress standing among the bushes and evidently wishing to avoid observation. I inquired who they were, as at that time four men lurking in a corner of a garden and trying to escape observation implied business of some kind-it might be with their pens, it might be with their swords. To my inquiries I was told that they were four young Samurai whom the Daimio of Choshiu wished to send to England, to finish there the education which had been commenced in their native schools, and who by their energy had shown themselves worthy of being singled out to develop their talents by the study at head-quarters of foreign languages and European arts and sciences-that, in short, they were standing there till a suitable oppor- tunity might occur during the evening of eluding the vigilance of the officers on shore, and the Yakunins on board the steamer, to ship them on board the vessel unseen by any of their countrymen, Knowing the Captain of the vessel, I volunteered to take them off at once in the Captain's gig, manned as it was by Chinese. Getting alongside, I hailed the Captain, and asking him if he could entertain the Yakuning in the cabin for a few minutes, we soon saw the four young men safely stowed away in a cabin out of sight of the officials, who were to leave the vessel for the night in a few hours, These were the forerunners of coming changes, of revolution, of the overthrow of existing institutions, of impoverishment and degrada- tion to some, of wealth and station to others. They were all natives of Nagato, and subjects of the Prince of Choshiu, and at his expense they were sent to England to study and report upon the conditions of European nations, their manners and customs, arts and sciences. It is improbable that in doing this, this poble was aware or had any presentiment that he was paving the way for his own effacement, for the loss of his principality and the power therewith connected, for the overthrow of all existing feudal institutions in Japan, and the demolition of the Scheme of Government set up by the Tokugawa family, through which he was what he was. Though these young men were thus surreptitiously huddled out of the country--and they doubtless felt some humiliation in laying aside the two swords which they were entitled as Samurai to wear and enjoined to respect, and in donning, instead of their own picturesque dress, the hated stiff foreign garb-yet there was some compensa- tion for the step, and its depressing concomi- tants, in the face of their having been selected from among their fellow students on account of the talent they had shown, and the superiority over their compeers of intellect, and aptiness for acquiring and assimilating such pabulum as
&
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men 2.8
was that
Mr. Kido then said that his Government would defray all expenses, to which the Admiral said that that would be all right when Mr. Ito got on board” "
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[October 30, 1909. would be placed before them in a practical had already acquired a knowledge of English) education in Europe. Their subsequent career placed on some British man-of-war on the station. up to this time appears to have justified the A portrait of Ito taken at this time shows him in selection. They are Nomura, Ito, Boonda and black frock coat, white trousers and wearing Inouyay."
white helmet. Heco's acquaintance with English It was this Ito who became the greatest figure naval officers was very limited, but when Admiral in the modern history of Japan, and the names Keppel came into port a few days later, Heco of his comrades in that adventure are also got an introduction to him, and with Kido and on the roll of distinguished Ito went off to see the Admiral. It was ex- inscribed
or three years plained to the Admiral that the Prince of statesmen. Ito spent two
befriended by Mr. Choshiu had ordered several gunboata in England, and was
His from England through an English firm in Matheson, of the "Princely Honse." return was hastened by the rapid develop Nagasaki and that although some of these were ment of the movement aiming at the overthrow to be sent out directly they would be practically of the Shogunate and the restoration of the useless since the Prince had no officers who Mikado to full power and authority as head of knew anything of navigation, and that he (the the State, a movement with which the Choshin Prince of Choshiu) was exceedingly anxious to and Satsuma clans were conspicuously iden- have some of his people placed on an English
Ito on his return, if not before warship. "The Admiral's answer tified. his departure, came under the influence of one it would give him great pleasure to comply Kido, the son of a doctor in the retinue of the with the Prince's request; that Mr. Ito, or Choshiu daimio. Kido was Ito's senior by eleven any other of his officers would be welcome on years. As a young man he was chiefly distin- board any of the vessels on the station, and that guished for his skill in fencing, and established when the Rodney came in he would at once school in Yedo (now Tokyo), where make the necessary arrangements with her fencing and Chinese literature were taught commander.
common combination of studies in Old Japan. While in Yedo, Kido imbibed Im- perialist sentiments and when the American Kido, presumably out of a desire to improve his object of learning navigation. A few days But Ito did not join the Rodney with the Commodore Perry appeared in the Gulf of Yedo Western knowledge, engaged himself as a porter before the Rodney was ready to sail, Kido made to carry about the apparatus, etc., of the survey." an important communication" to Heco. "He ing parties. He became marked by his country said it was the wish of the Mikado's party (z.e. a bitter enemy of the Shogunate the Choshin, Satsuma and Tosa clans) to have régime, and was obliged to hide himself during Ito placed on board an English warship in order the Choshiu campaign of 1864. We find him that he might watch events at Kioto and Osaka at this date in Nagasaki in the company of Ito, from a distance." What Ito learnt of naviga- both representing themselves as Satsuma offi-tion is not related. The crisis had been reached. cials. There was at that time in Nagasaki one The Rodney's voyage to Hiogo took much longer Joseph Heco, a Japanese who some ten or than had been contemplated, for calls were twelve years previously had been rescued in made at many intermediate places in the Inland mid-Pacific by an American vessel, from a Sea. By the time Hiogo was reached the civil derelict junk which had been blown out to sea war had begun. The Shogun had resigned his in a storm. He had been taken to the United post, had first retired to his castle at Osaka, States, and after re-orossing the Pacific to Hong- and subsequently got on board an American kong and Macao, went back to San Francisco, as warship and fled secretly to Yedo. As a conse- he knew that he could not safely return to Japan, quence the Shogun's authorities at Hiogo had where it was still a capital offence for any chartered an American vessel, and, taking with Japanese subject to go to a foreign country. them all the treasure and the official documents, Heco picked up a knowledge of English and had likewise sailed in her for the Toku- became a naturalised American citizen before gawa Capital. Ito, on learning the posture he again crossed the Pacific, and in 1864, as we of affairs, at once landed, and collecting have said, Kido and Ito sought his assistance at a small body of men with flags and lanterns Nagasaki. "They at once," Heco writes in his bearing the party crests, went to the vacant interesting autobiography, "fell to asking me Customs House and Governor's office and took questions about foreign matters-more especially possession of them in the name of the Mikado, about the history of England and America, He thereupon wrote to his friends in Kyoto their institutions, governments and so forth. I informing them of what he had done and re- answered their queries to the best of my ability. questing them to send down troops for the The request was. very protection of the town. The elder (Kido) expressed himself as much interested in the Constitution of the promptly complied with, and at the same United States-he said it was quite new to time came the Imperial Commission appoint- him." It had struck Heco that though both ing Ito Governor of Hiogo with authority As his over certain neighbouring districts. his visitors seemed very pleased with his frank con- versation and became very friendly, yet they were predecessor had left him with not an ounce of not at all inclined to be communicative about treasure, Ito called the bankers together and themselves. He mentioned this to his banto, who arranged with them for a loan upon the security admitted that he recognised Kido as a Choshiu of local taxes, and so was able to carry on the samurai with whom he had on many occasions administration of the district. associated, and when Heco subsequently casually remarked to his visitors that their accent and idiom smacked more of the Inland Sea than of Satsuma, and inquired point-blank ifKido's name was not Katsura, astonishment overspread their faces and then followed smiles and explanations. "We are very unjustly considered and treated as rebels by the Shogun's Government, and on this account we borrow Satsuma's name whenever we come to Nagasaki on business.”
This, then, was Ito's first step on the ladder of fame. While he remained at Hiogo he himself made the arrangements connected with the open- ing of the foreign settlement. Ito, however, was too valuable a man to be kept long in the obscure position of a district Governor. Young though he was, he was chosen as a member of the first was sent t to Eur Executive Council. In 1871 he rope via America with the special embassy with the object of obtaining some revision There is on record a of the Treaties. speech delivered by Ito at San Francisco when passing through which so perfectly conveys the hopes and aspirations of the Government party at that early period of the new régime that it is worth quoting here in full :—
The business which brought them to Na gasaki on this occasion was to seek Heco's assistance in helping the Restoration move ment by explaining to foreigners, the real attitude of the Choshiu Clan, namely, that it was their desire to see the governing power
"This is perhaps a fitting opportunity to give fully restored to the real and legitimate sovereign, the Mikado, and that the Shogun a brief and reliable outline of many improve- should be deprived of the power which his pre- ments introduced into Japan. Few but native decessors had usurped and he himself had Japanese have any correct knowledge of our Our retained. They deemed this essential to the country's internal condition. peace and progress of the Empire, as well as to Mission, under special instructions from His the development of foreign intercourse which it Majesty the Emperor, while seeking to protect was their wish to encourage. A few months the rights and interests of our respective nations later they again visited Nagasaki. In the mean will seek to unite them more closely in the time the Restoration had been making rapid future, convinced that we shall appreciate each
more Civil war was imminent. Kido other progress, wanted Heco's assistance in getting Ito (who better.
when we know each other To-day it is the earnest wish
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