THROUGH ALMOND EYES

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 9, 1877

THROUGH ALMOND EYES.

American Manners and Morals as Seen by a Japanese.

Extract from “Moral Reflections by a Japanese Traveler.”—A Glance at Christian Doctrine and Practice.

The following article from the North American Review purports to be a view of American customs and American manners and morality by a Japanese traveler. If the Japanese, who are considered as heathens, and to whom missionaries are sent, can thus accurately weigh the apparent workings of the professed Christianity of this country and find it so sadly wanting in so many particulars, what is the prospect of bringing them to a profession of it? Or in what respect would they be made better if they should embrace it? But even if the article is suppositions, the truths it states are so notorious and palpable that the professed Christians of our time should hide their faces with shame, as they look into this mirror:—

The American people have been so very kind in receiving my political reflections, that I take the great liberty of writing again my observations and feelings about their country. I would not, however, do this without having been asked, because to offer opinions too freely often gives offense when it is not intended. So I wish clearly to explain that what I write now is in consequence of urgent request, and is not my own proposal. No doubt many will laugh at my opinions this time, just as they laughed at my political reflections, but I cannot understand why they laugh. I read Senator Morton’s paper on American Constitution. He said almost exactly the same things I did. This astonished me very much and it also satisfied me, because I found this very clever Senator agrees so closely with me. But I observe newspapers did not laugh at him; then I thought, if I had signed his paper and he had signed mine, they would have laughed at his paper, and approved mine. American people look too much at names. They think, when a paper is signed by great name, they must approve, never mind what is in the paper; if foreigner or unknown man signs, then they don’t approve—or pass by silently.

I observe in every country there is different kind of morality, different kind of vice. Although all the countries may be Christian, still vices in Catholic countries differ from vices in Protestant countries; vices in old countries differ from vices in new countries, vices in countries where church is paid by the Government, differ from vices in countries where churches are not paid by the Government, vices in countries where there is rich and idle aristocratic class, differ from vices in countries where everybody is equal and everybody is busy making money. As I am writing for Americans, I will leave all these other countries out of the question, and describe the vices which I observe in a new country which is chiefly Protestant, where the churches are not paid by the Government, where everybody is equal, according to the Constitution, and all are busy making money.

I will not say anything about their virtues, not because they have not got any; indeed, they have most excellent virtues and high qualities, but it is not necessary for me to tell them. They describe them very fully themselves, both in conversation and newspapers, therefore there would be nothing new in this; but their vices are not so often described, except sometimes with bitterness. But I will describe them with great affection, because I have received so much kindness from American people. In the first place, Americans, quite naturally, like all other Christians, think their religion best in the world, therefore they must try and make other nations adopt it; for that reason they send missionaries to Japan. If missionaries could come alone, without sailors or merchants, I think they might do some good. Generally, they are very good men, though missionaries of different Christian sects quarrel among themselves more than any other people; still, individually, they try to set a good example, only their religion does not prevent them from hating each other when they do not agree on religious subjects.

I have examined into religious matter a good deal, and I find no religion where difference is so great between what religion teaches, and what the people practice as in Christian religion. Mahometan religion does not teach such high and pure morality as Christianity, but Mahometans practice their religion much more closely. They are never ashamed to pray, even when they are alone among strangers; they perform all observances very faithfully. They do not depart from teaching in order to make money, therefore they cannot make it when they are near Christians, because when Christians (so-called) want to make money, they do not care much what their Bible teaches, but Mahometan cares what Koran teaches. Bible says, it is not good to lend money on usury, but Christians always charge interest. Koran says same thing, therefore among themselves Mahometans do not charge it, and so in many other cases Mahometans obey Koran, but Christians do not obey Bible. Therefore, Christians (so called) advance rapidly in material progress, because they sacrifice their religion to this kind of progress. Therefore, they quickly become highly civilized, but Mahometans will not sacrifice their religion, therefore they remain, like early Christians who had all things in common, rather barbarous.

I have not been in India, therefore I cannot tell about Hindoo religion, but there is one thing I remark which is very important. From all I can learn, neither Mahometan, nor Buddhist, nor Hindoo says, if you do not believe my religion you will be burnt to all eternity in hell fire with brimstone. Only Christian says this. For this reason many Japanese refuse, the moment they hear this, to become Christian. Suppose Japanese woman wants to become Christian, and her husband, and brothers, and sisters, and children refuse, then she says, “How can I become Christian and all my family go to hell fire for eternity? Better for me also to go to hell fire with them.” * All kinds of cheating and fraud have now been taught by Christians to Japanese, of which they were quite ignorant twenty years ago.

When I try to compare the small number of new virtues they have learned since that time, by observing the practice of Christians, with the large number of new vices they have learned from them, I am quite pained and distressed for my dear country to think of it. People who know how to make money by trying to get it from each other they call civilized people; people who have not learned all the tricks by which money can be made out of each other they call uncivilized people. After much consideration of this subject, I can find no other distinction but this. I think quite differently. Civilization consists in people being pure and good in their lives, not in being rich and smart in their business. In what Buddhist or Mahometan city would such corrupt government be possible as existed in New York during time of Tweed? I can tell people of New York who laugh at seppukku and despise heathens, that such robbery and fraudulent government would be quite impossible in Japan. *

It is not yet possible for any Japanese city to be governed by a man who is known to be bad and dishonest. When I read your newspapers, it does not seem possible for your cities, and even your States, to be governed by any other kind. Take, for instance, what has been said of Governor Packard, and, before him, of Governor Kellogg in Louisiana. I do not know whether it is true or not, but in uncivilized country I come from, such men could not be accused of such things and live. Either they must prove that they are not true, and then people accusing them must be punished, or else, if they are true, they would be punished themselves.

When I read newspapers, I feel sure it would not improve Japan to have civilized and Christian journalism introduced into that country, though, unhappily, some Japanese are trying to imitate this also. If newspapers were written to make politicians forgive each other and love each other, then, perhaps, they might do some good, but Christian newspapers only make people more angry with each other, and therefore more unchristian. Same thing with religious newspapers. Only they do not abuse politicians so much as they abuse each other. What is the use of churches and clergymen, if they do not preach against such bad things? Best men in this country say that they cannot be politicians, because politicians generally dishonest, or else suspected of being dishonest, and nearly always called dishonest, and because

to succeed, it is necessary “to go through so much dirt”; therefore they say, “we are obliged to leave to more mean kind of men to be politicians and to rule over us, and spend the revenue of the nation for us, and represent our interest in foreign countries; but we think you Japanese are still quite barbarous, because you have different kind of government, which obliges you to choose more high and pure kind of men; therefore we recommend you to become more advanced and civilized like we are.” I observe very curious things. Perhaps, in politics or in commerce, a man is attacked this way in the newspapers, may be rightly, may be wrongly; if he is candidate for some high office, almost always he is accused of stealing money, or if he makes money very quickly in Wall street, also others who lose their money accuse him of stealing it—quite openly they accuse him in newspapers, like they accuse Mr. Tilden, or like they accuse Mr. Gould.

Then very often these same men profess to be very religious men; they buy very expensive pews in churches, and give a great deal of money to keep up clergymen and Sunday schools. Immediately, when they are so publicly accused of stealing, quite naturally clergymen should ask, “Is this true? At once you must prove to me this is not true, or otherwise I will turn you out of my church, and throw back your money to you, and sell your pew to some honest man.” I have asked great deal about this, but never have I heard of clergyman who did this thing. Only sometimes if a man is very poor and cheats, then they do it, but if he is very rich they take his money. They do not inquire how he made it. *

Bible is strongly opposed to all money-making for any kind of people. I think one of great beauties in Christian teaching is constant attack upon rich people and love of money. It says, “Love of money root of all evil”; “Haste not to be rich.” Then, money-changers were scourged out of temple for buying and selling inside, and rich young man was told he must give up all he had and give to the poor. Indeed, that teaching is most beautiful. When I first read all that, certainly I thought I must become Christian. Even now I believe thoroughly all this teaching, but to practice it I must go back to Japan. There a man could still live in daily life this teaching; here it would not be possible. Certainly he would starve immediately. It seems to me that in Christian countries everything is done exactly opposite to Christian teaching, so high, and pure, and noble, and self-sacrificing—but quite openly everything is done exactly on opposite principle. Then I say, why do you profess so much and do so little? This is most bad of all vices to be hypocrite, because man who is hypocrite lives constant lie. All the time he is pretending to be one thing, and is actually entirely different. Many men who have been considered most religious and ceremonious of men in church matters, get exposed in the newspapers, and then we find all the time that they have been practicing most wicked things.

If Christians would obey teaching of Confucius closely, even then, they would be better than they are, and it is because we try to follow his teaching, we have morality quite as good as morality in Christian countries. And this is not because Christian teaching is not high and beautiful, but because Christians laugh at their own teaching, therefore we cannot respect them, and we feel that they have no right to call us barbarous and uncivilized, until they try to follow their moral teaching, at least as well as we follow ours. *

When Japanese first came in contact with Western countries, immediately we began to have financial affairs with them. Then at once we found ourselves badly

cheated. First, came currency question in Japan, when all the merchants applied under all kinds of different names, not their own, for silver, so as to escape the rule of the Treaty. After losing great deal of money, we finally got that settled; then Americans sold Japanese Government bad steamers for great deal more than they were worth, and again we were cheated. Then people came from England to persuade Japanese Government to make a large loan; then we did not understand foreign principle of emitting loan, and again in London we were cheated. Finally, I determined to study financial matters myself, first in London, then in New York. Then I found financial men in London cheat on different system from New York. I don’t know which cheat worse.

I thought it must be duty of every clergyman, before he takes money from so-called pious financial man, to ask, first, this important question, “Are you in any Ring?” As I was studying moral question, immediately when I thought this, I called on a clergyman, rather celebrated man, and I asked him, “Do you always ask this question?” Then he got rather angry. He said, not possible to ask such questions, financial man would immediately answer, “Mind your own business!” Therefore, he could not ask. Then I replied, in the words of Confucius, what was duty of moral teacher like him; because Confucius explains very fully on this point. He says superior man must “examine very narrowly inferior man who pretends to be superior;” but clergyman immediately answered, “Confucius is only heathen teacher.” Since that time I have not talked with clergymen on religious subjects.

One day I visited a beautiful island in one of the great American Lakes. There I found lovely little island, with beautiful cottage upon it, full of clergymen of all kind of different sects. Then I inquired how so many clergymen of different sects could, nevertheless, be living together peacefully in one house on this beautiful island. Then it was explained to me that they were all invited to come and rest together and recover health there, by a most powerful financial man, who had immense railway plans; then, when his plans failed because from the beginning they were bad and hollow, in all the congregations of these clergymen great many bonds and stocks of this railway plan, which now had no value, were found. Since then, I quite well understand why it is very useful for financial man also to profess to be religious.

The greatest vice I find in America is hypocrisy. Of all vices it is the worst. Then I ask you, my American friends, with great affection, because this is most serious matter, what would your churches live upon, and how long would they last, if there were no longer any hypocrites in this country? Also I hope clergymen also will excuse me, if I ask them especially this same question. Do not think because I ask this question, therefore I am attacking Christian religion. Religion is one thing; churches, another thing quite different. When the great Teacher of Christian religion came, first thing he did was, to attack Jewish church because Jewish church was not following religion, but was full of hypocrisy. Therefore, always he said, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” Very often he repeats this. All great moral teachers feel that most serious danger to real religion is hypocrisy. Therefore, he hated hypocrites most of all. Nevertheless, so-called religious men to-day do almost exactly the same things he blamed in Jews. They “do alms to be seen of men,” they “love to pray in the synagogues,” and “do their works to be seen of men,” and “lay up treasure for themselves on earth;” therefore, he says “Woe unto you that are rich!” For these sayings, “the chief priests and the scribes sought to destroy him.” I almost think again they would do so.

It seems to me when people become immensely rich, then they need not be hypocrites any longer, because in this country money can do anything. I do not think, if a man had five millions of dollars he could be hung in this country, even when murder was quite clearly proved. Somehow he would escape. I think, if he had fifty millions he could elect presidents and everybody he chose; then, of course, no longer any occasion to be a hypocrite.

So, then, I find three great powers in this country: first is money, second is hypocrisy, third is “Rings.” To use American expression, these three powers “run the country.” Only real pure virtue has no power, because almost certainly whoever was strictly superior man, according to Confucius, must seem like a fool to all smart men. He cannot succeed like other men, therefore he must retire.

I could write a great deal more on this subject, but partly I am afraid of saying things that may offend. If I knew English language better, I could write in more flowing kind of style, so I might even tell many true things in a manner that would not seem rather rude. Still, it is not my intention to be rude, only to be quite honest and sincere. *

I have written frankly, because my purpose in writing has been quite pure. Now most earnestly I beseech you to stop making money, because it is not possible to spend your life in becoming rich, and still have time to discover and practice the “way of Heaven.”—North American Review, for July.