Just a century ago, in 1843, Ralph Waldo Emerson read for the first time a complete translation of “The Four Books” of the Chinese classics, copying many sentences from them in his “Journals.” Many of these quota-tions reappear in his later “Works”—and almost every volume contained one or two illustrative sayings taken from the Chinese classics. The greater part of these entries in his journals are in an appreciative tone, and his quotations from them in the “Essays” are mostly used to confirm his own beliefs.

It is easy to follow some of the popular misconceptions current in certain quarters of the western public and say or write something in the nature of the following:

In practice … the law is never invoked, and not being called upon to act, the officials take no steps, even when the facts are well known, the subject of gossip on all sides, and the offender and his would-be bride living at hand within easy reach. No one wants the law and its officers poking their noses into private business. … If manslaughter was done, a reluctant government would be forced to take action, but it is fairly plain that no one expects this to happen. Thus in civil disputes, and even in criminal cases where the motive is not robbery or banditry, the government remains passive and the law is allowed to slumber. The Chinese government, whatever the theory of the reformers, is in practice still actuated by the Taoist principle of “non-action,” preferring to leave the people to govern themselves which they do very well, and which is all they ask.

One would hardly expect extreme political theories like anarchism to be popular in Japan, where there is a strong tradition of obedience to political authority, and where those in control of the government do not hesitate to use police power to check what they consider to be “dangerous thoughts.” In fact had it not been for the famous Taigyaku Jiken or the high treason incident in 1910, anarchism might have been relegated to obscurity, having made but an imperceptible ripple in die course of Japanese thought. As a result of this incident, however, there are probably not many among the older generation in Japan today who have not heard about Kōtoku Shūsui, the leader.

The night of the fifth had been decided on for another large-scale attempt to climb the wall. On account of the previous attempt at scaling the wall, the ladders of the peasant families in the vicinity of Nan-hu had already been requisitioned to the point where none was left; and an even greater number would be required for this attempt. Moreover, from our experience on the previous occasion, when because of going late we had incurred defeat, this time it was imperative that we commence operations sooner. Consequently, as early as the afternoon of the fourth we sent men to the vicinity of Hsien-ning to requisition ladders. Management of this business was as before in the hands of the General Political Department. Already on the morning of the fifth ladders were streaming in and being heaped up in the south drill ground, and again everyone gave himself over to tying them together. The tied ones were then carried outside the college gate and piled up.