Another said: “To prohibit it would be to remove one of the pillars of the Constitution.” One patriot declared that “It is an ornament to our country, and is one reason of its superiority over the countries beyond the seas.” “We ought to maintain a custom which fosters a sense of shame in the military caste and in the existence of which doubtless consists the superiority of Japan over other countries.” “Why should this custom be prohibited in imitation of the effeminacy of foreign nations?” “In this Country of the Gods it is not necessary to discuss such a law.” Again, “The _seppuku_ has its origin in the vital energy of this divine country and is the shrine of the Yamato Damashii. Its practice should be extended.” “The reason why _seppuku_ is practised in this Empire and not in foreign countries is because this Empire is an Empire.” It would be tedious to multiply instances of utterances of this class. They show the still prevalent belief in the divine superiority of the speakers’ country and the deeply-rooted veneration for what in their eyes was an act of heroism when voluntary, of privilege when enforced. When the question was put to the vote only three men voted for abolition; two hundred against; no vote, six. Of what were looked upon as the recreant three, one man was said—with what truth I know not, but it was widely believed—to have been murdered shortly afterwards as the reward of his vote. In the debate on the question of making it optional to wear two swords there was even less discussion. The proposal was negatived unanimously. Here, again, some of the speeches were instructive. One gentleman, Sonoda Tamatsu, said: “It is a good maxim for the soldier in peace time never to forget war. What shall we say of a measure that asks us, even in the midst of civil disorder, to forget the existence of civil disorder? What, I ask, is the character of the times in which we live? The object of the soldier caste wearing two swords is that they may suppress war by war; but as the chief glory of the sword consists in its resting quietly in its sheath, it follows that a natural stimulus is given to letters,” etc. So the motion was lost, but a year or two later the Government, finding it impossible to check the old broils and troubles which became so dangerous when hot-headed men were armed with deadly weapons, passed a law making the wearing of swords illegal. The famous old saying of Iyéyasu, “The girded sword is the living soul of the Samurai,” has become a dead letter. The sword is laid upon the sword-rack on the _tokonoma_ (raised dais), an heirloom and object of reverence, but the Japanese gentleman goes forth unarmed, and there is peace in the land. CHAPTER XXVI JAPAN. THE RECEPTION OF THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH