Where everything is changing, the temper of the people has undergone a change.  They have become restless as the sea and fickle as a weather-vane, The friends of yesterday are the enemies of to-day; and a slight or petty annoyance is enough to make them transfer man or country from one to the other category.  Murderous outbreaks, rare in the past, have now become alarmingly frequent, so much so that the last year might be described as a year of anti-foreign riots.  The past nine months have witnessed four such outbreaks, In four widely separated provinces, venting their fury pretty impartially on people of four nationalities and of all professions, they were actuated by a [Page 245] common hate and indicated a common purpose.  That purpose—­if they had a purpose—­was to compel a readjustment of treaty relations.

America has the distinction of being the target for the first assaults.  In treating the subject I accordingly begin with America and the boycott, as set forth in a long extract from an address before the Publishers’ League of New York, November 8, 1905, on

AMERICAN INFLUENCE IN THE FAR EAST

“Mr. President and Gentlemen: 

“If I were asked to find a pou sto, a fulcrum, on which to erect a machine to move the world, I should choose this league of publishers; and the machine would be no other than the power press!  I have accepted your invitation not merely from pleasant recollections of your former hospitality, but because new occurrences have taken place which appeal to the patriotism of every good citizen.  They are issues that rise above party; they involve our national character and the well-being of another people whom we owe the sacred duties of justice and humanity.

“When I agreed to speak to you of American influence in the Far East, I was not aware that we should have with us a representative of Japan, and I expected to spread myself thinly over two empires.  Happy I am to resign one of these empires to Mr. Stevens.

“I shall accordingly say no more about Japan than to advert to the fact that the wise forbearance of Commodore Perry, which, in 1854, induced the Shogun to open his ports without firing a gun, has won the gratitude of the Japanese people; so that in many ways they testify a preference for us and our country.  For instance, they call the English language ‘Americano,’ etc.  They were disappointed that their claims against Russia were not backed up by the United States.  That, however, caused only a momentary cloud.  Beyond this, nothing has ever occurred to mar the harmony of the two peoples who [Page 246] face each other on the shores of the Pacific.  Perry’s wise initiative was followed by the equal wisdom of Townsend Harris, who, before any other consul or minister had arrived, was invited to Yedda to give advice to the government of the Shogun.

“American influence thus inaugurated has been fostered by a noble army of ministers, consuls, and missionaries.  The total absence of massacres and murders[*] makes the history of our intercourse with Japan tame in contrast with the tragic story from China.  It speaks the reign of law.