3 182202465 1721 s$J%*mf- m^W Jfe*'^^*^ *'* WWW;: -'W - Library

THE
CHAPTER XXVII.
BLACK CLOUDS BEFORE THE TEMPEST.
first act of Matsudaira was to establish at
Kyoto an office, or protectorate, over which
the daimio of Aidzu was appointed head. In old
Japanese politics, the master-move in every game
was to hold possession of the Mikado, and to protect
the court and palace from those who would use his
person and name to enforce their views or will. The
emperor, as representative of the gods who made
Japan, being the fountain of all law and authority,
all who obey the commands issued in his name
are " loyal ; " all who disobey him are
chotgki, rebels
or traitors. The two names might be applied to
the same man or party, according as he or it possessed,
or were driven away from, the imperial palace.
Matsudaira's first care was that the Mikado
should be guarded in the interests of law and order,
and that neither ronins nor the combination of a
few ambitious clans should seize the imperial person
and government.
The next reform and far-reaching stroke of policy
carried out by Matsudaira was the abolition of the
custom of requiring all the daimios and hatamoto,
or flag-supporters
of the Tycoon, to live every
alternate
year in Yedo. Hitherto the wives and chil-