upreme ruler, administering
as well as governing, was not incompatible with the existence of the
fiefs. But when they examined the problem more closely, they
recognized that a universally operative system of laws, a central
treasury, and the supreme command of the nation's armaments were
essential to the end they had in view, namely, strength derived from
unity. Hitherto, each feudatory had assessed and collected taxes
within his fief according to his own free-will, had exercised the
right of legislation, and had held the command of all troops within
his territories.

The continuance of such conditions would have defeated the purpose of
the reformers. This they recognized. But how were these prescriptive
privileges to be abolished? An Imperial mandate might indeed have
been issued, but even an Imperial mandate without the means of
enforcing it would probably have proved futile. In fact, compulsion
in any form could not be employed: the only resource was persuasion.
The feudatories of Satsuma, Choshu, Tosa, and Hizen were the four
most puissant in the empire. They were persuaded to surrender their
fiefs to the Throne and to ask for reorganization under a uniform
system of law. This example found many imitators. Out of the whole
276 feudatories only seventeen failed to make a similar surrender. It
was a wonderful display of patriotic altruism in the case of some, at
any rate, of the daimyo. But, at the same time, many undoubtedly
obeyed the suggestions of their chief vassals without fully
appreciating the cost of obedience. It had long been their habit to
abandon the management of their affairs to seneschals (karo), and
they followed the custom on this occasion without profound
reflection.

With the samurai at large, however, the case was different. For them,
the preservation of the fief had always been the prime object of
interest and fealty. To uphold it concerned their honour; to preserve
it, their means of livelihood. Nothing could have been more
remarkable than that these men should have quietly acquiesced in the
surrender of legislative and financial autonomy by their chiefs. The
most credible explanation is that on this great occasion the samurai
obeyed their habitual custom of associating some form of
self-immolation with every signal deed.

THE NEW ORGANIZATION

The total abolition of feudalism may be said to have now come in
sight, but the leading progressists adopted all precautions to
consummate their p