in shaping the mind of young Japan, gave a deathblow to the old ideas
of despotic government, and of the blind obedience of the people, when
he declared that _government exists for the people and not the people
for the government_, that the government officials are the servants of
the people, and the people their employer. He also struck a heavy blow
at the arrogance and extreme love of military glory of the Samurai
class, with whom to die for the cause of his sovereign, whatever that
cause might be, was the highest act of patriotism, by advocating that
"Death is a democrat, and that the Samurai who died fighting for his
country, and the servant who was slain while caught stealing from his
master, were alike dead and useless."

In a letter to one of his disciples, Mr. Fukuzawa said: "The liberty
of which I have spoken is of such great importance that everything
should be done to secure its blessings in the family and in the
nation, without any respect to persons. When every individual, every
family and every province shall obtain this liberty, then, and not
till then, can we expect to witness the true independence of the
nation; then the military, the farming, the mechanical, and mercantile
classes will not live in hostility to each other; then peace will
reign throughout the land, and all men will be respected according to
their conduct and real character."[6]

The extent of the influence exercised with pen and tongue by these
teachers upon the nation showed that the reign of sword and brutal
force was over and the day of peace and reason had dawned. The
press has at last become a power. The increase during that period of
publications, both original and translations, and of newspapers,
both in their number and circulation, is marvellous. To give an
illustration, the number of newspapers transmitted in the mails