72 明治天皇
（前略）
和歌の道に御精進あらせられた事は、誰知らぬ者もありませんが、安政四年に六歳で
およみになりました御歌が伝えられています。
月見れば 雁が飛んでゐる
水の中にも うつるなりけり
まことに楽しいお歌ではありませんか。そしてやがて世にも尊い名歌を数多くよませ
給うたのですが、御一代の御製、すべて九万三千三十二首、まさに空前でありましょう
。その中に、
手習を ものうきことに 思ひつる
をさな心を いま悔ゆるかな
竹馬に 心ののりて 手習に
おこたりしよを いまおもふかな
と云う御歌があって、御製は実感からおよみになったものだと云う事が、よく分かりま
す。
をさなくて よみにし書を 見るたびに
教へし人を おもひいでつつ
（中略）
集まると 見れば離るる 大空の
雲にも似たる ひとごころかな
（中略）
動きなき 神路の山に 万代を
民とともにも われはいのらむ
（中略）
かようにして明治二十二年二月十一日、紀元節の日を以て、帝国憲法は発布せられた
のであります。それは七章に分かれていますが、ここには第一章「天皇」のうち、いく
つかの条を掲げましょう。
第一条 大日本帝国ハ万世一系ノ天皇之ヲ統治ス
第二条 皇位ハ皇室典範ノ定ムル所ニ依リ皇男子孫之ヲ継承ス
第三条 天皇ハ神聖ニシテ侵スヘカラス
第四条 天皇ハ国ノ元首ニシテ統治権ヲ総攬シ此ノ憲法ノ条規ニ依リ之ヲ行フ
第五条 天皇ハ帝国議会ノ協賛ヲ以テ立法権ヲ行フ
第六条 天皇ハ法律ヲ裁可シ其ノ公布及執行ヲ命ス
第十一条 天皇ハ陸海軍ヲ統帥ス
第十三条 天皇ハ戦ヲ宣シ和ヲ講シ及諸般ノ条約ヲ締結ス
第十五条 天皇ハ爵位勲章及其ノ他ノ栄典ヲ授与ス
第二章は臣民権利義務、第三章は帝国議会、第四章は国務大臣及数蜜顧問、第五章は
司法、第六章は会計、そして第七章は補則であります。
（中略）
憲法は発布せられ、あくる明治二十三年七月第一回衆議院総選挙は行われ、その十一
月に第一回帝国議会は開かれました。然しここに問題がありますのは、道徳の衰えであ
ります。維新以来、旧来の陋習を破り、西洋の文物を採り入れるに熱中して、すでに二
十余年を経、我が国固有の教えは棄ててかえりみられず、新奇を求め、功利をあせり、
自分の権利ばかり主張する風が盛んとなってきていました。天皇は、明治十九年の十月
、帝国大学に行幸し給い、洋学の進歩に反して、和漢修身の学、見るに足るものの無い
のをお歎きになり、之を総長に御下問になり、その結果、大学は二十二年に国史学科を
置く事になりました。
かような事もあって、天皇は、国民道徳の振興の為に、勅語の御下賜をお考えになり
、明治二十三年十月三十日、之を発布せられました。教育勅語と呼ばれるものが、それ
であります。
別掲「教育勅語（Know ye, Our subjects）」参照
天皇はこの日、総理大臣山県有朋と、文部大臣芳川顕正とを宮中へお召しになり、親
しく勅語をお授けになりましたが、勅語には大臣の副書はありません。つまりこの勅語
は大臣を抜きにして、天皇が直接に臣民にお呼びかけになりましたのであります。
かように憲法によって国家の大本を確定し、勅語によって国民の精神を指導せられま
したので、人々は向かうべき方向を明らかにして、日夜努力、天皇の思し召しにそい奉
る事を期しました。西郷･大久保相ついで倒され、木戸･岩倉また前後して病没し、維新
の元勲を失った朝廷は、稍寂しい感じになりましたが、その代わりに今や、明治天皇直
々の御統率によって、全国民一致団結、いかなる困難をも克服する体制になってきたの
でした。
人もわれも 道を守りて かはらずば
この敷島の 国はうごかじ
ちはやぶる 神の御代より ひとすぢの
道をふむこそ うれしかりけれ
国民は ひとつ心に まもりけり
遠つみおやの 神のをしへを
いずれも明治天皇の御歌であります。
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72 Emperor Meiji
(an omission)
Everyone understood that the Emperor Meiji would seriously study waka
(Japanese poetry). This poem from when the Emperor was five has come down to
us:
As I look at the moon,
wild geese fly by.
This is reflected
also
in the water.
Is this not a pleasant poem ? He also wrote many poems that were highly
regarded by the public. Over the course of his reign, he wrote an unprecedented
93,312 (or 93,032) poems. One can understand his true feelings from reading
the following examples.
One now repents,
the childish heart
that thought
writing practice
to be boring.
Now think back
to when
I neglected writing practice,
preferring instead my stilts.
(an omission)
When I see the things
I used to read
when I was young,
I recall
the person who taught me.
Are people's hearts
like clouds in the sky,
which come together
and then part
as I watch them ?
(an omission)
On the mountain
of the Path of the Gods
even along with my people
shall I pray,
unmoving.
(an omission)
On the historical 11th day of the 2nd month of the 22nd year (1889), the new
Imperial constitution was formally promulgated. It consisted of seven chapters.
Let us take a look at several of the articles under Chapter One, "The Emperor."
Article 1. The Empire of Japan shall be reigned over and governed by a line of
Emperors unbroken for ages eternal.
Article 2. The Imperial Throne shall be succeeded to by Imperial male
descendants, according to the provisions of the Imperial House Law.
Article 3. The Emperor is sacred and inviolable.
Article 4. The Emperor is the head of the Empire, combining in Himself the
rights of sovereignty, and exercises them, according to the provisions of the
present Constitution.
Article 5. The Emperor exercises the legislative power with the consent of the
Imperial Diet.
Article 6. The Emperor gives sanction to laws, and orders them to be
promulgated and executed.
Article 11. The Emperor has the supreme command of the Army and Navy.
Article 13. The Emperor declares war, makes peace, and concludes treaties.
Article 15. The Emperor confers titles of nobility, rank, orders and other and
marks of honor.
Chapter Two was on the "Rirgts and Duties of Subjects," Chapter Three was "The
Imperial Diet," Capter Four was "The Ministers of State and the Privy
Council," Chapter Five was "The Judicature," Chapter Six was "Finance," and
finally, Chapter Seven was "Supplementary Rules."
(an omission)
A year after the promulgation of the constitution, in the 7th month of the
23rd year of Meiji (1890), the first elections were held for the new Imperial
Diet. In the 11th month, the Diet convened its first session.
The problem, however, was the slide in public morals.
Since the Restoration, the old abuses of the shohunate had been done away
with, but Western civilization was being adopted with a vengeance. Twenty-one
years had passed since the Westerners came, and the teaching of unique ways of
Japan had been discarded without looking back. More and more, people sought new
ways, hastened of the toward the practical, thought only of their own rights.
In the 10th month 19th year of Meiji (1886), the Emperor instituted the
Imperial universities. To counter the advance of Western leaning, lamenting
that there was none sufficient in the study of Chinese and Japanese ethics, he
consulted with the president of the university. The result was the institution
of a faculty of Japanese history in the 22nd year of Meiji (1889).
In addition, he decided to issue an Imperial rescript to promote the morality
of the public at large. It was issued on the 30th day of the 10th month of the
23rd year of Meiji (1890), and was called the Imperial Rescript on Education.
This is wtat it said:
(See "Know ye, Our subjects" above.)
On that day, the Emperor summoned the prime minister, Yamagata Aritomo, and the
minister of education, Yoshikawa Akimasa, to the Imperial palace and gave them
the rescript. Their signatures do not appear on it as countersignatures,
however. In other words, this rescript was the Emperor speaking directly to his
subjects, without the involvement of the ministers of state.
Thus with the constitution was the foundation of the state decided, and with
the rescript the spirit of the people given direction. The way people should go
was clearly shown to them and they relied on constant effort to behave as the
Emperor hoped. Saigou and Ohkubo had already fallen, and Kido and Iwakura in
turn died of illness. The Court, having lost the elder statemen of the
Restoration, was becoming a lonely place; but in their stead, through direct
command Emperor Meiji had bound all the people into one. It had become a system to
calm anything no matter how unsettling. This is one of Emperor Meiji's poems:
This nation
of Yamato
will not be moved
If I and others continue
to protect the Way.
I was gladdened,
single-mindedly
following the Way
from
the age of the gods.
As with one heart,
the people kept it -
the teaching
of the gods
of my distant fathers.
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少年日本史 (平泉澄)
The story of Japan （Hiraizumi Kiyoshi)
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