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316 HONDA THE SAMUBAI.
and then of society, so that any reform in their
behalf was a blow to Buddhism, and hence was
opposed by the priests.
In the cautious discussions of political affairs, it
was generally agreed by Mr. Koba and the prince, and
nearly all of the enlightened men, that everything
should be done in national affairs by taking counsel
of all the different daimios, and that nothing arbitrary
should take place. Since foreigners had come
upon the soil the old dual system of the Throne and
the Camp would soon be disturbed, and this should
be carefully modified by wise counsels and not by
any one-man power. In a word, the study of modern
history was beginning to bear fruit.
The prince had greatly admired the action of the
Yedo government in calling together a council of
the daimios to deliberate upon the propositions made
by Commodore Perry, and he trusted that this was a
good precedent which would be continued to be followed,
so that Japan would possess something like a
parliament, in which national affairs could be discussed
by the samurai.