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Gantolandon
Aug 19, 2012

Joining as the head of the Matsumae Clan: gantolandonsa ( at) gmail.com.

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Gantolandon
Aug 19, 2012

Matsumae Takahiro



We, samurai of the Matsumae clan, are concerned with the politics of the government about the presence of foreigners in Ezochi.

Once, people in these lands nearly uniformly revered the kami, honored their ancestors and followed the teachings of Buddha. It ensured fruitful and virtuous lives. It allowed the society to function orderly. It gave the samurai the confidence to die for a righteous cause. It gave the peasant perseverance to toil the earth and endure the hardships of his life. Our way of life was not certainly not the most forgiving, but it made our spirits strong.

This way of life is in danger right now, as more and more people turn their backs on their faith and get "baptized". In doing so, they forswear paying respects to the kind-hearted kami and worship the bleeding carcass of their jealous God. Instead of honoring their own ancestors, they may only supplicate the gaijin who has been deemed worthy by the priests in Europe. They do not believe in rebirth according to their previous lives: their God, as they say, is the only master of their souls, creating them from nothing, then applying rewards and punishment as he sees fit.

In the Christian doctrine, obedience to their terrible master takes precedence over every loyalty they may feel to their family, lord and emperor. They have to participate in the rituals when they symbolically consume the flesh of their dead God and, if forbidden by the authorities, they are expected to disobey. Their priests instruct them to pay taxes to them, some of which are spirited away to the Europe. Their highest priest, the pope, ostensibly wields supreme power over every Christian and claims to be able to bring the wrath of his God on the disobedient. Every tenet of this religion is designed to inspire fear and docility.

It is not a secret why the foreigners want the people of Ezochi to follow their faith so much. They want the Yamato and Ainu people loyal not to their government, but to the pope ruling in their homeland. They want to have a market for their overpriced baubles that some new Christians already wear to show their loyalty to their new master. They want to be able to incite the farmers to revolt whenever they see fit. Above all, they want to be masters of our land, served by plenty of obedient slaves. Every virtuous person should oppose the spread of Christianity, as every baptized person tightens the grip the gaijin already have on our necks.

Gantolandon
Aug 19, 2012

Matsumae Takahiro



As the head of the clan, I speak for all Matsumae samurai and their retainers.

During the war and tenure of my son, Matsumae Norihiro, the Congress of the republic passed an act, ostensibly to punish the clan for its participation in the war on the Meiji Emperor side, with the following effect:

1. Most of the holdings of the clan, including the magnificent Fukuyama Castle, have been taken away from the clan.
2. The members of the clan have been stripped of their samurai status, which denied them their privileges and voting rights.

We claim this act to be not only unjust, but also fundamentally incompatible with the constitution this government claims to cherish so much, on the following basis:

1. It has been passed before the constitution, the basis of the law of the Republic, was even drafted.
2. The act interferes with several rights later guaranteed by the constitution.
3. By inflicting punishment, the Congress usurped themselves the right reserved to the courts.
4. The wording of the act claims that the Matsumae clan has committed "treason" against the Republic, despite the fact that the clan has never harmed the republican forces after it was officially established and the constitution - the basis of its law - drafted.

Therefore, the Matsumae Clan is going to file a case against the Congress of the Republic of Ezo before the Supreme Court. We hereby ask to have our holdings returned and our samurai status reinstated.

Gantolandon
Aug 19, 2012

Proposition Joe posted:


Arai Ikunosuke, Naval Minister

Matsumae Takahiro is incredibly misguided with this statements. There are many Japanese who follow the word of God and their loyalty to our history, their fellow people, and their true government is not to be questioned. Many Japenese Christians have served and died for this country and I will not tolerate an oafish or incompetent Meiji sympathizer like yourself to make any further statements. Takahiro would prefer to let our Republic sit around and do nothing while the Meiji usurpers build up to destroy us. Following his words would lead to our doom.

Matsumae Takahiro


Yes, many Christian followers are certainly loyal to this government... but where do the members' of the government loyalty lies? It is not a secret that some of them openly hate our culture and would rather see us a Western colony than an independent country. Particularly our Foreign Minister, who since beginning of his tenure does nothing but agitates against anything that could bring wealth to Ezochi without indebting us to the Western creditors. You call me a Meiji sympathizer, but I never spoke a word about the Republic's military plans, unlike the Merchant in your government. Does it not bother you, when while you make plans to land on Sado, the very person responsible for talks with foreign governments openly speaks against your plan?

Gantolandon
Aug 19, 2012

Fall Sick and Die posted:

President Enomoto Takeaki


You should tread carefully if you would impugn the loyalty of the men who serve me and this Republic. You might consider thinking carefully upon this matter. I asked the Foreign Minister, and all Samurai who are members of this congress, for their opinions as to my plans, that the best plan might be chosen. Do you think that this government would work better if its Congressmen and true samurai withheld their viewpoints and told me what they thought I wanted to hear? You would be wise, Matsumae-sama, to speak calmly and apologize to the men whose loyalty you impugned so casually, or there will be consequences according to the ancient traditions we all hold so dearly, Christian or otherwise.

Very well. I apologize to Hayashi Tadasu-san for doubting his commitment to the Ezo Republic, if you, Mr. President, are trusting him so much.

Gantolandon
Aug 19, 2012

Fall Sick and Die posted:

President Enomoto Takeaki

You are asking for a law to be declared unconstitutional before the constitution was passed. There were many actions which took place before our constitution, it is not the place of the court to make the past fit the constitution, but the existing laws.

I do not believe the courts have the ability to change the past, nor to comment on a law which does not exist at this time. Your status was stripped, along with your castles, yet I don't believe the law currently prevents you from being samurai if you were to be adopted by other clans, the law didn't declare the Matsumae could never be samurai again, it was a one-time act.

Matsumae Takahiro



This is either incorrect or has really troubling implications. If there was no constitution at this time, what made the decisions of the Congress valid, or even legally binding? The entirety of the act was questionable - it punished us for opposing the government that hasn't been officially established yet and the way it has been done is prohibited by the new constitution. Your stance is that it doesn't matter, because if there was no constitution, the government could have done anything and it would still be legally binding. If this is the case, anytime the government suspends the constitution, it can do pretty much anything, including stripping people of their rights and the changes would apply after the martial law ends.

As for your claim that the decision has been a one-time act that has no lasting results, this is simply not true. Our clan faces the consequences the entire time, including high taxes and inability to vote. Yet the only way for us to regain our status is either begging other clans to adopt us, or appealing the same government that made this decision in the first place. Frankly, this is insulting.

Gantolandon
Aug 19, 2012

Matsumae Takahiro



We, samurai of the Matsumae clan, are very pleased with the verdict of the Supreme Court. While it doesn't completely wipe out the consequences of the unjust punishment, at very least our status can no longer be negated. With our position recognized, we hope to prove our goodwill towards the government and the Republic.

For that reason, Matsumae clan fully supports the efforts to make the Ainu people full-fledged citizens. After long deliberation with members of my clan working with CET, I applaud their efforts to incorporate kamuy into Shinto-Buddist beliefs. Some of the more conservative members of the clergy may view this as a breach of tradition. For them, I have the following response: it is no longer only about tradition. We are trying to forge something that withstands the assault of Christianity on our lands. If the survival of our way of life demands recognizing several lesser kami, this is certainly a fair price to pay.

It also comes to my understanding that Ainu people are not alien to warfare. They are hunters, hardened by their difficult lives in the wilderness more than some men who call themselves samurai. While they are not excelling in the way of sword, this is a skill that can be learned. I dare to say that Ainu samurai clans could, and should exist in the future. Again, this is simple pragmatism - the question how to integrate the Ainu within our society will come, sooner or later. We have enough enemies outside the Republic and for this very reason, we should approach the native people as friends and mentors, not as invaders.

Gantolandon
Aug 19, 2012

Matsumae Takahiro



First of all, I would like to express my thanks for being given the position of a daimyo. This is a great honor for the entire clan and an enormous step in reconciliation between the government and the Matsumae. As a response, we formally relinquish our claim to the Fukuyama Castle. Let it serve the Republic well.

Clan Matsumae also offers support to the current president. We hope that the decisive victory of the current president will allow for creation a much more unified government that doesn't cater to Westerners and their willing vassals.

Despite that, I will also have to speak against the so-called "The Act to Strengthen the Nation...", a merchant-sponsored piece which does exactly opposite. How is Katsu Kaishu-san, despite the ongoing war effort, transfer fifty thousand Chinese women? This is a fifth of the approximate population count of our nation! This is an enormous and costly endeavor, which Katsu-san probably wants to be paid by the government. The money will, of course, go straight to the merchants with their own transport fleets, as the navy is already overburdened.

I don't see any reason to pay the merchants to transport women whom the merchants themselves will most likely take as concubines or wives. There is very little for the Republic to gain here, and the amount of things that can go wrong is astonishing.

Gantolandon
Aug 19, 2012

Matsumae Takahiro [S]



Having been named daimyo by the shogun, it falls to me to organize a retinue worthy of our clan. Many brave samurai and soldiers continued to serve us during the period of our disgrace. Their loyalty and honor will not be forgotten. Several of them has, as of today, been officially adopted as samurai of Matsumae clan.

Every citizen of Ezo, who does not fear the simple martial life, can serve in the clan military. Ainu people, according to their preference, may serve in separate units, or be integrated into the bulk of the army along with the rest. As every soldier should respect their comrades in arms, racial discrimination will be treated as an infraction and punished accordingly. Exemplary service, no matter the race, is a path towards the life of a samurai, with accompanying duties and privileges.

Gantolandon
Aug 19, 2012

Matsumae Takahiro



Letter to the Congress

Honorable samurai of Ezo Republic,

I'm writing this letter with permission of my captor, Takamori Saigo-san. I, Matsumae Takahiro, have been betrayed.

The plan I was informed about by the president would be me holding Satsuma along with Takamori Saigo-san. The Ezo Navy, as I were told, was going to block the passage of the Emperor's Meiji forces. What should have happened next were the republican forces decisively attacking the imperial weak points, forcing them to capitulate. What I didn't expect, was an assassin trying to kill the leader of the rebellion.

I don't know who gave the orders to send a hired killer. No one who was involved in this operation should have done it. This doesn't make sense. If we succeeded, Ezo would be safe from Meiji retribution for years. Trying to murder the man who almost became our ally was not only dishonorable, but also incredibly stupid.

I swear to the kami that I will spend the rest of my life to avenge this betrayal. If I die, either executed by Takamori forces, or the Emperor's, I expect my heir to pursue this matter in my place.

Yours,

Matsumae Takahiro

Gantolandon
Aug 19, 2012

Matsumae Takahiro



Fellow samurai of the Republic, I bring you grave news.

The Satsuma rebellion is no more. Saigo Takamori-dono and his soldiers proudly, but inevitably faced their death against merciless Meiji forces. While their leader captured me and, until his very end, didn't permit me to take my sword against Meiji with him, I feel nothing but admiration and respect for him. He was a giant among the man and an example for every samurai in the Republic.

What happened, though? Saigo Takamori-dono and his people were great warriors, how could they fall against common rabble, drafted against their will? They were outnumbered, yes. Their weapons, while formidable, certainly had worse reach than muskets and gatlings. But this is not all. They faced the very worst thing that can happen to a samurai - betrayal.

I have been sent by the president to support the rebellion with 5,000 of our finest soldiers. Unfortunately, the Army Minister, Otori Keisuke, only let me take a fifth of them. Nevertheless, I sailed, as commanded. Maybe even a 1,000 would have been enough, who knows? Little I knew, however, that someone else was also sent from Ezo. A hired killer were dispatched to cowardly slay Saigo Takamori while he sleeps and implicate the President and me.

While the first part of his plan didn't succeed, the second one did. My forces were attacked and disarmed or outright slain. I remained a prisoner of Saigo-dono and nothing I said could convince him I were innocent. It's only the bravery and competence of Shinsengumi that saved me from being slaughtered by victorious Meiji forces.

The news about the recent coup were saddening, but not surprising. The traitors' plan succeeded, after all - they gained sufficient pretext to depose the lawfully elected president and impose their dictatorship on people. Only one thing prevented their triumph, however: their own trickery and cowardice. A betrayer cannot make anything permanent or even lasting. Kami find him abhorrent. People's faith in him falters. His own hands become paralyzed by his weakness, unable to skillfully wield a sword.

Everyone involved in this travesty should commit seppuku immediately. Their families do not deserve the shame these wretches brought on them. I hope they are not too cowardly to do even that. The rest of us, however, should stay vigilant against the falsehood and corruption in our midst. For that reason, I propose the following act:

quote:

Strengthen the Republic Bill

In light of recent events, especially the coup directed by Ministers of the Army and the Navy, the following changes to the legal code of Ezo apply:

1. The positions of the Army, Navy and Security Minister are subordinate to the President and required to obey his orders.
2. The President has the right to remove a Minister under his command who disobeys his direct order or fails signally in his duty. In such case, a person chosen by the President will assume duties of dismissed Minister until another one is appointed by the Congress.
3. Intelligence and counterintelligence lie within purview of the Minister of Security, except of the operations conducted by the military personnel, defined in paragraph 4. Under no circumstances can exist a separate intelligence-gathering organization which is not subordinate to the Security Minister.
4. The army and the navy may conduct intelligence operations considering:
a) observation and assessment of other military forces that could reasonably pose a danger to the Republic
b) infiltration of military objects and forces that could reasonably pose a danger to the Republic
c) sabotage, assassination and other covert operations, strictly against targets being in the state of war with the Republic
d) rescue of military personnel,
e) counterintelligence within their respective forces
5. NINJA is officially disbanded and considered illegal. All members of this organization have a month to reveal themselves to any legitimate law-enforcement organization. The ones that don't report themselves are considered members of an insurgency.
6. A special commission under purview of the Security minister will be formed to interrogate former members of NINJA and their activity within the organization.
7. Former members of NINJA who report themselves and cooperate with the commission will be granted amnesty, except of the leadership of the organization who participated in activities that may constitute treason.

Gantolandon
Aug 19, 2012

Matsumae Takahiro



Obviously, interrogation means questioning here. Torturing someone who willingly surrenders himself is a grave offense no man should condone. Obviously it would also mean no one would ever surrender to us.

We don't want to kill common mambers of NINJA, who only followed orders of their superiors. The general idea is that most of them surrenders and gets released without consequences. Of course, this would be unthinkable for a samurai, but most members of the NINJA are not warriors and shouldn't be held to that standard. Besides, most of them were convinced they fought for the Republic. What we want is their leadership who isn't likely to surrender.

Gantolandon
Aug 19, 2012

BrainParasite posted:


Tsukinoeaino.

I believe that the trade restrictions placed on the Ainu are illegal. I am instructing my people to go out of their way to openly break these illegal trade restrictions. We fight every case as long as possible. We will refuse to pay judgments against us. In short, we will use every tool short of violence to oppose these restrictive policies.

You are welcome to clog the courts and stuff the jails if you believe that the oppression of the Ainu is more important than the welfare of Ezo.

Matsumae Takahiro



I'm all for remedying this situation, but shouldn't we wait with radical changes until the problem with Meiji invasion is dealt with?

Gantolandon
Aug 19, 2012

BrainParasite posted:


Tsukinoeaino

As a representative of the Ainu people, I am filing suit against the Matsumae Clan
.

The trade restrictions placed upon the Ainu have no basis in the laws of Ezo. We are suing for immediate suspension of all Matsumae attempts to enforce a trade monopoly with the Ainu and compensation for losses incurred due to illegally enforced trade restrictions.

Matsumae Takahiro



These allegations are ridiculous. Clan Matsumae placed no restrictions to enforce any monopoly, as proven by a number of Ainu people trading directly with other inhabitants of the island. If some Ainu traders prefer to sell their goods to Matsumae clan members, it's because we have more experience in selling Ainu goods. Our clan traders simply offer better prices than the others.

Matsumae clan, since the reinstatement of our status as samurai, has consistently supported Ainu rights as full-fledged citizens of this island. Your people serve in our clan retinue with a high chance of becoming samurai themselves. They earn a substantial amount of money in our facilities. Matsumae members also fought for inclusion of your kamuy in Shinto-Puddhist pantheon. And don't forget the Obihiro school, where Ainu and Yamato children together learn skills that potentially can propel them into the highest strata of Ezo society. Why would you choose us as the evil oppressor boogeymen? Why would you demand a compensation from the only clan that tries to give your people more than it takes from them?

Gantolandon fucked around with this message at 22:58 on Mar 16, 2014

Gantolandon
Aug 19, 2012

Matsumae Takahiro



I would like to express my deepest regret because of latest developments in the Republic. Katsu Kaishu's betrayal, while not really surprising, is a sad continuation of Otori Keisuke's plot. The fact that this man was considered a samurai is a disgrace to anyone who treats their status seriously. I hope this will spark a serious discussion about the serious problem of merchants being able to buy their titles, otherwise we may see even more Kaishus.

The allegations levied on our shogun are truly shocking and I can't believe such a great warrior would plot to murder his own sister. This must be some kind of a misunderstanding and will clear soon enough. We should, however, avoid actions that would cause further chaos in our Republic. I'm pretty sure our shogun will come from this situation unharmed and strengthened, as virtuous people tend to do. Meanwhile, riling crowd against foreigners is a dangerous game that caused this chain of events in first place.

Of course, we should oppose foreign influence, otherwise we will end up like China - humiliated, carved up and poisoned with opium. Using angry mob to hurt foreign diplomats, however, is ultimately pointless and morally repugnant. It is similar to carving up a peasant to spite his lord. I would like to ask Matsudaira Sadaaki-san: how does the broken spine of Iwakura Totomi-san serve Ezo? Was it supposed to get more favorable peace from the Meiji Emperor, or was that a clever plan to somehow stop his fleet from reaching our shores?

Gantolandon
Aug 19, 2012

Matsumae Takahiro



Fall Sick and Die posted:

His open revolt against samurai stipends and defeatism in wishing to unify with the Meiji can not be allowed to stand as part of this government. His replacement will be Matsudaira Naritami, who will be shifted from the Education Minister position. The Education Minister position will be filled by Kasuga Saemon.

This is... baffling to say the least. As the current Minister of Education, I already prepared the model school and curriculum as a preparation for a widespread reform. It seems that now I'm going to be replaced in the middle of making sweeping changes to Ezo education system? To make the matter worse, by a well-known Christian? I have not heard any objections to my activities - neither before, nor after this announcement.

May I know the reason of such a sudden dismissal?

Gantolandon
Aug 19, 2012

Viscardus posted:


Thomas Blakiston

I am unsure as to why the Vice President would believe that a private corporation registered in the United Kingdom and operating in multiple countries could possibly be considered a domestic militia within Ezo. Such an interpretation is clearly at odds with basic common sense, even putting aside the obvious and incontrovertible fact that militias are composed of non-professional soldiers. Are my private bodyguards also to be considered a militia? What about my trading company? Perhaps you wish to declare the British Army subject to the law as well?

Please, spare us such absurdities. If the government wishes to pass a new law or expand the existing one to cover mercenaries, that would naturally be within its right, but I don't see why it would wish to do so. Militaires San Frontières is currently under contract with the Republic of Ezo; threatening its status in this way is both unnecessary and unwise.

Matsumae Takahiro


Perhaps we should then discuss if we really need troops, that answer to some corporation far away in the United Kingdom, on our soil. I'm pretty sure your Queen wouldn't let me take my entire retinue to London and parade them around without any supervision.

I don't object to your presence here right now - we are at war with enemy much more numerous than us and you were contracted. But you probably understand that no government in the world would tolerate a significant military presence in their borders that doesn't answer to them in any way. At least not in peacetime. Your unique status is not a normal situation - it's a result of a loophole that has to be closed.

Gantolandon
Aug 19, 2012

Matsumae Takahiro



I dutifully accept my appointment as the Industry and Resources Minister and I trust my successor as the Education Minister, Katsuga Saemon, to continue the plan to bring affordable public education to all citizens of Ezo, including Ainu people.

Currently, our nation is quite underdeveloped considering its potential. The island itself used to be much more sparsely populated: we didn't need to grow too much food back then and our main export goods were wood, furs and Ainu crafts. This sufficed when it was simply a province located in the periphery of a larger state. Obviously, this won't do now if we want to survive as a nation.

Obviously, we have a lot of wood. This is a great boon for us: shipbuilding industry heavily relies on it. We should invest in both military and commercial shipyards. If we play that well, not only we will have a strong military and merchant fleets, but we will be able to sell the surplus to other nations. Our envoys should maintain contact with China - I believe they may be interested in purchasing some. Wood is also important to make paper, which is crucial to the proper functioning of the state. We will need more paper mills to deal with demand.

If we want to see our industry strong, we also need coal. We have plenty of it and it is of relatively good quality. I would even dare saying they are much better than the ones the Meiji have. Unfortunately, most of them are located pretty far away from the shore. To even think about exploiting them seriously, we need to invest in rail network. If the Congress approves my candidature, seeing this through will be the most important thing during my tenure.

The last thing we need the most is iron. Here, my estimations are less optimistic. We have deposits ready to be exploited and they will suffice for some time. As our industry grows, however, they may become insufficient. It's important we establish friendly relations with our less developed neighbors. We very much want to see the situation when they sell us the ore and buy processed goods from us. Again, this is the task for the Foreign Minister.

Of course, we shouldn't forget about food production. Fortunately, there is plenty of space for farms and numerous fisheries. Every daimyo should make sure his people have plenty of food to survive. In fact, I believe this should be their duty - a daimyo who lets his subjects starve should be disciplined by the shogun, as his reckless actions threaten the economy of the entire Republic. In fact, I already proposed an appropriate act.

Food Security Act posted:

1. For each province, enough food has to be produced to ensure the needs of their inhabitants are met.
2. Each daimyo is obliged to set up state farms to ensure sufficient food production.
3. Each daimyo is obliged to develop transportation network in his province to ensure proper distribution of food.
4. Each daimyo is obliged to set up emergency granaries that could be used in time of crisis when production of food is disrupted.
5. Daimyo who neglect these duties is a subject of a disciplinary action initiated by the shogun.

Gantolandon
Aug 19, 2012

Matsumae Takahiro



It is a sad thing when a true hero passes away. Enomoto Takeaki will be forever remembered as the father of our Republic. Terrifying to his enemies, but magnanimous to his friends and allies, fearless on the battlefield and in the office, he embodied what being a samurai in the modern time is about. His life was an example to us all.

Our traditions are like old castle. It withstood many battles and saved our lives countless times. But now the time has worn it out. Its walls are cracked, its towers - partially crumbled, its gate - rotted, its armory - full of rusted junk, its forge - without tools. It's staffed by very brave soldiers, but with each invasion it becomes more clear the castle barely provides any protection at this point.

There are people that would just burn the place down and build something else in its place. "Our neighbors are kind, generous and ingenious people", they say. "With their assistance, we soon shall have an impregnable fortress no one dares to attack. They will provide us with plans, borrow us resources we need, protect us until their engineers finish the walls." But they never ask themselves that one question: why would they do it? Why would anyone sink considerable resources to let their neighbor have an awesome castle that could protect him from every army - including theirs? If your fortress is designed by our neighbor, built and staffed by his servants who know its every nook and cranny... is that really a fortress at all? Does it keep you safe? Or is it merely a prison?

"Screw them!", shout the others. "Our castle is impregnable as it was several centuries ago." So they sit among its crumbling walls, refusing to let anyone in or out. They behead every envoy, accusing them of spying for their numerous enemies. They may still succeed, though: when the towers finally collapse, no enemy will want to conquer useless ruin inhabited by very angry and determined savages. Some of them know that but don't care - they'd rather salt the earth than let someone else take its fruits. Others just chose to not see the rot. Regardless of their stance, the end result is still the same.

Enomoto Takeaki shown us that there exist a third way: we can repair the walls and modernize the castle with our own hands. We can politely decline more intrusive offers of help and accept those that respect our independence. We can acknowledge that maybe walls are really crumbling, which hopefully will encourage us to rebuild them taller and stronger.

To honor his memory, I voluntarily give up my samurai stipend and urge my kinsmen to do the same. In these turbulent times it would not be right to hold into the privileges of the past. I am not a merchant or an artisan, so I don't need to be paid to do my duty. Let this money serve the Republic of Ezo instead.

Gantolandon
Aug 19, 2012

Colonel Wood posted:

For my third order of business I request a status update on the condition of Ezo's economy and infrastructure from Matsudaira Naritami and Matsumae Takahiro. I give them authority to use the Captured Meiji POW's as a labor force to rebuild whatever is necessary as punishment for their crimes against the state of Ezo.

Very well. I already mentioned Ezo resources and methods of its exploitation some time ago, so let's talk about our transport and industry.



As we can see on this map, there are some challenges we need to overcome to effectively exploit resources on our island. The first one is topography. There are several mountain ranges that effectively split Ezo into several parts. Currently this was not an issue, because the majority of our settlements are close to the shore. Regardless of this, transport of goods through the land will be difficult.

This unique topography presents some boons as well. For example, because of the same mountains that obstruct transport, the interior of the island is much more supportive to agriculture than its shores: the winters inside are milder. There is also a lot of valuable resources placed in the middle of Ezo - most notably, timber and coal. Four major rivers present us with opportunity to send rafts both north and south, which will have to do for now. However, this method of transport excludes Hakodate, when currently most of our industry is.

Our resilience on transport fleets is another challenge. Most of our goods have to be shipped between the cities, because transporting similar amounts through the land is too costly and time-consuming. But this situation is far from being perfect. Our shipments are threatened by adverse weather events and hostile fleets. While the war with Meiji Empire can potentially end, I don't see an easy solution for storms and occasional tsunamis.

Both of this problems could be potentially remedied by trains. Europeans have these steel steam-driven vehicles that can pull humungous loads. The problem is that they can't travel normal roads. They require special tracks made of iron or steel - two sets of them, in fact, if we want to send more than one train back and forth through the same track. I were assured the effect is worth the cost. One train can transport as much goods as a large ship, following a quicker and safer route. And, of course, it can go where a ship simply can't. For that very reason, building railways should become a priority.

As for industry, there isn't much to talk about. We still lack effective means of processing goods, relying mostly on artisans, both Ainu and Yamato. We already talked about supplies of coal and iron, but this isn't enough: we need industrial machines. Buying them from the West is certainly possible, but in the long run we should aim to learn how to build our own. Our foreign partners will probably want us to buy them from their merchants. They will push us to adopt their laws, which only lets companies "own" methods of production and prevent anyone else from replicating them. From obvious reasons, this is something we should absolutely delay until we have our own engineers who can compete with the British or French.

We should concentrate on acquiring plans for several simple and useful machines and slowly develop our industrial base from there. The government absolutely should set up crucial factories to ensure control over the whole industry of Ezo. This means at least several mines, ironworks, machine shops and shipyards.

This concludes the main part of my report. Are there any questions?

Gantolandon
Aug 19, 2012

Matsumae Takahiro



Supporters of both Sakura and Nationalist parties have a reason to rejoice. We proudly present you our first modern railway, built by citizens of Ezo for citizens of Ezo. This is an important milestone in making our formerly undeveloped island into an industrial major power. Are our artisans good enough to conquer international markets? I believe the answer is obvious and we will have the chance to prove it soon enough.

Coincidentally, it also means that Horonai and Sapporo will soon become bustling centers of industrial activity. For workers it means that a handful of jobs are waiting for them. Entrepreneurs can expect multiple occasions to profit. Instead of letting the foreigners to move and fill the void, we should capitalize on this ourselves. This is why I'm going to use the industrial fund to create several state-owned businesses, mostly several foundries, lumber mills, ironmonger factories sand shipyards. Their role is two-fold - they ensure Ezo Republic always has enough of most important industrial goods and provide a base for other industries to develop. After this is done, we will continue with industrialization of the rest of Ezo.

Meanwhile, I would like to address the issue of Enomoto Takeaki's funeral. After bringing the matter on our clan assembly, my kinsmen agreed to sponsor a ceremony worth the hero our former President was. We only ask all visitors to maintain decorum and not disrupt the ceremony.

Gantolandon
Aug 19, 2012

Matsumae Takahiro



quote:

2. Can a woman be appointed to government? Can a woman be a samurai? Can a samurai receive less than full rights as guaranteed under the constitution?
This issue is complex, and the appointment of Fumiko as Education Magistrate follows on the heels of her elevation to samurai by the Shogunate. This elevation was conditional however in that she was restricted from her right to vote, despite constitutional guarantees to this effect. Some opponents argue that this is unconstitutional, and that all samurai must have full rights. Other opponents argue that a woman cannot be a samurai as it does not follow tradition, and due to a general unease with women enjoying positions of power/samurai status. The implications of this case are wide-ranging, and could impact the franchise as well as samurai eligibility.

I believe our tradition clearly answers the second question. There were plenty of bushi women in our history, like Tomoe Gozen, Hōjō Masako or, more recently, Nakano Takeko.

The last one deserves a special mention, because she fought and died during the Boshin War. As a person thoroughly trained in martial arts, she actually led an army of women into battle. As far as I hears, she was shot into the chest. Allegedly, she asked her sister to cut off her head and bury it somewhere, rather than letting it to fall into the hands of an enemy. She led an exemplary life and died an exemplary death.

Our tradition is about respecting diligence, bravery and honor, especially in the face of death. Sex or nationality don't matter in this - Tokugawa Ieasu, for example, has made an Englishman, Anjin Miura, a samurai, who became his hatamoto. It also makes sense from religious point of view: men can be reborn as women, after all. Some may say that the entire reason they are reborn as women is because they were unfit to lead a warrior's life, but when looking at women like Nakano Takeko, it is clear this is not the case.

As for the other questions, the law is clear enough on this matter: a samurai can vote, a samurai can be appointed to government. This includes onna-bugeisha.

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Gantolandon
Aug 19, 2012

Josef bugman posted:

Matsudaira Naritami

Chancellor to the Shogun, Finance minister

I believe that this is an intelligent course of action, if we can get the return of Sado alongside the ratcheting down of our war machine, we can at least begin to rebuild and grow without constant fear of assault from the South.

Matsumae Takahiro



This is not a good idea. Our claim to Sado is negligible, there is simply no way we can present it as anything other than an opportunistic military aggression. It is not a bad thing per se, but we also proved to be unable to hold the island very long. It is simply too close to the Imperial mainland. This greatly increases the area our navy needs to cover to adequately protect civilian ships.

There is no point in getting attached to an island we held for maybe several months.

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