No. 3]
The Imperial Prerogative
9
and he claims that it is "the unique history and tradition of the imperial throne"; but we make bold to say, even in opposition to a Japanese, that the personality of the sovereign is of special importance. It is possible that, in general, the imperial personality weighs more than the individual personality. But in the case of the late Emperor, Meiji Tenno, his own personality, in the sense of his individuality, was no small element in the loyalty and patriotism of thousands of his subjects. And it is not an invidious comparison to state that the feeling toward the present Emperor does not seem as yet to be the same as that toward his illustrious father, Mutsuhito the Great.
(329)
