Even when they were not taking the Japanese to task over their treatment of the Christians, the Catholic
press stressed the queer and curious:
Several among them appear to belong to a temperance society and they do not drink liquor. Apart
from that, these gentlemen and their companions have in their way of living nothing austere nor
Catonian (…). The public regrets that it cannot see them dressed in their rich and brilliant silk
garments with floral designs in gold. They feel with reason that the old hats and simple overcoats in
which they have rigged themselves out do not lend them a very engaging appearance. In the matter of
arms, the Japanese who are reputed to have such splendid ones, have not so far displayed anything but
huge toothpicks which they carefully tuck away in their pockets after having used them. As one can
see, Japan is outwitting the West: it was the first to invent the perpetual toothpick. Notice to the disciples
of Brillat-Savarin. Seen from fifteen steps away, the Japanese diplomats look young; from close by,
they display tired miens, grooved by wrinkles. In brief, they are far from being Antinoüs and they
have nothing of what is needed to be called ‘lions’. They take a lot of notes, do not talk much and
greet even less [salvent moins encore] (…). Several of those abject valets [i.e. the liberal press] even
push Japanophilie to the point of qualifying the envoys of his Majesty Mutsuhito as ‘illustrious’. Let
us add, for the sake of completeness, that that ultra-oriental majesty, in an effort to assimilate him to
the level of modern progress, is thinking of creating an Order. The ribbon will have the colour of
blood and the jewel will be very brilliant. The insignia, they say, will feature a pagan strangling a
Christian.