王政复古之诏下达时，一道曙光出现，意味先帝孝明天皇的攘夷之志即将达成。但是天日骤黯，年复一年、月复一月地进行开明政策。明治三年，天皇面许原为公爵、现为亲王的满宫能久王留学德国，当年年底禁止庶人佩刀；明治四年通过削发废刀之令，和外国陆续订立条约；明治五年更采用了西历；今年正月设置六镇台以安抚民众，大分县发生叛乱。这种时局的动态，完全与先师主张的政事之本背道而驰，与其说是时局在变动，匆宁说是逐渐倾斜崩溃。人们的希望幻灭、心灵荒芜，污浊代替了清世，高尚为卑俗所更替。

At the time of the Decree of Imperial Restoration, the indications had been altogether favorable that the august wish of His Late Majesty Komei to expel the barbarians would be fulfilled. But clouds soon cut off the light of Heaven, and month by month, year by year, the policy of opening the land to foreign influence had grown stronger. In Meiji 3, permission was granted to an imperial prince to study in Germany, and at the end of the same year, swords were forbidden to the common people. In Meiji 4 it was decreed that samurai could cut off their topknot and that they might go without swords. Treaties were concluded with various foreign countries, and just the previous year, Meiji 5, the Western calendar was adopted. At the beginning of the current year, six army garrisons were established with an eye toward curbing popular unrest, and, indeed, a disturbance did break out in Oita Prefecture. The world was moving further and further away from the late Master Oen’s central doctrine of government and worship as one. Far from being progress, this was a heedless rush to destruction. Thus were the Master’s hopes betrayed. Men delighted in defilement rather than purity. Base ambition gained the victory over lofty idealism.