Baba Tatsui

An enlightened thinker and freedom and civil rights activist in the Meiji period. Born on May 15, 1850, as the second son of Baba Raihachi, a samurai of the Tosa clan, in Nakajima-cho, Kochi Castle. During the Meiji Restoration, he studied English at Keio Gijuku, and from 1870 to 1878, he studied law twice in England for about eight years. While studying abroad, he organized the Japan Student Association (1873) with Ono Azusa and others, and wrote works in English, such as "The English in Japan" and "The Treaty Between Japan and England" (also translated as "The Treaty Revision Theory" and "The Treaty Revision Theory"; original title: " The Treaty between Japan and England "), in which he appealed for the need to revise the treaty. After returning to Japan, he became a member of the Coexistence Society and a standing member of the Kojunsha Society, and also actively engaged in enlightenment activities, such as founding the Kokuyukai and Meiji Gijuku. In 1881, he participated in the founding convention of the Liberal Party, became a permanent member, a reporter for the Jiyu Shimbun newspaper, and was also active as a visiting member of the Chono Shimbun newspaper (1882). In 1882, he was expelled from the Jiyu Shimbun company for opposing Taisuke Itagaki's trip to the West, and in 1883, he left the Liberal Party, but in January of the same year, he wrote Tenpu Jinkenron (Theory of Natural Human Rights), criticizing Hiroyuki Kato's "New Theory of Human Rights," and consistently worked to promote the idea of ​​civil rights and unite the civil rights movement. In November 1885, he was arrested on suspicion of violating the Explosives Control Regulations, but was released in June the following year without charge and traveled to the United States, where he became active in his speeches criticizing the dictatorial government. He died in Philadelphia on November 1, 1888. His grave is in Yanaka Cemetery in Tokyo and Woodland Cemetery in Philadelphia.

[Kunio Yasuzai]

"The Complete Works of Baba Tatsuo, 4 volumes (1987-88, Iwanami Shoten)" ▽ "Baba Tatsuo, by Hagiwara Enju (1967, Chuokoron-Shinsha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

明治時代の啓蒙(けいもう)思想家、自由民権運動家。嘉永(かえい)3年5月15日土佐藩士族馬場来八(らいはち)の二男として高知城下中島町に生まれる。維新期慶応義塾で英学を学び、1870年（明治3）より78年まで、二度約8年間英国に留学、法学を修めた。留学中小野梓(おのあずさ)らと日本学生会を組織（1873）する一方、『日本における英国人』、『日英条約論』（『日英条約改正論』『条約改正論』とも訳されている。原題“The Treaty between Japan and England”）などを英文で著し、条約改正の必要を訴えた。帰国後は共存同衆会員、交詢(こうじゅん)社常議員になったほか、国友会・明治義塾を創設するなど啓蒙活動を精力的に展開。81年には自由党結成大会に参画、常議員、『自由新聞』記者となり、また『朝野新聞』客員（1882）ともなって活躍した。82年板垣退助の洋行に反対したため自由新聞社を除名され、83年自由党を離脱したが、同年1月には『天賦人権論』を著して加藤弘之(ひろゆき)の「人権新説」を批判、一貫して民権思想の鼓吹と民権派の大同団結のため尽力した。85年11月爆発物取締規則違反容疑で捕縛されたが、翌年6月無罪釈放後渡米し、以後アメリカで専制政府を批判する旺盛(おうせい)な言論活動を行った。明治21年11月1日フィラデルフィア市で客死。墓は東京・都営谷中(やなか)墓地とフィラデルフィア市ウッドランド・セメタリーにある。

［安在邦夫］

『『馬場辰猪全集』全4巻（1987～88・岩波書店）』▽『萩原延寿著『馬場辰猪』（1967・中央公論社）』

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