Tak appeal to the revolutionary forces to come to terms with the, Imperial Government grows daily more insistent. In contrast with those who assert that the movement has gone too far for any form of bargain, there is arising a tendency to believe that it is never too late to mend and that it is the urgent daty of every moderate-minded man to keep vp his faith in the posstbility of some adjustment of differences, on the principle that a cause is dead when its advocates begin to despair and in the certain.conviction that the continuance of warfare will be the rain of China.
Every day that the revelation is pursued brings more clearly into view the difficulties of subsequent rearrangement. We give every credit to the promoters of the movement for the extraordinarily peaceful means whereby it has been carried through, for the confidence that they have inspired and for the good order that has been preserved. But the obstacles that must be overcome in establishing a federated republic of China—obstacles which have been sufficiently enumerated in these columns to need no repetition at present—are too obvious to be for long obscured by momentary enthusiasms born of the secession of many cities. To quote from the admirable letter of Dr. Gilbert Reid and Mr, Spurgeon Medhurst, published by us yesterday:—"The loftiest endea-yours break from their own weight when the strain is kept up too long. Warfare in any shape develops the worst passions. Hate destroys. War induces speedy deterioration in all who engage in its activities.
through the continuance of the fighting you will create circumstances which will produce disunion among yourselves and so lose the prize you have obtained." In other words, as we have always emphasized, the expulsion of the Manchus is but the prologue toa drama far more serious than anything that has been seen since the revolution began. Already we 415 may believe that foreigners are not alone in realizing this.
With the opening of negotiations, very little interest attaches to news of further secessions. In point of fact, for the sake of hopes of a peaceful settlement of differences, were really better that no more cities should declare themselves for the revolution. So long as the flame of excitement is continually fed by fresh stories of captured towns, so long is it well-nigh impossible for the moderates to make themselves heard, notwithstanding that the capture or secession of any given city is by now a mere matter of form, in the vast majority of cases, the whole of China being virtually on the revolutionary side. The centre of interest has shifted. Even the horrid story of Navking must temporarily be relegated to second place in comparison with the supreme importance of the discussions between Peking and Ha-peh. So far as can be seen there are four main factors in the situation. In the north we find General Chang adhering to the notion of a constitutional monarchy that was favoured by the Lanchow faction from the beginning. In the centre of revolt General Li Yuan-buog is understood to advocate a division of the Empire which could surely mean nothing but the first step towards absolute disruption. So far, however, as General Li's attitude suggests willingness to negotiate, it may be susceptible of modification. Ver different are the extremists, witl whom may be coupled the nonactive visionaries, always a dangerous element and in the present instance all the more so in view of the misplaced respect in which some of their number are held abroad. Finally there is Yuan Shib—kai, of whose motives we should know more presently, now that he has actually reached Peking. Meanwhile the Tszechengyuan is so much divided that as " corporate body it may almost redeemed non-existent and outside all these are the two incalculable forces of the army and the masses of the people. It must not be forgotten that the sum total of reformers, those in arms and those in the new offices, is not a tithe of the whole nation, and it has yet to be soon how the voiceless" multitude will comport itself when the effect of suspended business and shortage of money begin to make themselves felt.
Amid so many diverse elements the only possible meeting ground compatible with the continued unity of China would seem to lie in the constitutional monarchy to which
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.