In spite of these assurances of support, however, Yuan Shih-kai refused to change the attitude which he had adopted from the first and on September 6 the Tsangchengyuan, which, had been opened five days before, received a long and important Presidential message which will be found in the 'Herald' for September 11, page 736. In it he stated that many citizens from the provinces had petitioned the Tsanchengyuan to change the form of government to a state of things incompatible with his position as President, but as the office of President was conferred by the people it should, of course, depend on the will of the people. "Tt being my duty to. maintain he general situation," he continued "I regard the proposed change as unsuitable to the circumstances of the country."" Read as a whole, the message was an equivocal document, which for the moment was variously interpreted, the general impression being that the movement had received distinct setback. The Tsanchengyuan, on the other hand, proceeded forth-ceremony, while it included an history being the following. On) with to appoint a committee of oath of loyalty to the republic, August 21 the Constitution Draft- nine to consider the memorials was intended to impress upon the) ing Committee, which consisted] from the various provinces pre-army its corporate character and of ten Presidential nominees, luminary to their being handed Generated for 1 (Dartr detachment from the civil in-held its first conference and, over to a Citizens' Convention the terests of the country. All announcing the fact, Renter's members of which, it was an+
riginal from Public Dom.
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Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.