Wire the prospective opening of negotiations in Hupeh, of which notwithstanding scanty news there seems to be no reasonable doubt, it! may be useful to attempt some analysis of contending influences. To begin with geographical distinct tions, the revolution as it stands today may safely be described, on broad lines, as a conflict of north and south, with the Yangtze as the dividing line. In the case of some provinces, of course, much revolutionary territory lies north of the great river. Bat for general purposes it may be said that the recap-tare of Hanyang pats all the country north of the Yangtze Valley into the power of the Imperialists. Of the provinces on the opposing side it may be assumed that Hapeb would take the lead in coming to terms as it took the lead in raising the standard of revolt. Whether it will do so or not is a question on which no man can pretend to pro-phossy. For the moment we are merely concerned with the possible attitude of other provinces if and when the men who have been the mainspring of the cause decide the time has come to make) peace Next in importance to apeh' might be placed Kiangsa, largely, indeed principally, swayed from Shanghai. The difficulty here in the pathway of an agreement thatthe deliberations of Shanghai are so largely influenced by the doctrinaire class. Against this, however, might be set the great body of commercial feeling, the men who have been accustomed for generations to view life from the standpoint of business, We do not know yet what influence these men can exert, but there seems good ground for believing that they would welcome a cessation of hostilities. The same may, perhaps, be said of Chekiang and the same of Fokien, the inhabitants of the latter province certainly possessing no great reputation for a warlike spirit. In Canton, however, a different problem has to be faced, the fierce disposition of the people and their undying hostility to the Manchus. It is argued by some that, even in Canton, the business
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.