Peking, July 28.
While the younger officials who have survived the Antu collapse and the people at. large are clamouring for the blood of the leaders in the late government, it is very evident that the older men, both civil and military, who still have some standing in Peking are preparing to mediate, compromise wherever possible and save not only the heads of the men whom the people regard as_ national criminals but their "face" as well. It seems astonishing that men who served in high offices during the Manchu regime, should appeal to a judge for leniency on the ground of that judge's friendship for the accused; but there is no denying that under the republic a tradition has grown up which calls upon the official for duty to his friends first, last and all the tite, and for duty to the state only under the heaviest pressure. President Hsu will shortly be called upon to sanction at least a modicum of the punishments suggested by Pei-fu and he is already besieged by a veritable army of the "old-timers" pleading on béfalf of one or another of those condemned in the sight of the public, This is arousing no little caustic comment and a proverb which was well known and appreciated in Manchu times is much quoted. It is. this: "Mang-tze fan fa, het min tung which means taut,'
"When the prince commits a crime his punishment is that of a couimoner." This tradition has fallen into abeyance because, while the official under the empire realized that he was the servant of the emperor and in duty bound to execute his laws, the official under the republic does not consider himself the servant of anyone, least of all the people at large. and feels in duty bound to consider the will of none except that of the political group which puts him in power and keeps him there The settlement which is coming in Peking uiay arouse a few of the venerable to the painful realization that even in an unevolved republic public opinion may obtrude itself upon the obligations of friendship. call for soldiers when things begin to look interesting. It is now stated that no new formations have been made, the men called being only sent to make up siencies in the already existing "ying." Thus in six "ying" (3,000) wien there was a difficency of 1,200. That may possibly be wrong, hut there is no difficulty in be-heving it, and if any reader doubts 't, then he should study Chinese to strengthen his power of believing chings.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.