The general opinion in Peking is that the mandate which has the effect of cancelling the Monarchy is not in itself a satisfactory document. Interested parties demand to know what more could possibly be expected from the Great President, but those interested in the other side find nothing in it but bare renunciation of a position that had become untenable owing to circumstances over which Yuan Shih-kai had no control.
The mandate supported by another pronouncement abolishing the Imperial calendar designating the era "Hung Hsien." Still at other mandate announces the resumption of office by Hsu Shih-chang as Secretary of State, from which he had resigned owing to disapproval of the monarchy pro-
Light is still lacking as to the terms of the arrangement, but it is understood to be satisfactory to all those named, and to Lung Chi-kuang at Canton. If this is the fact, and the prominent men mentioned are willing once more to identify themselves with Yuan there is a fair prospect of a peaceful solution of the present The Absolute Oriental.
What is required of Yuan Shih-not only renunciation of hi ambition to be Emperor, but hi renunciation of the absolute power which he has arrogated to himself during the past three years, a power greater than that possessed by the Manchus. He has chosen to wash the Parliament off the slate, and to abolish the Provincial Assemblie: he nominated a Council for which he had no use but to give the ai pearance of legality to measur: which he wished enacted; he vented an electorate and practically ordered it to vote for a monarchy with himself as Emperor; he has practically kept the Vice-President a prisoner; he has established court-martial in Peking which overrides ordinary law and has been used in a corrupt and oppressive manner; he has illegally imposed taxes upon the country. He has, indeed, played the part of the good old-fashioned Oriental monarch who knows no law but his own sweet will. And all these things he has done in the name of the Republic to attain which the country had suffered a revolution. The irony of it is unparalleled outside the realms of opera bouffe.
Wings to Olip.
China probably would have stood all these things if they had had a benevolent object. But when all have been used, not for the benefit of the country but for the personal aggrandisement of one man, naturally the country objected. So now that the objectors are on their hind legs they intend not only to make Yuan give up his Throne, but to make him give up the power that has enabled him to use the resour-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.