The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-13
Corttrpsd from Pt-st Page.

former Chinese Empire ~ from the
point OF view OF climate, of geography
and OF race divided into two great Soc
tons VIZ. the north and the s0dth.
The Manchus. who came from NE
north, had always and naturally
greater hold on the north than Oh tho
eouth. TIE revolution was Immediately
successful in the south, and province
after province threw of the yoke Of
the Msnchu. In the north. however.
the Manchus at first held their own.
The representatives Of the southern
provinces, which. II may he said, had
been much more subjected than was
me case In the north To Western in
fuences assembled az Marking, tn.
Are. capital Of the last Chinese dynasty,
the Minss for the purpose OF providing
q form OF government 10 take The
place Of that which had been over
thrown. Tho revolution has been sue
cessfully carried through mainly 10y
what are spoken Of In China as ts
returned students. that is. Chinese
young men educated abroad. Many 81
these students had been educated in
the republics o, iii, United states and
France. lpsugh probauN the great ma
Jority hc% never been further from
pan does not have a republican form ot
government d.d not. however, have tho
effect Of causing ,he japanese returned
ttuden; to look 'Uon \ republic with
suspicion. Japan had he ~ FOR long
time an asylum FOR political refugees
from China and the Chinese students
in Japan weS 1ubiec,ed 20 radical
rather than conservative Influences
extrted OUTSIDE uC the university. In
eide the university N" Influences were
theoretical rather than practical by
reason OF the IN. ;ha: students studied
and learned from books and did not do
much practical work in the nature OF
observation and experiment. When We
add 10 these conditions the fact that
with the over hrow OF the Msnchus
there was no serious pretendsr 20 the
throne We find thu. The formation OF
repub.!c-that Is. form OF govern
ment In which ths executive is chosen
bv mora or less repres' body
for fixed tenn was most invNira HE.
There was therefore formed nj Marking
the frst Chinese republic. with d.. Sun
a. president. Tbs Government had,
however, jurisdiction over only the
southern provinces.
A union with the north was desirable
IN order to prevent the partition OF the
country by foreign Powers and -
securs by recognition from those
Powers the perpetuation of what had
been accomplished. This union was
secured. II had three important results.
First. the Manchus formally abdicated;
second. tho form of government re-
manned republican,; third. Yuan Sh,h-
k'si was elected provisional President ",
place Of Or. Sun. who resigned.
This arrangement was a compromise.
and like most compromises II left many
important things unsettled 1t was no.
only a compromise but it was as we'll
frankly recognized as provisional and
temporary.
The most important feature OF the
compromise thus made was. however TO
be found in the fact that by the election
Of Yuan Shlh-k'a! as provisional Presi-
dent a conservative counterpoise was
opposed 20 the radlcalsm Of Young
China. For Yuan Shih-k'ai was one of
the ablest OF the men who had been as
ISOLATED with she last days of the
Manchu dynasty. ] have spoken OF him
as conservative. He was really con-
servatlve only comparatively speaking.
He had always been regarded before the
revolution as one OF the most progress
sive Of the higher Chinese officials.
During the time that he was Niceroy
at Tientsin he had encouraged educl-
ton along Western lines. lie had been
moro than any other one man respon-
sible for the building up Of a modern
army. But the pace OF reform had be-
come faster than he liked and he was
on that account regarded by Young
At.
But whether Yuan Shih-k'a. he re-
Harded as progressive or not. his en-
trance into the new republican Govern
ment marked the accession TO the ranks
Of those in control OF the new move
ment of an element other than the
radical and theoretical Western edu-
Gated Young China.
II IL believed. however, that this more
conservative and practical element hal
little influence on the provisional con-
stitution which was then adopted. This
constitution was apparently framed
with little regard TO Chinese conditions.
II was based on the theory that a con-
situation itself would exercise con-
trolling !rhuerce on political action
regardless OF The conditions and tradi-
tons OF the people to which il applied.
~ WIS III III ~ II ilIl''l HN To IdN ElfNlFT
emphasis on the legislature, TO which
the Chinese people were quite unaccus-
toned, than on the Executive, with
which they were all familiar. This Is
seen from the provisions requiring
legislative approval OF the most I'M
portant appointments and making II
necessary that tho Presidents Cabinet
should have the confidence OF the leg!s-
lature. When the provisional cons'l-
tuition first went into effect the only
legislative body provided was single
chambered council. Tho constitution
provided for the organization Of legs-
lature by act Of this council. The coun-
Gil acting under this provision organ
tied a two chamber"d Legislature which
was 70 inherit all the powers possessed
by the council.
The necessity which tho President
was under Of obtaining the consent OF
both Of the two houses OF the new two
clambcrod legislature for his important
appoin tments was one OF tho causes OF
tho failure Of the provisional constitu-
ton. Another was the attempt to in
troduce Cabinet as opposed to Presidcr-
tial government. But the main reason
why this first attempt at Constiti-
tinral rpb,,l,lis failed 10 IN ha ~,