The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-11-22

savior Of his country. with ideas to
which he chose to give the name of
republic for reasons which 1t IL not
difficult to comprehend. But saving face
with his European and American pa
irons, for friendship with such an amor
phous Chinese was not possible. he lost
face with the Chinese themselves. HIS
tory is full Of dynasties IN China, that
which endures IL the Chinese, It II the
sturdy Chinese element which must be
reckoned with in every change. Sun
Yat-scn was only the man of tho mo-
ment, not of the hour.
Then came the counter revolution, It's
details as yet most imperfectIy known,
but out of It comes at the top Yuan
shih-k'ai as at present acceptable to the
Chinese. He is now in the balances and
II needs all our experience in the Chi
nese habit of thought TO forecast his
future. The government which Yuan
Shih-k'ai Is administering at this mo-
ment." say these authors. and their
statement comma nds great respect. "is no
more republican than was that OF kublai
Khan. The annals upon which We have
drawn reveal on every page the truth,
that this people understands and accepts
the government Of despot, whether
his methods be benevolent or brutal,
provided that he rule according to the
patriarchial presidents Of the canons OF
the "a ges. Let him. IL he will, deck the
surface OF Chinese life with strange In
ventions from the West but let him not
disturb those silent depths wherein lie
all the moral and social experience OF
the race
Skilled as these authors are In Chi
nese custom life. perhaps distinctly by
reason of their intimate familiarity with
the passing history of the Chinese race
| which changes only In slow secular
movement, they do not attempt to fore
cast the future OF what, in It's period
OF present transition. we may best re-
fer TO as the new administration In
China. What is their feeling we may
infer from the following statement:
THE throne and the court remain
therefore. necessary integral parts OF
China's social system and cut OF an.
cestors. To these. sooner or later. tbs
instinct OF the race must inevitably re-
turn. 1t was perception OF this truti
that caused Ii Hung chang to supper
the Manchus In 1901, not because they
were good, but because they were there
and because. In his opinion, no indi
vidual or family in China. without fight
ing a successful civil war could com
mand the respect of the people II
measure sufficient 10 found new
dynasty Whether Yuan Shih-k'ai vii
he able to command Il remains to b,
seen. but every day increases hi
chances OF success. In hiding his tim,
he IL conforming strictly 10 preceden
as established by the soldier priest
founder OF the Ming dynasty. He ha!
made no secret Of his contempt for IN,
republican mirage. which for hin
means the instability of rampant de
mocracy. of dissension and partition
, In these sentiments he has not on,
the support OF the lterati but the in
art!culate approval of the masses. II
, realizes that Chinas best hope lies, no
In a sudden revoutionar destruction
OF the old order but in slow. stead
, growth by educative processes whicl
, shall enable the nation TO adapt itse,
gradually 20 its changed environment
, He knows thar, whether as sovereign
State or under foreign dominion, the un
conduarabe vitality of China, ion
testsd in the cructble OF time, lies 4
. the moral qualities Of her common peo
. pc, in the unconscious he-oism Of
, race Of cheerful toNere, in the cndur!n
qualities Of body and mind which hav
. preserved the soul Of this nation stead
fast ana undismayed through count e.
generations"