Itagaki Taisuke
Ueki was the son of a middle-ranking samurai from Tosa. Inspired by Itagaki Taisuke, he became involved in the Jiyūtō. In 1875, he was thrown in jail under the for writing an article critical of the government. Upon release he wrote an article "Freedom is worth purchasing with one's own blood". In 1881 he wrote "A Private Draft of the Japanese Constitution", which gave provision for the overthrow of oppressive government.