That is, you wish that once the expected monarchy is established it may continue for ever.  Now by what principle can such a monarchy continue for ever, except that the laws and orders of that dynasty be obeyed, and obeyed implicitly by all, from the Court down to the common people?  For one to adopt methods that violate the law while engaged in creating a new dynasty is like a man, who, to secure a wife, induces the virtuous virgin to commit fornication with him, on the plea that as a marriage will be arranged preservation of her virtue need not be insisted upon.  Can such a man blame his wife for immorality after marriage?  If, while still citizens of a republican country, one may openly and boldly call meetings and organize societies for the overthrow of the Republic, who shall say that we may not in due time openly and boldly call meetings and organize societies for the overthrow of the monarchy?  What shall you say if in future there should be another foreign doctor to suggest another theory and another society to engage in another form of activity?  The Odes have it, “To prevent the monkey from climbing a tree is like putting mud on a man in the mire.”  For a person to adopt such methods while engaged in the making of a dynasty is the height of folly.  Mencius says, “a Chuntse when creating a dynasty aims at things that can be handed down as good examples.”  Is it not the greatest misfortune to set up an example that cannot be handed down as a precedent?  The present state of affairs is causing me no small amount of anxiety.

    XII.  A POSTSCRIPT

A copy of Yang Tu’s pamphlet, “Constitutional Monarchy or the Salvation of China” reached me after I had finished writing the above discussion.  On a casual glance through it I alighted upon the following passage:  “What is known as a constitutional country is a country which has definite laws and in which no one, from the ruler down to the common people, can take any action that is not permitted by law.  Good men cannot do good outside of the bounds of law; neither can bad men do evil in violation of it.”  This is indeed a passage that breathes the very spirit of constitutionalism.  Let us ask Mr. Yang if the activities of the Chou An Hui, of which he is the President, are acts within the bounds of law?  Mr. Yang is a good man.  It is therefore possible for him to believe that he is not doing evil in violation of the law; but has he not at least been doing good outside of the bounds of law?  If an advocate of constitutional monarchy is capable of doing such unlawful acts, we may easily imagine what sort of a constitutional monarchy he advocates; and we may also easily imagine what the fate of his constitutional monarchy will be.

Mencius says, “Am I argumentative?  I cannot help it.”  Who would have thought that a man, who cares not for the question of the form of state like myself and who opposed you—­Mr. Yang Tu—­during your first campaign