B.C. 1112, a
novel and interesting republican experiment. Excerpts from two Mandates
which belong to these days throw a flood of light on the kind of
reasoning which was held to justify these developments. The first
declares:

... "In a Republic the Sovereign Power is vested in the people, and
the main principle is that all things should be determined in
accordance with the desires of the majority. These desires may be
embraced by two words, namely, existence and happiness. I, the
President, came from my farm because I was unable to bear the
eternal sufferings of the innocent people. I assumed office and
tried vainly to soothe the violent feelings. The greatest evil
nowadays is the misunderstanding of true principles. The Republicans
on the pretext of public interest try to attain selfish ends, some
going so far as to consider the forsaking of parents as a sign of
liberty and regarding the violation of the laws as a demonstration
of equality. I will certainly do my best to change all this."

In the second Mandate Yuan Shih-kai justifies the re-establishment of
the Confucian worship in a singular way, incidentally showing how
utterly incomprehensible to him is the idea of representative
government, since he would appear to have imagined that by dispatching
circular telegrams to the provincial capitals and receiving affirmative
replies from his creatures all that is necessary in the way of a
national endorsement of high constitutional measures had been obtained.

... "China's devotion to Confucius began with the reign of the
Emperor Hsiaowu, of the Han dynasty, who rejected the works of the
hundred authors, making the six Confucian classics the leading
books. Confucius, born in the time of the tyranny of the nobility,
in his works declared that after war disturbances comes peace, and
with peace real tranquillity and happiness. This, therefore, is the
fountain of Republicanism. After studying the history of China and
consulting the opinions of scholars, I find that Confucius must
remain the teacher for thousands of generations. But in a Republic
the people possess sovereign power. Therefore circular telegrams
were dispatched to all the provinces to collect opinions, and many
affirmative answers have already been received. Therefore, all
colleges, schools, and public bodies are ordered to revive the
sacrificial ceremon