h an influence was capable of producing unconsciously and
spontaneously a kind of effect to assist directly or indirectly in
maintaining order and imparting blessing to the country. In this
lies the value of a monarchy. But dignity is a thing not to be
trifled with. Once it is trodden down it can never rise again. We
carve wood or mould clay into the image of a person and call it a
god (idol). Place it in a beautiful temple, and seat it in a
glorious shrine and the people will worship it and find it
miraculously potent. But suppose some insane person should pull it
down, tread it under foot and throw it into a dirty pond and suppose
some one should discover it and carry it back to its original sacred
abode, you will find the charm has gone from it. Ever since the days
of monarchical government the people have looked on the monarch with
a sort of divine reverence, and never dared to question or criticize
his position. After a period of republicanism, however, this
attitude on the part of the common people has been abruptly
terminated with no possibility of resurrection. A survey of all the
republics of the world will tell us that although a large number of
them suffered under republican rule, not a single one succeeded in
shaking itself free of the republican fetters. Among the world
republics only France has had her monarchical system revived twice
after the republic was first inaugurated. The monarchy, however,
disappeared almost immediately. Thus we may well understand how
difficult it is for a country to return to its monarchical state
after a republican regime. It may be said that China has had only a
short experience of the republican regime; but it must also be
remembered that the situation has been developing for more than ten
years and in actual existence for about four years. During the
period of development the revolutionists denounced the monarch in
most extravagant terms and compared him to the devil. Their aim was
to kill the mystic belief of the people in the Emperor; for only by
diminishing the dignity of the monarch could the revolutionary cause
make headway. And during and after the change all the official
documents, school text-books, press views and social gossip have
always coupled the word monarch with reprobation. Thus for a long
while this glorious image has bee