nd 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 s