664 



The National Geographic Magazine 



have taken place in the last few months 

 in. a number of the most important prov- 

 inces, where at the popular demand vice- 

 roys have been removed and more accept- 

 able ones appointed. In no other nation 

 are the public offices so freely opened to 

 the masses, as under the system of com- 

 petitive examinations the lowest subject, 

 with a few class exceptions, may fit him- 

 self for and obtain the highest office. 

 There is no hereditary nobility, except of 

 the imperial family. The Emperor recog- 

 nizes himself and is recognized by his 

 subjects as being controlled by a higher 

 law than his own will. For many cen- 

 turies the country has been governed by 

 boards or departments at the capital, 

 somewhat complicated, but similar in 

 their operation to most of the political 

 systems of the western nations. In more 

 than one instance where the Emperor 

 has gone contrary to the views of his 

 advisers and the popular will he has been 

 deposed and a new occupant of the throne 

 chosen, who was more subservient to the 

 established institutions of the Empire. 

 The teachings of Confucius and Mencius, 

 the highest Chinese authorities in gov- 

 ernmental and social matters, were based 

 upon the principle of securing the com- 

 mon good of all ; hence a constitutional 

 form of government might well be the 

 legitimate offspring of the ancient order 

 in China, independent of any aid rendered 

 by modern civilization. 



It is quite compatible, therefore, with 

 the existing principles of government to 

 take steps toward a more formal consti- 

 tutional regime. But, as becomes a con- 

 servative people, these steps are being 

 taken with deliberation. In the first 

 place, an imperial edict was issued July 

 16 of last year, after many councils as to 

 the reforms most needed by the country, 

 appointing two commissions, composed 

 of prominent and intelligent officials, to 

 visit the United States and Europe. The 

 edict stated that "the court has repeatedly 

 announced in plain speech that earnest 

 efforts must be made to introduce re- 

 forms, * * * with the view to raise 

 China from' her present condition of 



weakness and deliver her from the dan- 

 gers into which she has fallen;" and the 

 commissioners were commanded "to in- 

 quire into the methods of the various for- 

 eign governments, in the hope that we 

 may be thus able to select and adopt the 

 best." 



We well remember the favorable im- 

 pression made by the commissioners who 

 recently visited Washington and other 

 cities of the United States. The two 

 traveling commissions (as they were 

 called), having completed their investi- 

 gations, returned to Peking in August 

 last, had several personal audiences of 

 the Emperor and Empress Dowager, and 

 submitted their reports in writing, recom- 

 mending the establishment of a constitu- 

 tional government. These reports were 

 the subject of earnest cabinet councils, 

 in which the conservative element of the 

 Court made determined efforts to defeat 

 the constitutional plan, but they finally 

 failed. It appears that Yuan Shih-kai, 

 who was summoned to the capital from 

 Tientsin, and Tuan Fang, the most effi- 

 cient member of the traveling commis- 

 sions, were the influential advocates of 

 the constitution, and it is said won over 

 the support of a large majority of the 

 cabinet, as well as the Emperor and Em- 

 press Dowager. 



A NOTABLE EDICT 



As a result, the imperial edict was 

 issued September I last, announcing the 

 decision of the throne to grant and 

 "adopt a constitutional system in which 

 the supreme authority shall be' vested in 

 the crown, but all questions of govern- 

 ment shall be considered by a popular 

 assembly." The edict is a notable docu- 

 ment, and I regret that I do not have the 

 time to read it in full. It sustains the 

 decision to adopt a constitution by citing 

 the deplorable condition of the country 

 which threatens danger and disaster, 

 which can only be avoided "by broaden- 

 ing our knowledge, improving our laws, 

 and keeping in the path of progress." 

 However, before creating a constitution 

 and a representative assembly, it says 



