TAI-CHI QUO

The entire civilized world, as well as China, is to be heartily congratulated upon the glorious revolution which has been sweeping over that vast ancient empire, and which is now practically assured of success.  “Just as conflagrations light up the whole city,” says Victor Hugo, “revolutions light up the whole human race.”  Of no revolution recorded in the world’s history can this be said with a greater degree of truth than of the present revolution in China.  It spells the overthrow of monarchy, which has existed there for over forty centuries, and the downfall of a dynasty which has been the enemy of human progress for the last two hundred and seventy years.  It effects the recognition and establishment of personal liberty, the sovereignty of man over himself, for four hundred and thirty-two million souls, one-third of the world’s total population.

The Chinese revolution marks, in short, a great, decisive step in the onward march of human progress.  It benefits not only China, but the whole world, for just as a given society should measure its prosperity not by the welfare of a group of individuals, but by the welfare of the entire community, so must humanity estimate its progress according to the well-being of the whole human race.  Society can not be considered to be in a far advanced stage of civilization if one-third of the globe’s inhabitants are suffering under the oppression and tyranny of a one-man rule.  Democracy can not be said to exist if a great portion of the people on the earth have not even political freedom.  Real democracy exists only when all men are free and equal.  Hence, any movement which brings about the recognition and establishment of personal liberty for one-third of the members of the human family, as the Chinese revolution is doing, may well be pronounced to be beneficial to mankind.

But is it really true and credible that conservative, slumbering, and “mysterious” China is actually having a revolution, that beautiful and terrible thing, that angel in the garb of a monster?  If it is, what is the cause of the revolution?  What will be its ultimate outcome?  What will follow its success?  Will a republic be established and will it work successfully?  These and many other questions pertaining to the Chinese situation have been asked, not only by skeptics, but also by persons interested in China and human progress.

There can be no doubt that China is in earnest about what she is doing.  Even the skeptics who called the revolution a “mob movement,” or another “Boxer uprising,” at its early stage must now admit the truth of the matter.  The admirable order and discipline which have characterized its proceedings conclusively prove that the revolution is a well-organized movement, directed by men of ability, intelligence, and humanitarian principles.  Sacredness of life and its rights, for which they are fighting,