natural course would seem to be a revival of the last dynasty.  It might have been possible for a Charles II and Louis XVIII of China to appear again, if not for the hatred of racial domination.  But since the last dynasty was Manchu this is out of the question.  If a new dynasty were set up it would require many years of hard labour and a great deal of organizing to succeed.  Even then only a few have succeeded in this way in prolonging their dynasties by actually convincing the people of their merits.  Therefore for several years I have been saying to myself that it would be easier to strengthen the country and place it on a sounder basis if it were possible for us to return to our monarchical state.  And to revive the monarchical government there are two ways.

One is that after thoroughly reforming the internal administration under the leadership of the present Great President, that is, when all the neglected affairs of the country have been well attended to, every family in the land made happy and prosperous, the army well-trained and all the necessary bitterness “eaten,” the President, when a suitable opportunity presented itself, should have the rare fortune to gain a decisive victory over a foreign foe; then his achievements would be such that the millions of people would compel him to ascend the throne, and so he would hand his sceptre on to his descendants for endless ages.

The second possibility is that after a second great internal disturbance, resulting in the whole country being thrown into a state of utter confusion and cut up into small independent states, the President should suppress them and unite the country into one empire.  We will, of course, not pray for the second possibility to come about as then there will be little left of the Chinese people.  And no one can be certain whether the person who shall succeed in suppressing the internal strife will be a man of our own race or not.  Thus the result will not differ very much from national extinction.  As to the first possibility, we know that an exceedingly capable man is now in a most powerful position; let him be given time and he will soon show himself to be a man of success.  Does not the last ray of hope for China depend on this?

    IX.  THE UNRIPE PEAR

This is why I say we should not deliberately create trouble for the Republic at this time to add to the worries of the Great President so that he might devote his puissant thoughts and energies to the institution of great reforms.  Then our final hope will be satisfied some day.  But what a year and what a day we are now living in?  The great crisis (Note:  The reference is to the Japanese demands) has just passed and we have not yet had time for a respite.  By the pressure of a powerful neighbour we have been compelled to sign a “certain” Treaty.  Floods, drought, epidemics and locusts visit our country and the land is full of suffering while robbers plunder