To the Military and Civil Governors of the Provinces, the Military Commissioners at Foochow and Kweiyang; the Military Commandants at Changteh, Kweihuating, and Kalgan; and the Commissioner of Defence at Tachienlu:—­

(To be deciphered with the Hua Code)

The change in the form of the state is now happily accomplished.  This is due not only to the unity of the people’s minds, but more especially to the skill with which, in realizing the object of saving the country, you have carried out the propaganda from the beginning, managed affairs according to the exigencies of the occasions, and adapted the law to suit the circumstances.  The people have, to be sure, become tired of the Republic; yet unless you had taken the lead, they would not have dared to voice their sentiments.  We all appreciate your noble efforts.

Ever since the monarchical movement was started, the people as well as the high officials in the different localities have repeatedly petitioned for the change, a fact which proves that the people’s will is in favour of it.  In order to enable the people to express their will through a properly constituted organ, the General Convention of the Citizens’ Representatives has been created.

Since the promulgation of the Law on the Organization of the Citizens’ Representatives, we, who are devoted to the welfare of the state, desire to see that the decisions of that Convention do not run counter to the wishes of the people.  We are so anxious about the matter that we have striven so to apply the law to meet the circumstances as to carry out our designs.  It is out of patriotic motives that we have adopted the policy of adhering to the law, whenever possible, and, at the same time, of yielding to expediency, whenever necessary.  During the progress of this scheme there may have been certain letters and telegrams, both official and private, which have transgressed the bounds of the law.  They will become absolutely useless after the affair is finished.  Moreover, no matter how carefully their secrets may have been guarded, still they remain as permanent records which might compromise us; and in the event of their becoming known to foreigners, we shall not escape severe criticism and bitter attacks, and, what is worse, should they be handed down as part of the national records, they will stain the opening pages of the history of the new dynasty.  The Central Government, after carefully considering the matter, has concluded that it would be better to sort out and burn the document so as to remove all unnecessary records and prevent regrettable consequences.  For these reasons you are hereby requested to sift out all telegrams, letters, and dispatches concerning the change in the form of the state, whether official or private, whether received from Peking or the provinces (excepting those required by law to be filed on record), and cause the same to be burnt in your presence.  As for those which have already been communicated to the local officials, you are likewise requested to order them to be returned immediately; to commit them to the flames; and to report to this Bureau for future reference the total number of documents so destroyed.