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24 GENERAL REVIEW OF THE YEARbecause there was no possibility at the time of establishing a Chinese Dynasty. The tension that then existed between the North and the South would haverendered itimpossible to found a Yuan Dynasty, and,moreover, public sentiment would have been outraged if aMinister, who had been entrusted by the tottering MancliuDynasty with the task of saving it from destruction, hadcrowned his lack of success by ascending the Throne. Thetrend of events from the founding of the .Republic to theunseating of the Kuomintang members of the NationalAssembly in November, IDllj, however, confirmed the beliefheld in many quarters that republicanism was not a suitablesystem of government for the Chinese in their present stageof political development. A premature expression of thisbelief, coupled with a suggestion that President Yuan Sliihkaimight ascend the Throne, drew from Ilis Excellencya sharp reproof. This by no means checked the zeal ofthe monarchists, though it prevented for the time anyfurther public agitation for a change in the system ofgovernment.A visit was paid to Peking in July byPresidentProfessor Frank R. Goodiiow, President ofGoodnow .TT .. ..,,Johns Hopkins university, who was stillConstitutional Adviser to the Government. During hishe submitted a Memorandum tostay in the Chinese capitalthe President in which the relative merits of the monarchical and republican systems of government were consideredfrom an academic standpoint. This Memorandum is muchtoo long to quote textaally. It laid down the broadprinciple that, while no one system of government could bepronounced to be superior to others, for countries in whichthe political consciousness of the people was imperfectlydeveloped it was doubtful whether the republican systemwould give the best results. Stress was laid upon the dangerof disturbances occurring over succession to the Presidentship in countries where the principles of republicanism hadnot thoroughly been grasped, and Mexico was cited as anexample. Dr. Goodnow made it clear that a restoration ofmonarchy in China would only be justified in certaincircumstances. It was, he said, necessary:

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