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"26 GENERAL KEVlEVV OF THE YEAUMS to the attitude that this body would adopt. When Vice-President Li Yuan-hung, who usually presided over itsmeetings, failed to appear, rumours at once became currentthat his absence was due to his opposition to the monarchical movement. The subject of the form of government wasnot raised at the first sitting, but at the next meeting onSeptember 6, over which General Li Yuan-hung presided, amessage was read from the President which was couchedin the following terms:It is now four years since the people have^trusted i"o with the high office of Presidentof the Chinese Republic. Moved by .fear thatthe task might be beyond my capacity, have I laboured,during the pasl troublous years, under much anxiety andmisgiving and have looked forward to the lime when 1 mightbe relieved of the pressing burdens of the State and permitted to retire from the same.M>ut while I occupy my present position, it is myimperative duty and responsibility to protect the countryand the people. It ismy special duty to maintain HieRepublic as the existing .form of government. .Many citizensfrom the provinces have been lately petitioning the TsanCheng Yuan in its capacity of the Li Fa Yuan calling for achange of the form of the present government of the country.But this is incompatible with the position that I hold asPresident. Since, however, the office of the President isconferred by the people, the same must depend on the willof the people. And since the Tsan Cheng Yuan in itscapacity of the Li Fa Yuan is an independent body and istherefore free from external interference. I ought notstrictly considered to express or communicate any views(on the issue raised by the aforesaid petitioners,) to thepeople of the country or to the Tsan Cheng Yuan in itscapacity of the Li Fa Y\rau. But inasmuch as any alteration in the form of government makes and involves animportant and radical change in the Executive Power andsince 1 am the chief of the Executive 1 feel that it is impossible for me to observe silence, even though my speech mayexpose my motives to the risk of mis-interpretation.