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which was government by the people, and therefore the revolutiona- -ries had no just grounds for proceeding further. By doing so
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they ran a fear of forcing the foreign powers to intervene, which would be disastrous to China, and might also cause war between the
Powers.
The influential people in Canton met and decided that they wished to establish Kwangtung as an Independent Province, and so informed him and asked him to be President. He
e replied that this was impossible because the foreign Powers would look to a Central Government only for fulfilment of Treaties and financial obligations. He therefore forcibly suppressed the move- -ment, and the hoisting of independent flags, but he refrained from punishing anyone concerned in it.
Up to this time (about ten days ago) the
troops were loyal. Quite recently Admiral hi with his Naval
Defence Corps and Gunboats went over to the rebels, and he was already aware that all the other troops were disaffected except the 3,000 under General Lung who had come from Yunnan, and who were absolutely loyal. He was thus rendered powerless.
His whole object had been to maintain some
form of gover.ment in order to prevent chaos and bloodshed, until it should be shein what was to be the new form of government
in China.
The Provincial Assembly which was identified with the Revolutionary party now again approached him in the interests of peace and to avoid bloodshed, to come over to their side. He replied that if they accepted three conditions he was prepared to recognise the position and refrain from further
resistance. If they would not accept he would fight with General
Lung's 3,000 men, but he saw that though they might kill 3,000 or 10,000 of the rebels and cause serious loss to property in the city he had and his men would then be wiped out, and the position
(2)
would be as it is today. The Provincial Assembly accepted his
terms which were as follows:-
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