The
police, obeying instructions, promptly visited all shops and
dwelling-houses and ordered every one to fly the Dragon Flag. In
the afternoon of the same day the following Restoration Edict was
issued, its statements being a tissue of falsehoods, the alleged
memorial from President Li Yuan Hung, which follows the principal
document, being a bare-faced forgery, whilst no single name
inserted in the text save that of Chang Hsun had any right to be
there. There is also every reason to believe that the Manchu court
party was itself coerced, terror being felt from the beginning
regarding the consequences of this mad act which was largely
possible because Peking is a Manchu city.
IMPERIAL EDICT
Issued the 13th day of the 5th Moon of the 9th year of Hsuan Tung.
While yet in our boyhood the inheritance of the great domain was
unfortunately placed in our possession; and since we were then all
alone, we were unable to weather the numerous difficulties. Upon
the outbreak of the uprising in the year of Hsin Hai, (1911) Our
Empress, Hsiao Ting Chin, owing to her Most High Virtue and Most
Deep Benevolence was unwilling to allow the people to suffer, and
courageously placed in the hands of the late Imperial Councillor,
Yuan Shih-kai, the great dominion which our forefathers had built
up, and with it the lives of the millions of Our People, with
orders to establish a provisional government.
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