INAUGURAL STATEMENT OF 'HSIANG-CHIANG P'ING-LUN'

14 July 1919

[Text] With the rising roar of the "world revolution" and the striking progress of the "emancipation of mankind" movement, we must change the old concepts of the issues which we have never doubted before, the methods which we have never adopted before, and the words which we have always been afraid to utter. We doubt what we have never doubted before. We adopt what we have never before adopted. We are no longer afraid. Such trend cannot be blocked by any force, and it cannot but influence people, regardless of who they are.

What is the biggest issue in the world? The issue of food is the biggest. What force is the strongest? The force of mass unity is the strongest. What should not be feared? Fear neither heaven, nor ghosts, nor the dead, nor the bureaucrats, nor the warlords, nor the capitalists.

With the Renaissance and the emancipation of thinking, "how man should live" became a big issue. When this issue was studied, the conclusion that "this is the way to live!" or "this is not the way to live" was reached. With the scholars taking the lead and the majority of the people echoing them, many reforms were accomplished, or almost accomplished.

In religion, the Reformation resulted in freedom of religion. In literature, the literature of the aristocrats, the classic literature, and the dead literature became the literature of the people, modern literature, and living literature. In politics, tyranny became parliamentarism, and restricted election became unrestricted. In society, the dark society under the tyranny of the minority class became a bright society of the free development of all people. In education, there was the principle of popular education. In economics, there was the principle of to each according to his labor. In thinking, there was experimentalism. Internationally, there was the international alliance.

In a word, all the reforms are the results of "freedom from might." The fundamental ideology of the many forces opposing might is "popular-ism"

(democracy, also known as democratic theory, people-ism, or plebeian-ism). The might of religion, of literature, of politics, of society, of education, of economics, and of thinking, and international might have not any room for existence. They must all be overthrown by the loud appeal of popular-ism.

As for the means of overthrowing them, there are two theories: One is violent and the other moderate. We must make our choice between the two. (1) We recognize that all those exercising might are human beings, and our fellow creatures. Abusing power is their unconscious error and their misfortune, resulting from contamination and harm by the old society and old thinking. (2) The result of overthrowing might by force is still might. Not only is it contradictory, but also ineffective. The European war between the "Allies" and the "Central Powers" and China's civil war between the North and the South were all instances of such.

Therefore, according to our view, we advocate thorough study in the academic aspect, untrammeled by legends and superstitions, and we must spread the truth. In regard to the human element, we advocate mass unity, centering our "counseling movements" toward those in power, and practicing "revolution by appeals"--appeal for bread, appeal for freedom, and appeal for equality, or, "bloodless revolution." It will not lead to any major chaos or the ineffective "revolution by bombs" and "bloody revolution."

International might pressing in on us is Japan. The various movements, such as student strikes, market strikes, work strikes, and boycotting are the effective means to handle the mighty Japan directly or indirectly.

Hsiang-chiang is a river in the east of the Eastern hemisphere on the globe. Its water is clear and its flow long. The people living on its shores and in its vicinity are ignorant and uninformed. They know little of the affairs of the world. They do not have an organized society. Everyone for himself and scattered, they only have the narrowest self and the shortest time. In they have never dreamed of the common life or the long-range concept. In politics, they have not reached a thorough solution. They only know private struggles. Engulfed by the tidal waves of the external world, they have also undertaken some education, but without much effect. The bureaucratic educators, inflexible and stereotyped, consider the school a jail and the students prisoners. They have not developed their industry. The few useful talents among them, required learning and art by studying abroad or in outside areas, but there is no room for them to make use of their talents. The confining Tung-t'ing Lake blocks them gently. Entrenched in tribal thinking, the practice the principle of Hunan's rice for Hunan's people. Those in education and industry cannot tolerate those differing from them. Their mind is impoverished and decadent and needs improvement, yet there is no one to undertake the task. They have many young men in school, full of potential, yet there is no one to enlighten them with new knowledge and new art by an effective means. Alas! Hsiang-chiang, Hsiang-chiang! Like a pillar you exist on this earth!

The opportunity has arrived! The great tide of the world surges forward! The locks of Tung-t'ing Lake are moving and opening! The powerful new trend is roaring along the shores of Hsiang-chiang! Those following it will live; those resisting it will die. How to receive it? How to spread it? How to study it? How to promulgate it? These constitute the most intimate and most important great issues of all the people of Hunan as well as "Hsiang-chiang" upon its birth.

o "The Influence of the October Revolution on China's Revolution (Shu-ying)," People's Publishing House, 1957

Δ HSIANG-CHIANG P'ING-LUN, Inaugural Issue, 14 July 1919