Hunan People Strive to Have Zhang Jingyao Removed from Office April 27, 1920 The Hunan Post-War Reconstruction Association and the Shanghai-Based Federation of Hunanese Groups Issued Letters and Telegrams Yesterday, Vowing to Fight Vigorously Against Any Peace Terms That Would Leave Governor Zhang in Place. The Texts Are Recorded Below:

To President Lu in Nanning and President Tang in Yunnan: We have just learned from the newspapers of the terms being discussed for peace between North and South China, and upon reading them we are filled with alarm and dismay. Since the resumption of peace talks, eight articles were put forward; subsequent negotiations ought to have been based on these very provisions. Even if concessions were to be made, they should still be resolved in accordance with the law. Yet now, it seems, the Shanghai Conference has been cast aside, and a hasty, private settlement is being sought. Such a course not only contradicts our just principles but also makes lasting peace utterly impossible. The dangers ahead are already chilling enough. Moreover, Article Four specifically stipulates that the Governor of Hunan shall remain in office, which is particularly egregious. In sum, Zhang Jingyao has brought untold calamities upon Hunan—his crimes are so numerous they cannot be counted. For a long time, the people of Hunan, driven by their desperate need to survive, have been poised to take a final, desperate stand. However, because they so ardently desire peace, they have endured in silence, waiting for a resolution. Now, however, the very culprit is to be retained, allowing him to continue poisoning the province and sacrificing its entire population for the sake of personal gain. The people of Hunan swear that as long as even three households remain, they will never accept this arrangement—they would rather perish together than submit. We earnestly implore you, gentlemen, to act once more with a spirit of relief and neighborly compassion, fully upholding the principles of safeguarding the constitution and saving the nation. Please consider the situation as a whole and rescue Hunan from this dire predicament. Otherwise, public confidence will be irretrievably lost, leading to a complete breakdown of trust. This would not only be a disaster for Hunan but also for the entire Southwest region. With tears streaming down our faces, we humbly beg you to see clearly.

To President Cen of the Military Government in Guangzhou: News reports indicate that the Northern Government has unofficially presented peace terms to Your Excellency and to President Lu. Among these terms is a clause stating that Zhang, the Governor of Hunan, is to remain in office, which comes as a shocking revelation. Although these accounts may be one-sided and lack concrete evidence, rumors abound that leading figures from both sides are secretly negotiating behind closed doors, shrouded in mystery. As the saying goes, where there is corruption, pests are bound to appear, and such suspicions are hardly unwarranted. Since the beginning of the revolutionary movement in Hunan, the lives and property of the people have suffered losses far greater than those in Fujian or Shaanxi. And yet, the harm caused by Zhang Jingyao to Hunan has been doubly devastating compared with that inflicted by Li in Fujian and Chen in Shaanxi. Now, amidst calls for peace, his retention is singled out as a separate clause. If the Governor of Hunan is allowed to cling to power under these circumstances, it would be tantamount to ignoring the repeated, anguished pleas of the Hunanese people over many years. To engage in such a deal solely for the benefit of a few powerful individuals, without regard for either justice or the welfare of the people, defies all reason. Who could possibly believe that the Northern authorities, who have long shown neither fear nor concern for the plight of the populace, would suddenly propose such a thing? While it may not be entirely their fault, the fact remains that no private party can bestow gubernatorial authority. Wise men should recognize that this constitutes a fraud perpetrated against a province already reeling from extraordinary disasters in the name of upholding the constitution. Compassionate individuals ought to feel deep pity for Hunan, especially since it serves as the gateway to the Southwest. Should unlawful warlords and traitorous factions like Zhang Jingyao be permitted to establish themselves there, then Sichuan, Yunnan, Guangxi, and Guangdong would all find themselves in grave danger. How can we hope to save the nation when we can scarcely save ourselves? We in Hunan firmly believe that your esteemed leadership, embodying both constitutionalism and benevolence, will never abandon our province to its fate. We therefore urge you to vigorously support the people’s demand to remove Zhang and to resist any attempt to overturn the decisions already reached at the peace conference, so as to rid Hunan of this scourge. Only in this way can we achieve victory over evil and secure the future not only of the thirty million inhabitants of Hunan but also of the broader Southwest region. Filled with trepidation, we offer our fervent prayers and hopes.

To Representatives Zhang Xingyan and Peng Jingren: Having read in the newspapers that the Northern Government has, through unofficial channels, proposed certain terms for negotiation with the Southwest, we are deeply disturbed. Though these statements are one-sided and lack solid foundation, outside rumors speak of dark machinations and shadowy dealings, which are all the more alarming. Upon examination, we find that, apart from matters concerning loan allocations and the distribution of high-ranking posts, none of these terms truly addresses the legitimate concerns of the people or meets the urgent needs of the nation. Most troubling of all is that Zhang Jingyao, the Governor of Hunan, has wrought the most grievous devastation, and the people of Hunan have long regarded him as an irreconcilable enemy. Yet these terms would leave the status quo unchanged, keeping Zhang in place alongside governors like Chen in Shaanxi and Li in Fujian. What sin have the people of Hunan committed that they must forever endure such suffering? Our province’s trials are far from over, and we still dare to hope for peace. Moreover, previous peace conferences had already conducted a thorough review of the situation, culminating in the adoption of eight key articles as essential conditions. Today, however, all of this is being swept aside, replaced by mere arrangements to satisfy the private interests of one or two southern leaders, at the expense of thirty million ordinary citizens. The people of Hunan are prepared to die rather than consent to such a scheme. Given your close ties to your native land, we trust that you will understand our plight. We further request that, in pursuing the removal of Zhang as a precondition for resuming peace talks, you adhere strictly to your original intent and carry forward this position. Otherwise, our province will remain locked in a life-and-death struggle, while the overall situation continues to deteriorate—and you yourselves may find it increasingly difficult to respond to the demands of the Hunanese people. Overcome with emotion, we write these words without hesitation.

☆〇 From the Shanghai Republic Daily, Issue No. 149, dated April 20, 1920: “Eight Hunanese Protest Against the Provisions Concerning Hunan in the Peace Negotiations, Demanding Zhang Jingyao’s Removal” The People of Hunan Strive to Have Zhang Jingyao Removed from Office No. 87