The People of Hunan Fight for Dignity

(June 9, 1920)

The objectives of the Hunan people in driving out Zhang were once set forth in great detail by "a Hunanese." But there are two further points that I am aware of: First, if Zhang wanted to grow opium, he could have openly forced its cultivation, and that would not have been considered a crime. But instead, he put up signs everywhere prohibiting opium, while in July of last year, Yu Zhaotong, the magistrate of Changsha, summoned over a hundred tuanzong from all over Changsha county to a secret meeting at the county office, announced the Dayuanshuai’s[1] intention, and distributed 40,000 packets of seeds. After the meeting, the tuanzong made this secret public. Second, when teachers were paid their salaries, they actually received only 70 percent, but they were required to write on the receipts that they had received 100 percent. The teachers were extremely indignant and sent a representative, carrying evidence, to Beijing to file a complaint. When he reached Xinyangzhou[2], detectives who had rushed there overnight searched him and took the evidence away. These two incidents were quite enough to arouse the hostility of the Hunan people. They said that murder and arson were secondary; such outrageous bullying was somewhat hard to endure. The movement to drive out Zhang was launched, with prominent figures, elders, young people, and juniors all joining in, precisely because of these several very deep provocations. Therefore, the Hunan people’s drive to expel Zhang was entirely because, in terms of dignity, the Hunan people and he could not coexist. The Hunan people’s drive to expel Zhang was entirely "a fight for dignity," just as when Cai Songpo[3] pledged his army in Yunnan, saying, "I fight for dignity."

[1] Dayuanshuai refers to Zhang Jingyao. Zhang Jingyao (1881–1933), courtesy name Xunchen, was a native of Huoqiu, Anhui. He successively served as commander of the 7th Division of the Beiyang Army, Commissioner for Bandit Suppression in the four-province border region of Jiangsu, Shandong, Henan, and Anhui, and other posts. In April 1918, he became Military Governor and concurrently Civil Governor of Hunan. In June 1920, under pressure from the people’s struggle and the Hunan army, he withdrew from Hunan. Later, he served as commander and army commander under Wu Peifu, Zhang Zongchang, and Zhang Zuolin.

[2] Xinyangzhou is present-day Xinyang City, Henan Province.

[3] Cai Songpo is Cai E.