"Expelling Zhang" and "Self-Government" and Our Fundamental Stand[1]

(November 1920)

Lirong’s letter, discussing our methods of proceeding and advocating the need for preparation, is most faithful and earnest. My views have already been concretely expressed in my letter to Sister Tao Siyong and Brother Zhou Dunyuan[2], and I also spoke of them face to face with Lirong several times on the way back to Hunan[3]. I feel that last year’s movement to expel Zhang and this year’s self-government movement, in the view of us comrades, are really not political movements to be carried out by us directly. The significance of our undertaking these two movements is simply this: the movement to expel Zhang was merely a simple resistance against Zhang Jingyao, that overbearing tyrant who was too intolerable to bear. The self-government movement is merely a simple hope that in Hunan we can specially devise a method (a Hunan Constitution) to create a relatively good environment in Hunan, so that within such an environment we may carry out our concrete preparatory work. To speak thoroughly, both these movements are merely expedient measures to cope with the present environment, and are by no means our fundamental stand; our stand lies far beyond these movements. Speaking to this point, it is truly as Lirong says: "preparation" is crucial, but what the "method" of preparation should be still requires study. Last year in Beijing, Chen Zanzhou was skeptical about "expelling Zhang." He said that since we believe in worldism

--- Notes

[1] This text is a passage added by Mao Zedong after Yi Lirong’s letter of June 30, 1920, to Mao Zedong and Peng Huang, when Mao was editing the second collection of the Correspondence of the New People’s Study Society Members. It bears no date of writing. The second collection was compiled in November 1920 and published in December; accordingly, this should have been written in November 1920. Yi Lirong was then the manager of the Changsha Cultural Bookstore.

[2] Zhou Dunyuan, i.e., Zhou Shizhao.

[3] In early July 1920, Mao Zedong traveled from Shanghai via Wuhan, inviting Yi Lirong to return to Hunan together. On the way, he spoke with Yi Lirong about the need for preparation in undertaking tasks.

"Expelling Zhang" and "Self-Government" and Our Fundamental Stand

and fundamental transformation, we should not concern ourselves with the small problems and small facts of the present, and should not "expel Zhang." His words, of course, also have reason, but my view is slightly different. The movement to expel Zhang and the self-government movement, etc., are also a means to achieve fundamental transformation, and are the most economical and effective means to cope with the "present environment." But there is one condition: that from beginning to end (from the initiation to the conclusion of such movements), we should only assume a position of "promotion." To state it plainly, we must never leap onto the political stage to become the authorities. I think that we, the members of the New People’s Study Society, should divide our future methods of proceeding into several categories: one category is those who have already gone abroad, which can be further divided into two—one is to specialize in academic research, cultivating more scholars with solid foundations, as advocated by Luo Rongxi[1] and Xiao Zisheng. The other is to engage in the planning and organization of fundamental transformation, establishing a basis for transformation, such as the Communist Party advocated by Cai Hesen. Another category is those who have not gone abroad, also divided into two—one is those studying in schools within the province or the country, who should of course take the pursuit of learning and the accumulation of ability as their fundamental duty. The other is those engaged in social movements, who may initiate and carry out various valuable social movements and social undertakings from all sides. As for those political movements deemed most economical and effective, such as the "self-government movement" and the "universal suffrage movement," they may also contribute a little promoting effort from the sidelines, but must absolutely not be tainted by the old social habits, and especially must not forget our fundamental common ideal and plan. As for Lirong’s mention of uniting comrades, it is naturally of the utmost importance. However, our union is a union of mutual aid; our personalities must be open, our purpose must be common, and we must always ensure that in our consciousness there is no true comrade who is out of place.

Zedong

[1] Luo Rongxi, i.e., Luo Xuezan.