Regarding Hunan’s autonomy, it was regarded as a matter of life and death, honor and disgrace for the people of Hunan. It had been advocated on theoretical grounds and, together with others, actively promoted in practice—what was known as constitutional drafting and state-building. The facts were completely public; there was not the slightest secrecy… Mao Zedong is a free citizen of New Hunan. Except as provided by law, no one may infringe upon my person or my reputation in the slightest degree.

(Originally published in Fan Changsha’s Ta Kung Pao on December 5, 1920)