The Opinion Of Shen Bao About Constitutionalism Movement In The Late Qing Dynasty

The Constitutional Movement of the Qing Dynasty which plays an important role inChina’s modern history is a major political reform movement. Shen Bao is a relativelyinfluential newspaper in the constitutional period of late Qing Dynasty. The paperattempts to study Shen Bao in terms of history, political science, journalism bymethods of historical and dialectical materialism, and review the this complicatedpolitical activities in the early twentieth century.The paper based on the primary research data of Shen Bao from1901to1911andconsists of four main parts.The first part describes the attitude shift from maintaining the rule of Qing Dynasty topreliminary constitutional requirements. This part using time as clues analyzes theShen Bao opinion towards Constitutionalism from January1901to August1906andexplores the reasons for his change in attitude.The second part analyzes the constitutional theory and political opinion of Shen Bao.The promotional content of Shen Bao in constitutional theory is as follows:Parliament, the constitution, political parties, cabinet responsibility, and It also givesome suggestion for the Conference Board. Propaganda of constitutional theorypromotes the development of constitutional thought, and deepens people’sunderstanding of the Constitutionalism, and at the same time, stimulates nationalconsciousness of political participationThe third part, taking petition to Congress as an example, study the advocatedconstitutional Salvation opinion. During this period, Shen Bao always tracks the lateststatus of petition to congress, exposes the ugly face of pseudo-constitutional attitudeof the Qing government, promotes opening congress, makes plans to petitionCongress and gives impetus to the movement climax.The fourth part explores attitude of the Qing government from preparations forconstitutionalism to its violent revolution by analyzing its public opinion from1901to1911.The newspaper initially deeply believes the Qing government’s preparations forconstitutionalism, but the Qing government keeps away from constitutionalism, anddeceives people, which makes Shen Bao wandering in the edge of despair and hope.For violent revolution, Shen Bao opinion shifts from indifference and denial, sympathy and condemnation to approval for revolution.