Public Opinion Research On Shen Bao During The Constitutional Reform In Late Qing Dynasty

The constitutional reform,as a modernization reform of great significance in the history of the late Qing Dynasty,had a profound impact on the political structure of the late Qing Dynasty.However,this reform did not realize the original intention,but accelerated the demise of the Qing Dynasty.By studying the public opinion of Shen Bao during the constitutional reform,this paper analyzes how Shen Bao created public opinion,how the public opinion deals with the relationship between political power,social movements,and party strata,and focuses on newspapers under major social ideological trends.Interaction with the constitution,thus thinking about how the press and public opinion can promote social progress and political change in the changing environment of the times.This article divides the constitutional reform into three periods: the preparatory stage（1905.1-1906.9）,the implementation stage（1906.9-1911.10）,and from constitutionalism-making to revolution（1911.10-1911.12）.During the preparatory stage,the reformed Shen Bao turned its political stance to the constitutionalism,recognized the drawbacks of the autocratic system,believed that the autocracy is not as good as the constitutionalism,and called on the imperial court to start the constitutionalism from the preparations,and always paid attention to the activities of the five ministers going abroad to investigate the constitutional government.In the implementation stage,after the Qing government promulgated the "Imitating the Preparing for the Constitutionalism",the focus of public opinion was no longer "whether to establish a constitutionalism" but "how to establish a constitutionalism".The constitutionalism was implemented,but as the reform progressed,the newspapers gradually revealed doubts and disappointments.From the constitutional stage to the revolutionary stage,before the Wuchang Uprising,Shen Bao’s attitude towards the revolution changed from thinking that the revolutionaries were insufficiency to sympathizing with the revolutionaries,and had a more objective understanding of the revolution.After the Wuchang Uprising broke out,ccording to the analysis of the current situation and the war situation,Shen Bao believed that the revolutionary army will win and demand a republic and no longer support the constitutionalism.During the constitutional reform,Shen Bao made suggestions to the government by putting forward political propositions;it played the role of enlightenment education,focusing on using ancient Chinese theories to explain constitutional ideas and popularize constitutional knowledge;it created a space for public opinion between the upper-level ruling class and the lower-level ordinary people,and facilitate their communication.Shen Bao is not only a witness of history,but also a promoter and participant.