The Vernacular Newspaper And The Trend Of Constitutionalism

This paper intends to discuss “Vernacular Journal and Constitutional Thought”,and the specific research issue is to talk about the Jing Hua Daily in the late QingDynasty. By detailedly discussing the propaganda and encouragement of Jing HuaDaily for Constitutional Thought, this paper attempts to deeply analyze, based on onetheoretical view, the interactive relationship between the Vernacular Journal and theConstitutional Thought to provide a new perspective to do research on theConstitutional Thought in the late Qing Dynasty and on the modern Chinese politicalthought. This study mainly includes three aspects: Firstly, Peng Yizhong and thefoundation of Jing Hua Daily. And this part will briefly introduce Peng Yizhong’sbiography, focus on the causes and effects of his founding Jing Hua Daily and alsoanalyzes the basic situation of Jing Hua Daily, including other founders, editors group,readership, column structure, funding, circulation and contributions, and the reasonsfor the closure. Moreover, Jing Hua Daily spreads and encourages the constituentcontents. First, introducing Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), approving constitutionthan autocracy and encouraging the Qing Dynasty to implement the constitution.Second, talking about the propaganda of the Western democratic constitutionalism,and the relationship between the democratic constitutionalism and powerfulness, aswell as the constitutional elements such as constitution and congress. Third,focusing on the sailing of the five primary ministers. The qing government sent fiveprimary ministers to examine politics to determine whether to establishconstitutionalism, and Jing Hua Daily made tracking reports to provide relevantinformation. Fourth, the expectation for the provisional constitution-making of QingDynasty. After the five ministers returned home, the Qing government announcedthe preparatory constitution, and Jing Hua Daily calling for China to step on theconstitutional road. Thirdly, the influence of Jing Hua Daily. One is about the socialimpact of Jing Hua Daily. The paper also intends to make a proper positioning ofJing Hua Daily in the history of China modern news, journals and vernacularnewspapers. The other is to discuss the relationship between the constitutionalthought and the constitutional reform. Lastly, making a brief evaluation on Jing HuaDaily.