Classic Speeches Influencing China

Author: Chen Liyu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: A notice about the speech of my compatriot Qiu Jin in 1904. Qiu Jin (1875—1907) was a famous female revolutionary, educator, and orator in modern China. She was from Shanyin, Zhejiang (now Shaoxing). In 1904, she bravely broke through the constraints of feudalism and crossed to Japan, joining the Restoration Society and the Tongmenghui, actively participating in revolutionary activities. In 1907, she returned to Shaoxing to lead the Daxingtang School, contacting the Huigang Organization to prepare for the liberation army, and working separately with Xu Xilin to plan uprisings in Anhui and Zhejiang provinces. In July, Xu Xilin's uprising failed, and Qing troops surrounded Daxingtang School. Qiu Jin was arrested but remained unyielding and was executed heroically at Xuantingkou in Shaoxing on the morning of the 15th, fulfilling her bold vow to "spend ten thousand heads of blood to turn the world around." In 1904, Japan and Russia fought an imperialist war on Chinese territory for control of Northeast China. This speech was delivered in response to this event. As an outstanding patriot, Qiu Jin severely criticized the shameful imperialist aggression in her speech and deeply expressed her earnest desire to save the nation from peril. She also mercilessly condemned the Chinese merchants who "set off firecrackers and shouted 'Long live' along with them" and were "shameless," indirectly revealing her patriotic sentiments.
Speech Text: I have a lot of feelings to share with you today. Yesterday, I went to Yokohama to visit a friend and heard loud military music on the way. I also saw men, women, old, and young holding small national flags, shouting "Long live" in a frenzy—thousands of voices merged into one, creating a noisy, chaotic scene with smoke filling the sky. I wondered what was happening to cause such a commotion. Later, I learned that it was to send off the soldiers who were fighting against Russia for our three northeastern provinces. The Russians are called "Russia" in our language, and the Japanese call them "Rusia," so these are the soldiers who are fighting the Russians, which is why the Japanese consider it a matter of honor and come in groups to bid them farewell.
What is strange is that my Chinese merchants, shameless, also set off firecrackers and shouted "Long live" along with them. Seeing this, I felt both envious, angry, ashamed, and embarrassed. My heart was truly troubled, and I didn’t know what to do, only feeling that China and its people were inferior in every way to them. Fortunately, I was on the same train and traveled with them. Along the way, I saw more and more people gathering to bid farewell to the soldiers—shouting "Long live, long live, the Empire lives forever, the army lives forever"—creating such a noisy scene. At the train station, the crowd was so dense that the soldiers had to stand on benches to thank everyone. The farewell crowd formed a large circle around them, with people shouting and setting off firecrackers, making it impossible to distinguish one voice from another. Many people held small national flags, dancing and cheering with great joy. The crowd dispersed only when the train left. At every station, men, women, and children welcomed the soldiers with military music and national flags.
What is admirable is those children, young and old, standing by the roadside, raising their hands and shouting "Long live." How lovely is that? It is truly enviable. I wonder when China will see such a day. Ah! Look at the Japanese people—so united, holding their soldiers in such high regard. How can they not fight to the death for them? Thus, they all have a fearless spirit, believing that if they fail, they will have no face to show to others upon returning home. Everyone holds this thought, so every time they fight, they attack with all their might, unafraid of gunfire. The fallen are followed by the next generation. Today, Russia, such a great nation, has been defeated by the small island of Japan to this extent. It is likely due to this very reason. Moreover, the families of soldiers receive compensation. If a family has a husband, son, or brother serving in the army, it is considered a great honor. Merchants hang signs outside their homes announcing that their family members have gone to war. Hotels, taverns, photo studios, and shops all prominently display "Official Products of the Army and Navy" and "Half-Price Treatment for Soldiers." Something that costs 100 coins is sold to soldiers for half the price. How pity our Chinese soldiers! Each month, they receive only a few coins of food rations after deductions, yet they must support their families and themselves. How can they manage? They tremble before their officers like mice before cats. If they perform their duties slightly unsatisfactorily, they are cursed or beaten. Those with some status treat them as thieves, refusing to sit with them. The wealthy, in their arrogance, consider themselves gods, treating soldiers as the lowest of scum. Yet when war breaks out, they demand that the soldiers fight to the death, enduring wind, rain, hunger, and cold, without regard for their suffering. Can you imagine that? Even if they win battles, it is the officers and commanders in fine clothes who receive the credit, while the soldiers gain nothing. These officers, who have never set foot on the battlefield, take all the glory without effort, earning promotions. How can people be convinced of this? No wonder these soldiers fear death and flee at the sight of enemies. Now, when people in China mention these men, they say they are uneducated, which is why they behave this way. I cannot express in words the harm caused by the lack of education among the Chinese. It would take days to speak of it all. Comrades, do not be impatient. I will elaborate more in the next session. P8-10