Note 6 — Chapter III
Reading edition · Edition 2
The defective nature of this oath of office will be patent at a glance:
"At the beginning of the Republic there are many things to be taken care of. I, Yuan Shih-kai, sincerely wish to exert my utmost to promote the democratic spirit, to remove the dark blots of despotism, to obey strictly the Constitution, and to abide by the wish of the people, so as to place the country in a safe, united, strong, and firm position, and to effect the happiness and welfare of the divisions of the Chinese race. All these wishes I will fulfil without fail. As soon as a new President is elected by the National Assembly I shall at once vacate my present position. With all sincerity I take this oath before the people of China.
"Dated the tenth day of March in the First Year of the Republic of China (1912)."
(Signed) Yuan Shih-kai.