On September 17, 1868, when the collapse of Ouetsu-reppan alliance became certain, Ito said, 'Japan should stand side by side with other countries in the five continents and that people know the national politics could not go forward in heredity system.' and submitted a written opinion that Japan should aim at a nation equal to other countries, and for this, the emperor should be given a solo military authority, and as soon as he knew that nearby Himeji Domain offered to return of lands and people to the emperor, Ito resubmitted a written opinion containing a similar statement.
奥羽越列藩同盟の崩壊が確実となった明治元年9月17日、伊藤は「五州各国ト並立ント欲スルヤ、世禄ノ制を以国政ヲ立ル不能ハ人々ノ知ル所ナリ」と述べて、日本は海外諸国と同等の国家を目指し、まずそのために天皇に兵権を集中すべきとする意見書を出し、続いて11月に近隣の姫路藩が版籍奉還の申し出をしたと知るや同様の趣旨の意見書を再度提出した。