When Munemitsu MUTSU died while regretting over the failure to overthrow domain cliques and to accomplish parliamentary democracy, Kinmochi SAIONJI, who was said to have became so downhearted that those who saw him felt sorry, said as follows.
陸奥宗光が、藩閥打倒、議会制民主主義の未達成を嘆きつつ死んだ時、西園寺公望は以下のとおり言って、周囲の見る目も痛わしいほど落胆したという。