The people, however, considered that KATSURA's intention was to expand armaments, following the advice of Aritomo YAMAGATA, and this provoked an angry response towards the Hanbatsu Seiji from the people who wished for constitutional government, which led to the first campaign for defending constitutionalism under the slogan 'Down with cliques from the major hans and protect constitutional government.'
民衆はこれを、山県の意を受けた桂が陸軍の軍備拡張を推し進めようとしたものとみなし、国民も議会中心の政治などを望んで藩閥政治に反発し、「閥族打破・憲政擁護」をスローガンとする憲政擁護運動（第一次）が起こったのである。