After a rebuttal from Tsai Yuan-pei, however, Lin admitted: "What I am seeking is the path of Confucius, and in word and writings Tsai shows respect for Confucius; what I am seeking is connected to ethical traditions, and in word and writing he does not disparage ethical traditions; that which I seek is to not abandon the ancient language, and in word and writing Tsai uses the classical language.
經過蔡元培答辯，林琴南也承認：「弟所求者，存孔子之道統也，來書言尊孔子矣；所求者，倫常之關係也，來書言不悖倫常矣；所求者，古文之不宜摒棄也，來書言仍用古文矣。