中央政府失控与南北分裂局面的复杂化、地方意识的增强、文武关系的诡论性演变，以及民族主义在政治中的有意识运用等问题较集中地体现了北伐战争这一民国政治大转折所处的时势语境，本文通过《申报》主笔杨荫杭在北伐前数年写的“时评”探索这些反映时人政治关注的问题，希望能藉此揭示当时的军政格局及时代要求。那时全国局势既然类似历史上的“五代”，也就出现了与五代相近的时代要求——向往统一。第二次直奉战争可视为北洋内部最后一次武力统一的尝试，而其后的“善后会议”则是南北双方各政治力量最后一次和平统一的努力。两次努力的失败促成北洋体系的崩散，后来北伐的渐得人心部分即因其提示了实现全国统一的可能。 The central government’s out-of-control situation and the complication of the split between the north and south, the enhancement of local consciousness, the paradoxical evolution of the relationship between civil and military relations and the conscious application of nationalism in politics have all shown the concentrated political transition of the Great Northern Expedition , This article attempts to probe into these political issues that reflect the current political concerns by Yang Yin-hang, the “Commentary” written in the years prior to the Northern Expedition by Yang Yin in the “Report”, hoping to reveal the pattern of the military and government at that time and the requirements of the times. Since the situation in the country was similar to that of the “Five Dynasties” in history, the requirements of the times similar to those of the Five Dynasties emerged - the longing for reunification. The second straight war can be regarded as the last attempt to unify the armed forces in Peiyang, and the subsequent “after-conference” is the last peaceful reunification of the political forces of both sides. The failure of the two efforts led to the collapse of the Northern system. Later, the popular victory of the Northern Expedition prompted the possibility of national reunification.