在臺灣民族運動史上，林獻堂走舉足經重的代表人物。他早期政治思想的形成，受到家庭背景很大的影各，他的幼年時期是在家道十分興旺的環境中成長，所接受的儒家思想教育，使他深具傳統士大夫「以天下興亡為己任」的熱誠和使命感。由於林幼春的影響，他涉獵梁啟超的著述，對其新思想頗為折服。一九○七年的一次因緣際會，結識了梁啟超，於是才有梁「蓄志五年」的臺灣之行，希望藉此考察臺灣的政經情況和籌款辦報。梁啟超在臺停留時間雖只短短二星期，但以請會友，在民族情感的交會上，撫慰許多文人的悲苦；他期許林獻堂等人「不以文人終身」，並且指示他們以溫和務實的方式，來爭取臺人的政治地位，這對於日後林獻堂從事臺灣民族運動，有莫大的啟示。

　　　　　In the history of Taiwan's national movement, Hsien-tang Lin is one of the most indispensable representatives. The formation of his early political thoughts was greatly influenced by his family background. He grew up under the circumstances of a guile prosperous family. The education he received on confucianism endowed him deeply with the enthusiam and mission sense of traditional Chinese scholars- " regarding nations prosperity as his own duty" . Due to Yu-chun Lin's influence, he read Chi-chueh Lianas works widely and admired his new thoughts. Through an occasion in 1907, he got acquainted with Chi-chueh Liang. Therefore Liang's journey to Taiwan, " pondered for 5 years" was resulted:hopefully to survey Taiwan's political and economic situations and to raise funds for publishing newspaper. Though Chi-chueh Liang stayed just 2 weeks in Taiwan, by making friends with poems and by the exchange of national passion, he comforted many scholars' griefs. He expected Hsien-tang Lin and others " not to be a mere scholar throughout their life" and instructed them to elevate the political rank of Taiwanese by mild and practical ways. This had great revelation on the Taiwan national movement Hsien-tang Lin was engaged in afterwards.