再论戊戌政变中袁世凯的“告密”问题

Reassessing the Yuan Shikai's Secret Report during the Coup Against the Hundred Days Reform

戊戌政变中袁世凯的“告密”是聚讼百年仍未能定谳的疑案。是案历经政治、道德和学术的评判阶段，具体而微地映证出近代学界在重大“问题人物”的研究中所走过的颇具共相的曲折历程。关于是案，笔者既不同意八月初五日（９．２０）袁世凯回津告密是引出次日政变原因的旧说；也不接受袁世凯告密并没有引出政变而只是引出“戊戌六君子”被害的新解。笔者以为：袁世凯是告密了，但不是在初五日返回天津之后，而是在见到谭嗣同后的初四日（９．１９），袁告密是造成慈禧提前回宫发动政变的最直接原因。

Yuan Shikai's secret report in the coup against the Hundred Days Reform has been an unsettled question for over one hundred years． This case experienced three levels of judgment: politic, moral and academic and reflected the winding course of study of important “Issues of Historical Figures' with the study of modern history． Regarding this case, the author does not agree that Yuan's return from Tianjin on September 20, 1898 and the submission of his secret report the following day led to the coup, but the author does maintain that Yuan's secret report resulted in the coup and brought about the death of the “six martyrs．” The author believes that Yuan did report secretly, but this occurred on September 19 after Yuan met Tan Sitong． Yuan's secret report was the most direct cause that resulted in Empress Dowager Cixi return to the Palace and the launching of the coup．