甲午乙未之際:清流的重起和劇變

The Period between 1894 and 1895: the Renaissance and Upheaval of Qingliu School

甲午中日戰爭促成的言路一派憤切和羣起高亢,使十年以前因中法戰爭的起落而在政府壓抑下一時星散的清流,重起於時勢危迫之中。同時,由戰爭造成的政局變動,使淵源於清流一脈的翁同龢與張之洞各自因李鴻章的挫跌而走向高處,分別成爲政府裏和疆吏中的重心。重起的清流既以其議戰議和的彼此呼應相感染,攏集朝野士人,又以其羣聚和羣鳴影響了時事的走向與朝政的起落。這個過程由追究戰爭與議和的責任開始,又步步深入觸及中國社會的積弊和時弊,並最終由除弊而走向以西法變成法。在甲午之前以洋務爲中心的三十年歷史裏,清流曾代表了儒學的固性和剛性,與借法自强的洋務一派相對峙,因此他們在甲午戰爭之後急速地越過借法而走向變法,同時又寫照這個羣體在時勢逼迫下的劇變。

The increasing anger and enthusiasm of the Imperial Censor's Expostulation caused by the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 boosted the striking renaissance of Qingliu School,who were suppressed and scattered after the Sino-French War 10 years ago. During this hazardous time,the political changes made by the war promoted the falling of Li Hongzhang and the rising of Weng Tonghe and Zhang Zhidong,who were both originally from Qingliu School but now seperately became the center of imperial government officials and the center of local government officials. Thus the revitalized Qingliu School began to influence and inspire each other by warmly discussing war or peace,which on the one hand gathered the gentries in the court and countryside,on the other hand influenced the trend of current affairs and the governing of the royal court. Beginning from calling for the investigation of responsibilities for war or peace,this process step by step pointed out the disadvantages of Chinese society and finally required the replacement of traditional ways by western ways. During the past 30 years' Yang-wu Movement before 1894,standing for the stubborn nature of Confucianism,Qingliu School confronted with those advotates of Yang-wu Movement,but now they rapidly changed from borrowing the law to reforming the law,which reflected upheaval of the group under the persecution of current situation.