试论郭嵩焘与太平天国起义的不解之缘

Guo Song-tao-a Foe to Taiping Heavenly Kingdom

郭嵩焘力促曾国藩左宗棠出山 ,并用“创业垂统”观构建不同绿营制的湘军体系 ,又最早倡议建立水师 ,成为太平军的克星。郭奔忙于高级战将之间 ,出谋划策运筹帷幄 ,被湘军集团公认为“高参”。最初想出开厘筹饷之计并付诸实施 ,郭嵩焘实为始作俑者之一 ,厘金成为湘军的主要饷源 ;他又因时度势征收盐税和关税 ,再开两道财源。郭调兵遣将剿灭农民武装 ,将其残部镇压在血泊之中。心忧时局的郭嵩焘及时反省这种血的教训 ,企盼为延缓清王朝的土崩瓦解作“资治”的“通鉴”。

Guo Song-tao urged that Zeng Guofan and Zuo Zongtang should leave their homes and serve the king. Guo helped to establish the Xiangjun Army, which was systematically different from the regular army of the government under the concept of blind faith in authority to make a career. Guo was also the first person to ask the government to set up the navy. Both of these two armed forces became the arch enemy of the Taiping Troops. Guo dashed among the high rank officers and made many strategic designs. Therefore, he was commonly regarded as a capable counselor. Guo initially though of a method of raising funds for troops by collecting Lijin, a kind of tax paid at a tollgate on the goods being transported. Later, it became the main financial resource of Xiangjun Army; he rendered his service to levy salt tax and tariffs. Guo dispatched troops to annihilate the remnants of various peasant up-rising forces. He also made an introspection of the lessons in time in order to postpone the disintegration of the Qing Dynasty.