清末洪述祖历史考

Historical Research on HONG Shuzu in the Late Qing Dynasty

"刺宋案"主谋洪述祖,有经世之才,自光绪初年起,即活跃于官场。曾先后为陈宝琛、左宗棠、刘铭传、卫汝贵、叶志超、余联沅等文武官员幕僚,亲历过中法战争、中日战争,参与过"东南互保"活动,办理过浙江教案交涉。甲午之后与维新派人士往来甚密,总理《求是报》,反对缠足,支持戒烟,谋建苏沪铁路,主张训练新兵。新政时期又参与创办汉口警察,筹建安徽全省铁路,总办井陉矿务局。在近三十年中,两度被清廷革职,一度被系狱五年。其经历跌宕起伏,其所为毁誉参半,其为人如郑孝胥所云,"诚小有才之邪人"。

HONG Shuzu was the mastermind of SONG Jiaoren assassination. With great political skills, he had been active in the government since the first year of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty. He worked as the assistant for CHEN Baochen, ZUO Zongtang, LIU Mingchuan, WEI Rugui, YE Zhichao and YU Lianyuan, etc. He experienced Sino-France war and Sino-Japanese war, participated in the Southeast Mutual Protection, got involved in the negotiation for Zhejiang missionary case. Working closely with reformists after 1894, he managed Qiushi Newspaper, and was against foot-binding and supported quitting opium. He was involved in the construction of Jiangsu-Shanghai Railway. He also supported recruit training. During the Later Qing Dynasty Reform, he participated in building Hankou police force, Anhui provincial railway,managing Jinxing Mining Bureau. He was twice discharged by Qing Administration and stayed in jail for five years. He went through ups and downs, and is as much praised and blamed. As ZHENG Xiaoxu commented, he is＂an evil person with some talent＂.