1874年日本侵台事件中的报刊舆论态势

Press Opinion about Taiwan Expedition in 1874

1874年日本侵台事件是近代日本武装侵华的开端,少数研究者注意到了该事件中的报刊舆论因素,但尚未系统探究其整体面貌和历史走向。本研究通过对各类报刊主体舆论表征的考察,发现该事件中的报刊舆论呈如下态势:日文报刊多持侵略论调,视侵台为义举,鼓吹殖民侵略。中文报刊对当时流行的侵略或错误主张进行了多方辩驳,不仅驳斥了日方的"番地无主论"和"实地查看说",拆穿了日方所谓征得清政府同意的谎言,还驳斥了局外人的不当言论,如"合力围剿"等。英文报刊的立场则相对复杂,在日本侵台之初,在日本出版的英文报刊多持反对态度,而在中国出版的英文报刊却不乏支持的声音;当日本在台军事行动告一段落之后,两地的英文报刊均一致支持日本而贬抑中国。

Taiwan Expedition in 1874 was the beginning of Japan’s invasion of China in modern times.Scholars pay attention to the significance of the press opinion on this incident,but much less is known about its overall appearance and historical trend.This study investigates the press opinion about the incident through an in-depth examination of various newspapers and periodicals,and reveals that the situation of public opinion can be described as follows:Japanese newspapers mostly held aggressive views,regarded invasion to Taiwan as a righteous act and advocated colonial aggression,while the Chinese press refuted the wrong ideas in many ways.They not only refuted Japan’s claims of the ownerless Fan Area and on-the-spot inspection,exposed Japan’s lies of obtaining the consent of the Qing government,but also refuted the improper remarks of outsiders,such as the claim of joint suppression.The English press maintained a relatively complicated standpoint.At the beginning,English newspapers published in Japan opposed the invasion,while English newspapers published in China supported it.When Japan’s military act in Taiwan came to an end,the English newspapers in both places turned to stand by Japan.