徐世昌与1916年府院之争再探讨

Further Discussion on Xu Shichang and the Dispute Between the Office of the President and the State Council in 1916

1916年袁世凯去世后,黎元洪、段祺瑞的矛盾因孙洪伊、徐树铮的冲突而加剧,府院几近破裂。徐世昌因其在北洋派的地位、资望和影响成为调停的核心人物。黎极力迎请徐,拟以其组阁排段,院方虽对徐无敌意,但为维护段阁而暗中阻挠。徐一面公开声明决不出山,打破府方强其组阁计划;一面运用其影响,协调府院,令政潮症结人物孙洪伊、徐树铮去职,维持段阁,政潮暂平。基于其时北洋派危机和徐的北洋意识,其调停貌似公允,实则偏段,实质是维护北洋派利益。此举虽暂缓了府院矛盾,但影响府院关系的政治和制度环境并未改变,故更大的冲突还在以后。

After Yuan Shikai’s death in 1916,the conflict between Li Yuanhong and Duan Qirui was exacerbated by the conflict between Sun Hongyi and Xu Shuzheng,and the relationship between the Office of the President and the State Council was almost broken.Xu Shichang became the core figure of mediation because of his position,prestige and influence in the Beiyang clique.Li Yuanhong tried hard to invite Xu to form a cabinet so as to exclude Duan Qirui.Although the State Council was not hostile to Xu Shichang,it secretly obstructed this plan so as to maintain Duan Qirui’s cabinet.On the one hand,Xu Shichang made a public statement that he would never take the government post,and thus frustrated the Office of the President’s plan of forcing him to form a cabinet.On the other hand,using his influence to mediate between the Office of the President and the State Council,he forced Sun Hongyi and Xu Shuzheng,the key figures in the political dispute,to resign in order to maintain the stability of Duan Qirui’s cabinet,and thus temporarily calmed down the political tide.Given the crisis of the Beiyang clique and Xu Shichang’s Beiyang consciousness at the time,Xu’s mediation seemed fair,but in fact favored Duan Qirui.It actually safeguarded the interest of the Beiyang clique.Although this move temporarily alleviated the conflict between the Office of the President and the State Council,the political and institutional environment affecting the bilateral relationship had not changed,so greater conflict was doomed.