“裴景福事件”中清政府的应对困境与舆论视点透视

The Plight of the Qing Government in the Peijingfu Incident and the Perspective of Public Opinion

1903年,岑春煊调任两广总督。其到任仅两天便以雷霆之势参劾南海知县裴景福,称其为广东"贪吏之冠"。很快,裴景福被清政府革职。岑春煊要求裴景福缴足罚金,否则"军法从事"。裴景福携妻女逃往澳门,寻求澳葡当局庇护。岑春煊更为愤怒,追捕裴景福不遗余力,"密布侦探",甚至派兵舰前往。于是,"粤督将兵变"的谣言不胫而走,海外不少报纸也竞相议论,直接导致清政府与澳葡当局之间关系紧张。本文将该事件称之为"裴景福事件"。从事件缘起及清政府的应对中,可见清末的治理困境,如内部管理混乱,政治斗争激烈;内政常与涉外事务纠缠不清,多方掣肘,枝节频生;清政府中央权力式微,难以约束地方官吏等。挖掘该事件中舆论的视点,可见报界乃借机发挥舆论功能,旨在为清朝末年的政治改革张目。

In 1903, Cen Chunxuan was transferred to the governorship of Guangdong and Guangxi provinces. Only two days after his arrival, he impeached Pei Jingfu, the magistrate of the South Sea county, calling him the "champion of corrupt officials" in Guangdong. Soon, Pei was dismissed by the Qing government. Cen asked Pei to pay the full amount of fines, otherwise he would be disposed by the military law. Pei fled to Macao with his wife and son, seeking refuge with the Australian and Portuguese authorities. Cen was even more furious and spared no effort in hunting down Pei by sending mass detectives, and even a warship. As a result, rumors of a "mutiny by the Governor of Guangdong" spread and were discussed in many overseas newspapers, leading directly to tensions between the Qing government and the Australian and Portuguese authorities. In this paper, the incident is called the "Pei Jingfu Incident". From its origin and the response of the Qing government, we can see the dilemma of governance in the late Qing dynasty. The internal management was chaotic and the political struggle was intense. Internal affairs often entangled with foreign affairs. The central authority of the Qing government was weak, and it was difficult to restrain local officials. The public opinion in this case is seen as an opportunity for the press to play a role in the political reform of the late Qing dynasty.