鸦片战争爆发前林则徐的禁烟举措与对外认知

Lin Zexu’s Anti-Opium Measures and His Cognition before the Opium War

林则徐受命前赴广东禁烟,不仅是一项政治使命,也是一项经济、社会使命。抵达广州后的林则徐采取疾风暴雨式的禁烟举措,重治吸食、强令缴烟、力催英方交凶、驱离英人出澳、断绝与英商贸易,禁烟力度逐步加大;而英国驻华商务监督义律由最初的缴烟妥协到反对具结、拒交凶手、海上炮击,态度越发强硬。林则徐断定义律的各种操作是想方设法支持私售鸦片,意在建立有利于英方的贸易体制。双方沟通上的障碍与不断叠加的矛盾,刺激了战事的爆发。林则徐对外认知也随禁烟进程发生渐变,但唯一不变的是他始终相信清朝有能力、有办法击败“英夷”,彰显了不惧强敌的斗争精神以及高尚的民族气节。

Lin Zexu was ordered to go to Guangdong to ban opium,which is not only a political task,but also an economic and social mission.After arriving in Guangzhou,Lin Zexu took swift measures to ban opium,such as focusing on opium abuse,forcing the British to hand over opium,urging the British to surrender the killer,driving the British out of Macao,and cutting off trade with British businessmen.Charles Elliot,who was Superintendent of British trade in China,had become increasingly tough,from initially compromising on opium to opposing the formation of a bond,refusing to hand over the killer,clashing at sea with the Qing army and so on.Lin Zexu concluded that Elliot were to find ways to support the private sale of opium.Elliot wanted to negotiate with Lin Zexu to establish a trade system that was beneficial to Britain.The communication barriers and constantly overlapping contradictions between the two sides stimulated the outbreak of the war.Lin Zexu’s cognition of the external world had gradually changed with the progress of opium prohibition,but his only constant belief was that the Qing government had the ability and means to defeat the“British barbarians”,demonstrating a spirit of struggle that was not afraid of strong enemies and noble national integrity.