在「臺灣出兵」的史學中，學者普遍認為李仙得（前美國駐廈門領事）對1874年日本侵入臺灣南部的政策、預備事宜和事後日、中談判產生了重大影響。儘管歷史學家對李仙得影響的程度存在爭議，但對於他影響的主要方向，學者達成了普遍共識：李仙得為明治政府第一次帝國主義式的擴張提供了預備出兵的建議與佔據的計劃，設法合理化此次遠征，以及為日本大使與清廷在北京談判時提出了策略和建議。本文採用另一種方法，即系統式的考察了李仙得對於清政府對臺灣原住民的管轄權、官員如何處理1871年殺害琉球人、臺灣島南端漢／番事務等問題的看法，在1872年10月離開廈門後如何轉變。本文也質疑學者常用來評估李仙得影響力的資料，顯示在使用某些文獻時需要更加謹慎。文章的結論提出儘管李仙得對臺灣事務有豐富的了解，曾與恆春半島居民有過多次接觸，並且有與清朝官吏談判的豐富經驗，但他對這些人民、事務和官僚的看法由於他參與明治政府之「臺灣出兵」事宜而發生了變化。

In the historiography of the Japanese Taiwan expedition there has been a general consensus that Charles Le Gendre (former U.S. consul for Xiamen) had a major influence on the policies and plans for the Meiji army’s invasion of southern Taiwan in 1874, as well as over the negotiations of 1873 and 1874 that enabled and resolved the expedition. Despite historians’ debates over the extent of Le Gendre’s impact, there is general agreement on the primary aspects of Le Gendre’s influence: that Le Gendre provided plans and rationale for Meiji Japan’s first imperialistic adventure, and that he recommended strategies for Japanese ambassadors negotiating relations with Qing officials in Beijing.

This article takes an alternative approach to this issue by systematically investigating the transformation in Charles Le Gendre’s views (after he left Xiamen in October 1872) concerning Qing jurisdiction over aboriginal Taiwan, methods for dealing with Qing officials to punish the murderers of shipwrecked Ryūkyūans in 1871, and his apprehensions of indigenous affairs at the southern end of the island. Sources commonly used by scholars to assess Le Gendre’s influence are also summarized and assessed, suggesting the need for greater care in employing certain documents. The article concludes that despite his substantial knowledge of Formosan affairs, his engagement with indigenous and settler communities, and his experience negotiating with the Chinese officials, Charles Le Gendre’s views of these peoples, affairs and bureaucrats were transformed as a result of his involvement with the major Japanese officials, civil and military, who planned, implemented and negotiated the Taiwan expedition.

李仙得;臺灣出兵;1874;臺灣事件;羅發號事件;明治政府

Charles Le Gendre; Taiwan Expedition; 1874; Taiwan Incident; Rover Incident; Meiji Japan