英ㆍ正祖 연간 樊巖 蔡濟恭의 생애와 정치 활동 (The Life and Political Actions of Beon’ am Chae Je-gong in the Reigns of King Yeongjo(英祖) and King Jeongjo(正祖))

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 한국고전번역원
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· 저자명 : 김정자

초록

樊巖 蔡濟恭은 南人 중 淸南系 인물로, 英祖 24년(1748) 영조에 의해 翰林으로 발탁되었다. 채제공은 思悼世子가 대리청정하던 영조 34년(1758) 도승지 시절 廢世子의 하교가 담긴 비망기를 환납하였고, 영조가 남긴 ‘戊寅年 御筆’의 비밀을 알고 있었다.
正祖 즉위 초에 謝恩兼陳奏正使로 중국에 다녀온 채제공은 정조와 君臣관계이자, 父子관계와도 같은 마음을 확인했다. 忠直했던 채제공은 洪國榮의 축출 후, ‘三大逆案’이라는 의혹으로 老論과 少論 세력에 의해 정계 진출에 어려움이 있었다.
채제공은 정조 10년(1786) 정조의 발탁과 해명으로 平安兵使에 임명되고, 정조 12년(1788) 69세에 우의정에 임명되었다. 이로써 老論ㆍ少論ㆍ南人의 ‘三相保合’이 이루어졌다. 채제공은 顯隆園 遷園과 水原 募民, 辛亥通共, 華城 建設 등을 주도하였다.
특히 정조 16년(1792) 思悼世子 伸冤 문제가 懸案이 되었을 때 이지영의 상소, 영남만인소와 정조 17년(1793) 영조의 御筆인 ‘金縢之詞’로, 금등의 작성 시기와 眞僞 여부의 문제보다는 兩朝(영조와 사도세자)의 美德을 천양하는 것이 금등지사가 세상에 나온 이유이자 명분이 되었다. 충직한 채제공은 思悼世子 追崇 政局을 담당하는 義理主人이었다.
채제공은 영조∼정조 연간 嶺南과 畿湖 남인 세력을 결집시키고, 정계에 진출시키는데 큰 역할을 담당하였다. 그러나 정조 연간 제 세력 내의 時派ㆍ僻派와 남인 세력 내 攻西派ㆍ信西派 또는 蔡黨ㆍ洪黨, 大蔡ㆍ小蔡 등으로 分岐했다. 純祖가 즉위하자 ‘辛酉獄事’가 일어났고, 채제공은 ‘邪逆의 根柢’라는 이유로 官爵이 追奪되었으며, 순조 23년(1823)에야 伸冤된다.

영어초록

Beon’am(樊巖) Chae Je-gong(蔡濟恭) was a Southerner(南人), and was affiliated with the Cheong’nam [淸南系] faction. He was assigned to the Hallim(翰林) post by King Yeongjo(英祖) in 1748, the 24th year of the king’s reign. Later, in 1758, the 34th year of King Yeongjo’s reign, when the Crown Prince Sado(思悼世子) was overseeing the government in the stead of King Yeongjo, Beon’am Chae served as Do-Seungji(都承旨) and received the King’s confidential order(戊寅年御筆, King Yeongjo’s Royal writings in the Mu’in-year), which contained the King’s decision to strip Sado of his status as the Crown Prince. Made aware of the King’s intentions, Chae declined to issue the royal order throughout the government and returned it to the King.
Later, in the early days of the reign of King Jeongjo(正祖), Chae returned from a diplomatic mission to China, where he expressed Joseon’s gratitude while bringing an appeal to the Chinese court(謝恩兼陳奏正使). He was faithful to King Jeongjo as a loyal vassal, but he also cared for the King as his own son. This feeling was apparently mutual. However, after Hong Gug-yeong(洪國榮) was expelled from the government, an honest Chae experienced difficulty returning to a prominent post, as he was accused by the Noron(老論) and Soron(少論) factions of being implicated in the Cheong’myeong-dang incident, and also of being involved in two other separate incidents of people seeking to restore the honor of the late Crown Prince Sado(三大逆案, Three Major Treacherous Cases).
In 1786(10th year of King Jeongjo’s reign), Chae was selected by the king, and with the king’s support, he was assigned to a Military Command post in Pyeong’an-do province(平安兵使). In 1788(12th year of King Jeongjo’s reign), he was appointed to become the Right Prime Minister(U-eui’jeong) at the age of 69. With this appointment, all three ministerial seats were finally occupied by figures respectively affiliated with the Noron, Soron and the Southerners(三相保合, Three Ministers in Harmony). Chae also spearheaded prominent projects such as relocating the Late Crown Prince Sado’s grave to Hyeon’ryung-weon(顯隆園 遷園), mobilization of the population of the Su’weon region(水原 募民), the abolition of Market Rights in the Shinhae year(辛亥通共), and the construction of the Hwaseong city(華城 建設).
When the matter of reinstating the honor and status(Shin’weon, 伸冤) of the late Sado became an issue in 1792(16th year of King Jeongjo’s reign), the so-called “10 Thousand Appeals from the Yeongnam Region(嶺南萬人疏)” reached the government. One year later in 1793, King Jeongjo and Chae disclosed the “Words of Geumdeung(金縢之詞)”, which was apparently written by the late King Yeongjo. Exactly when it was written, and whether it was authentically written by King Yeongjo was not important. It served as evidence, and a reason to sing for the virtues of King Yeongjo and his son Sado. With the words made public, an honest Chae was heralded as a “Leader of the Cause(義理主人)” to oversee the reinstatement of Sado’s honor.
During the reigns of King Yeongjo and King Jeongjo, Chae united the Southerners in the Giho(畿湖) and Yeongnam(嶺南) regions, and played an important role in thrusting them into the government. However, during the later days of King Jeongjo’s reign, the government came to witness many fractures, resulting in the emergence of factions such as the Shi-pa(時派) and Byeok-pa(僻派) factions and further divisive factions such as Gongseo-pa(攻西派) and Shinseo-pa(信西派), or Chae-dang(蔡黨) and Hong-dang(洪黨), or Dae- chae(大蔡) and So-chae(小蔡). Eventually, the Shin’yu-year Purge(辛酉獄事) broke out after King Sunjo(純祖) was enthroned. Chae was blamed as the “Root(根柢) of Evil Studies(邪逆)” and was stripped of his rank and post, which were only reinstated in 1823, in the 23rd year of King Sunjo’s reign.

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