Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the President, December 6, 1880
No. 172.
Mr. Seward
to Mr. Evarts.
Peking, June 11, 1880. (Received August 2.)
Sir: I have the honor to hand to you herewith copies of the answers which have been received from our consular officers in this empire to the inquiry made in a circular addressed to them as to efforts being made to educate the Chinese in foreign branches of knowledge, either by the Government of China, by private enterprise, or by missionary effort. The circular referred to was forwarded to the Department with my dispatch No. 600.
While these reports are not as full as I could have wished, they still furnish an outline of the work which is being done, and may be of interest to the Department.
I have, &c.,
Mr. Goldsborough to Mr. Seward.
Sir: In response to your dispatch No. 86, of February 27, 1880, I beg to state that there are two private English schools at this port for the education of Chinese, conducted by native-born Chinese, who possess a fair knowledge of the English language, but there is no institution of the kind founded or supported by the government.
The missionaries have several schools of their own for the tuition of Chinese boys and girls in the Chinese language.
I have, &c.,
Mr. Cheshire to Mr. Seward.
Sir: I have had the honor to receive your dispatch No. 78, calling upon me to furnish you with such information as may be available to me in regard to the education of Chinese in foreign languages within this consular district, whether in schools founded and supported by the Chinese Government or by private enterprise, or by missionaries, as far as the secular branches are concerned, and also to report upon the schools established at Hong-Kong by the colonial government. I now beg to submit the following report:
The Tung wen Kwan is the only scholastic institution under government auspices for teaching foreign knowledge in Canton. It was established by order of the Tsung-li Yamên about sixteen years ago; it is under the official control of the Viceroy, the Hai Kwan (superintendent of customs), the Tartar general, and two lieutenant Tartar generals, but the practical control is left almost entirely in the hands of the Tartar general, to whom it affords opportunities of patronage, for the staff is large, and the members thereof not only benefit by the salaries they receive, but their official appointment as officers of the college (Tang wen Kwan) forms a stepping-stone to promotion in other branches of the public service. The staff consists of three superintendents, the chief of whom holds rank about equivalent to that of a major-general, three Chinese teachers, a foreign teacher, with a Chinese assistant, two Chinese clerks, doorkeepers, cooks, and other servants. The number of students is fixed at thirty, of whom twenty are classed as students proper and ten as supernumerary students, the latter being intended to fill vacancies as they occur in the former, and when, from various [Page 282] causes, the total number falls to twenty or twenty-live, fresh supernumeraries are added to make up the number. The students proper receive a small pay of three taels a month, but the supernumeraries receive nothing except a free breakfast every day.
It is difficult to define the raison d’être of the Tung wen Kwan College; in theory it is established to provide the Chinese Government with a staff of interpreters and persons conversant with foreign literature and foreign habits of thought; but so far as can be judged by patent facts, the patronage above referred to is the element most appreciated, and it may be well to notice the extent to which the theoretical object has been carried out, and how far the Chinese Government has availed itself of the material for the production of which something like eight hundred dollars a month has been expended for the last sixteen years in the maintenance of the college.
About ten years ago fourteen students were drafted from Canton to the Peking College; of these five have retired from various causes, six are still attached to the Peking College, and the remaining three have appointments in legations abroad; one in Washington, one in London, and one in Japan. Since 1870, not one student has been drafted to Peking; not one of the Canton students has in any way been called upon to Tender service to their government; most of them have received an honorary literary degree (Hsin Tsai) equivalent to B. A., and three or four of them are nominally interpreters, for which they receive a small additional pay.
Year after year passes, and boys of 17 grow up to be men of 27, marry and become fathers and go on with their foreign studies without so much as a word of encouragement from their own authorities. Under such discouraging circumstances, it must be that studying is often done in a perfunctory way, and yet, while some of the students have, as I understand, a very good knowledge of English, wanting only practice outside the school walls to render it equal to that of any Chinaman who has not had the advantage of living abroad, they constantly witness men of less technical knowledge than themselves, men of lower stamp altogether, men picked up here and there without any proper steps being taken to ascertain their fitness, called upon to perform the very duties for the performance of which the students of the Tung wen Kwan are in theory specially educated. The course of study, I am informed, consists chiefly of the English language, together with, but subordinate to, which there are geography, arithmetic, history, algebra, mathematics, and astronomy. A very small proportion of the students have made any progress in algebra or mathematics; few are even fair arithmeticians, and much that they are called upon to learn of geography, history, and astronomy, is soon forgotten. This arises from no want of ability, but from an utter want of encouragement on the part of the Chinese authorities, for the students to trouble themselves with such studies. Without a reasonable knowledge of the language, they are liable, on the motion of the foreign teacher, to be dismissed from the school, and in the acquisition of that they are to some extent buoyed up with hope, a hope that sometimes becomes lamentably faint, that the language will ultimately be of service to them; but with respect to the other branches, I am given to understand, no person in authority except the foreign teacher seems to know or care whether they are taught or not. The students consist almost entirely of Tartars (including banner-men); originally about one-third were Chinese, but it was found that after learning English at the expense of government, these latter generally disappeared; the Tartars are much more bound to the government, and are loyal both from training and self-interest. As young men they are far more noble and honorable in their character than the Chinese, lacking in a great measure the low cunning which often characterizes the latter, especially when they get official employment; but it is hard to say how far their natural nobility and honor would suffer if they were thrown into that vortex of corruption and dishonesty which pertains to official life.
I am informed that there has, for the past year or two, been an intention to add a German and a French department to the Canton College, and that extensive premises have been erected for this purpose; but some difficulty about funds seems to have caused further steps to be postponed.
private schools.
There are no private schools worthy of the name in Canton for teaching foreign languages. Now and then a small school is opened in which English is professed to be taught by a man whose knowledge of that language is too limited to fit him for other employment, and after a brief struggle these schools die out one after another. There is no doubt that the advantages offered by the government schools in Hong-Kong are too great to enable private schools in Canton to compete with them.
missionary schools.
None of the missionaries in Canton teach English or any other foreign language to their [Page 283] Chinese pupils now, nor have they done so for some years. They found by experience that it was very difficult to teach English to their pupils, because of their inaptitude to learn Western languages; that the object of the majority who came to their schools (formerly) to learn English was simply to get a sufficient knowledge of that language to enable them to get some lucrative employment with foreigners, and as soon as they had acquired a little smattering of English they disappeared and passed away beyond their Christian instruction.
I shall endeavor to furnish you with some particulars in regard to the schools established at Hong-Kong by the colonial government shortly.
I have, &c.,
Mr. Scruggs to Mr. Seward.
Sir: I had the honor to receive, on the 21st instant, your dispatch No. 63, of the 27th February last. In response thereto, I regret to say there is not a school of any kind, native or foreign public or private, secular or religious, within this district, in which Chinese are educated by foreign methods or in foreign knowledge. The missionary schools are all conducted in the native language, and their curriculum confined to purely religious and sectarian instruction. A few young men among the native residents of this port take lessons in the English language from a native interpreter educated at Hong-Kong, but now employed herein the customs service. But they seek to know no more of our language than is barely necessary to aid them in business tranactions with foreigners; and what they do thus acquire is little else than the barbarous and childish dialect known as “Pigeon English.” I know of but one exception, and that is the case of General Wong, the military commandant here, an educated Chinaman, who is ambitious to enter the diplomatic service of his country.
I am, &c.,
Mr. De Lano to Mr. Seward.
Sir: I have had the honor to receive your dispatch No. 109, asking me for such information as may be available to me in regard to the education of Chinese in foreign knowledge in this consular district.
There are at the Foochow Arsenal two schools, one under English and the other under French management. In the former the number of students varies between thirty and fifty, and the studies pursued are English, arithmetic, geometry, geography, grammar, trigonometry, algebra, and navigation. In a four-and-a-half years’ course the students receive from the government a monthly stipend of four dollars.
There is a naval and a mechanical branch of the same school, each having an average of 25 students receiving the same monthly allowance from the government, which also pays a very liberal salary to the professors in charge.
The school under French management has about 40 pupils, in four divisions, studying French, arithmetic, elements of algebra, geometry, trigonometry, analytic geometry and calculus, mechanical engineering, transmission of power and friction. The branches of this school are a school of design and school of apprentices, the pupils pursuing many of the studies enumerated above, and receiving the same stipend of $4 per month. The professor is very liberally paid.
I know of no schools founded by private enterprise in which foreign studies are pursued. There are several schools for both males and females conducted by foreign missionaries in which other than secular branches of study are pursued; say, the elementary branches, such as geography, mathematics, astronomy, &c., but all in the Chinese language.
I am unable at present to state the number of pupils usually in attendance in these latter schools.
I have, &c.,
Mr. Shepard to Mr. Seward.
Sir: Referring to your No. 85, on the subject of educating natives in foreign sciences, I have to report that I cannot learn of anything done in my district of any moment. At sundry times some foreigners wanting employment have opened small schools in Hankow, intending to teach people of any age to read English. The results have been inconsiderable, as the enterprise has in all cases been abandoned as soon as more lucrative pursuits have been available. Besides this, I know of no efforts made in the direction of your inquiry except some work of Dr. A. C. Burns, of the American Episcopal Mission at Wuchong, who, before he left, gave some instruction to a few converts in the theory and practice of medicine. In his view, his results were encouraging, but not fully developed.
I am informed also that Dr. Manley, now located here in charge of the London Mission Hospital, is preparing a system of instruction and intends soon to put it in operation, for the systematic training of native pupils in the principles and science of physiology, with surgical and medical training, in a course of some years’ duration, in connection with his important hospital work.
Beyond these I know of nothing done in the line of your investigation.
I am, &c.,
Mr. Bandinel to Mr. Seward.
Sir: In response to your excellency’s dispatch No. 66, I have the honor to state that, as far as I can learn, there is not within the three Manchurian provinces any school founded or supported by native official or private enterprise in which foreign knowledge is imparted to Chinese students. From inquiries among the missionaries, I learn that the Roman Catholics have a college, under foreign supervision, wherein 26 pupils are instructed in Latin, philosophy, theology, and the elements of geography, mathematics, &c., &c., and whence four pupils have been ordained as priests. The Irish Presbyterian Mission has a boys’ school, under the supervision of a clerical missionary, wherein 20 scholars, from nine to thirteen years of age, are instructed in geography, penmanship, and the course of (four) reading books used in the government schools at Hong-Kong. They will learn, when more advanced, arithmetic and other subjects. There is also the nucleus of a girls’ school, only two pupils, supervised by the missionary’s wife, who teaches them plain sewing in addition to the above branches of knowledge.
Mr. Carson also contemplates starting a day school in the heart of the city in connection with the above-mentioned, which are held in his compound.
The medical missionary of the Irish Presbyterian mission has in his own compound, a boys’ school with 15 scholars, and in an adjacent building a girls’ school with 9 scholars; many of these are too young to learn much, but the elder ones learn geography (Wade’s book), and three boys and three girls are taught to read and write English.
The Scotch United Presbyterians have a mission here, but apparently neither in their boys’ school, recently discontinued, nor in their girls’ school, which numbers 14 scholars, has any foreign secular education been, except indirectly, imparted. The girls, however, are learning foreign needle-work.
I have, &c.,
Mr. Macintyre to Mr. Bandinel.
My Dear Mr. Bandinel: In our boys’ school, which we have now discontinued, our object was to give the children of our church members a Chinese classical education, [Page 285] such as they would receive in a first-class native school. Our principle was that of the grammar schools at home. Outside of the regular lessons there was daily the “religious hour,” or morning and evening class, where I instructed them in religious truth. I only hound myself to spend one hour per day with the scholars, and therefore never formally laid myself out to train them in foreign knowledge. But I have, of course, introduced all manner of subjects in my illustrations, making it a point, incidentally, to introduce whatever knowledge of historical and scientific subjects I myself possessed.
The school-room has always been well supplied with books. I think we have had almost every foreign work which has been translated; and we take in for the school, 1. The Globe Magazine. 2. The Scientific Magazine. 3. The Child’s Paper.
I have several times had teachers who took a great interest in these periodicals, and who did what they could to make the subjects intelligible to their pupils. We still continue a flourishing girls’ school. We also teach the Chinese classics there with great success, though the classics are, as it were, taught incidentally, and scripture history, &c., form the bulk of the teaching. The girls are being taught foreign needle-work, but have not made any very great attainments. But in most cases the direct teaching has borne mostly on Chinese subjects, and we have trusted to the personal influence of the foreigners to communicate foreign knowledge.
Yours, sincerely,
Mr. Carson to Mr. Bandinel.
My Dear Mr. Bandinel: In reply to your letter of the 18th instant, I beg to state that the secular subjects taught in the school are geography, penmanship, and the course of reading-books taught in the government school at Hong-Kong.
These reading-books, four in number, in a graduated series, treat of a great variety of subjects, both foreign and native. As soon as the children are far enough advanced they will be taught arithmetic and other subjects.
The school is a free boarding-school supported by the mission, and our object is to train for ourselves a staff of native helpers.
Believe me, &c.,
Mr. Hunter to Mr. Bandinel.
My Dear Mr. Bandinel: The only secular instruction given in my school is in geography. I have given half a dozen children—three girls and three boys—lessons in English. The lessons are merely in reading and writing.
This is all I have to say in reply to your communication of the 18th instant.
I am, &c.,
Medical Missionary.
Mr. Lord to Mr. Seward.
Sir: I am sorry that I have not been able to reply earlier to your dispatch No. 57, requesting such information as I might have in regard to the education of Chinese in foreign knowledge within this consular district.
Nothing, I believe, has been done in this respect by the Chinese Government or by Chinese officials in this province, either to found or sustain schools in which foreign knowledge has been taught. Nor has anything worth speaking of been accomplished by private enterprise, outside of missionaries. There was a small attempt made here a few years ago to get up an English school for natives, but it came to nothing, very likely through the incapacity of the person who undertook it.
Missionaries from the beginning of their work here have had schools of various kinds. The object of these shools has, of course, been religious; yet, as in religious schools at [Page 286] home, secular knowledge has been taught in them to some extent. Missionaries in this part of China have not, as a general thing, encouraged their pupils to learn English; but they have tried to teach them history, geography, mathematics, philosophy, astronomy, physiology, medicine, &c., and their efforts have no doubt been attended with some success. The number thus instructed may not have been very large, and, bearing in mind the great difficulties under which the instruction must have been given, we can hardly suppose that the results have been very great. Still, something has been done. A beginning at least has been made in the work of a higher and better education among this people.
Though aside from these mission schools there has been in this place no organized efforts for the education of Chinese in foreign knowledge, one will often meet with Chinese who have acquired more or less of this knowledge. Some of these have been taught in schools elsewhere, either at other ports or in foreign countries, and others have in one way or another been so related that this knowledge has in various degree come to them. And these instances are continually increasing.
The number of Chinese who speak English, and who have more or less English education, is less here than at some of the other ports. They naturally go to places where there is a demand for these qualifications. There has, so far, been very little demand for them here.
This reminds me of a matter to which I have long been wishing to call your attention. It is the inconvenience and disadvantage under which consular officers are placed in being required to write their dispatches in Chinese to Chinese officials. I wish to say something on this subject, but perhaps I had better do it in another letter and when I have more leisure.
I have, &c.,
Mr. Denny to Mr. Seward.
Sir: In reply to your dispatch No. 78, I beg to state that the only educational establishment of any kind where Chinese may acquire foreign knowledge is the torpedo school connected with the imperial arsenal. Up to last autumn the school had been for three years under the care of Mr. Betts, an English telegrapher, and the class of fifteen young men who graduated last year and carried off the honors of feathers and buttons, plumed themselves upon their acquirement of the English alphabet, words of two syllables, the first four rules of arithmetic, and a few chapters in geography. They were at once told off to the several forts and telegraph stations in this neighborhood, and having acquired official employment it is not likely that they will give more attention to foreign studies. A new class of twenty-seven boys is now being grounded in the alphabet by Mr. Spencer Laisun, a Chinese, who has attended school in the United States. There is now no foreigner connected with the school, and as a measure of economy, there is no intention to engage another.
At Chefoo there is a missionary school, where boys are taught foreign arithmetic, geography, and the elements of natural science, through the medium of their own language.
Excepting the imperial college at Peking, these are the only organized efforts being made within this consular district to introduce foreign learning.
I have, &c.,