New-York tribune., 1871-12-15
AN AMERICAN COLLEGE AT PEKfNG.

THE CHINESE INDEMNITY FUND-ITs EMPLOY
biENT As ADVISED BY PRESIDENT LINCOLN,
MIR. SEWARD, AND. MR.. ANSON BURLINGAME.
TO The Editor of The Trt6une.
SIR: 1t appears that there still remains in
the custody Of the Secretary iof State surplus Of the
money received from China, under the Convention OF
1885, us indemnity for the losses suffered by American
citizens by the burning OF the foreign settlement at
Canton. during the last English. French and Chinese
This surplus Mr.. Buchanan and Mr. Lincoln both ad
vised Congress to appropriate for the establishment Of
school ut Pekng, China to educate Chinese and Amer
for the duties Of ransators and interpreters In the
diplomatic, consular, and customs service Of the two
countries. See Presidential messages December, 1SGO
and December. 1861 Owing to the absorbing questions
Of the this recommendation did not obtain the
sderaion 1t deserved although 1t that 1t
made such progress to receive favorable treatment In
the House Committee Foreign Relations, whore 1t
referred to the Hon. II. j. Raymond Of NewYork, with
instructions to frame bill This,i however late in
the session. and Mr. Raymond did not have his bill ready
In time to report it.
Recently outside influences have been working to again
direct attention TO this subject Some time ago meetings
of prominent citizens In NewYOrk and Chicago adopted
and forwarded TO Congress resolutions expressing their
opinion Of tho rights Of the Chinese in this surplus
overpayment and pcttioning either that 1t BIO used for
the proposed college, without further parey Mr Sew
ara ana mr. FISH nAVnR 0eclareu LSt tne Cnnese nave
declined offer to refund ipt that be rendered to
them again. and they again decline it, then at least 1t
be used for the College. Scientific associations and col
eRcs, including Harvard and Yale have adopted resOu
tons OF the same putport 30 that Congress will not
probably pass over this matter agsn for lack Of outside
American College China agree In the opinion that the
# & ssa sr s & %sHsi %ss:
int hsp IF ~ S rsan Ta
apparatus night not only start the Chinese IN the path.
ncishsoiS @s SaYaats Sat you'd Accomplish tsfeat
,ransatns cMnese history and otherwise contributing
An tIs res,Snable enough Snd very desirable but,
after al, II odr Diplomatic ofcerS and merchants In
China are drtven into such amefu straits for Inter-
prefers a. President Grantt lest message indicates,
there Is argument enough In this one fact to Justify the
establishment OF such school 70 educAe interpreters
for OUT Necessary intercourse with that people One OF
AI. Bnrlinehsmey dipatches spex1 OF Consuls tvho
css shs5Ssd Eth tho duty Justice 1 AL
and Who have 70 hold couutlsss with the Chi
tsrprsters "whose proficiency h Huglish exhibited in
such plraseoogy as lou talkee my. my fashiOn
takte "a This Ia simply nockery OF justice and
insult 20 the name OF diplomacy, and the such
state q things Is abolished ether w the establishment OF
0e proposed American College at Peking. by some
other plan that Will probably cost quite much, the
better w be for our commercial relations with China,
and-wmt Ii more iup0rtaut-Our gOOd name. .''
Netc- York, Dec. II, Ism