Litchfield enquirer., 1873-05-01
Washin gton.

The largest and one of the most suc- cessful Teachers Institute of the season closed on Saturday. It was opened promptly by Prof. Northrop, On Thurs day, at P. NJ. After introductory exer- cises by the Rev. MT Upson and the choir, Prof. Crittenden of New York gave a practical discourse on ''What to Do, /" and "How to Do it, in which the practice of loading up children as you would an old blunderbuss, to be touched off on exami- nation day, when the recoil against the teacher was much worse than the damage done to studies, received an unmerciful scathing. He showed that the education- al process in vogue was entirely contrary to the order of nature. We must first be- gin with feeling, and ascend, if success IS to be obtained. How does the infant learn? Follow nature. Ting Laisun, one of the Chinese Commissioners, then spoke of his country which stood foot to foot with us. It was thought-inspiring sight to see representative of the oldest civil ization on the globe standing beside the representatives of the latest and newest, and telling what his race had done in the past, what they are doing now, and what they propose for the future. In the past they have nearly four thousand years ly- ing back of them, which in language gives them 8 vocabulary of 45,OOO characters, 16,O00 of which are necessary for the con- struction of an essay, and 5000 for the ordinary transaction of business. We wonder how magazine literature pays in China? He drew characters on the black board that were over three thousand years old. One representing a ship with eight mouths-Chinese for souls-1n 1t showing the legend of deluge. Their meth od''of study IS for every boy to shout the name of the different characters at the top of his voice, the one shouting the loudest and fastest being esteemed the best fellow. No girls educated in China. In the evening he gave the causes which induced the sending of 120 youths to this country to be educated, the first thirty of whom arrived last Autumn. They were these. After the war against them in 1860 by the English and French, Yung Wing being at court, told the high officers the proposition made by him some years be- fore, that Chinamen ought to be sent by the government and educated in the learn ing, manners, and customs of foreign countries, should have been adopted. For now, said he, when you would gladly treat with these nations, where are your men to do it with? "And they had not 8 word to say.' A plan was found, en- bracing the expense to the minutest de- tail of educating 120 youths in the United States for term of not more than fifteen years, and sent to the Emperor for sane tion He examined it and said, ssLet it be reconsidered" It was sent back to the boards from which it originated and returned unchanged. ''Let it be so," said the Emperor. Boys were collected from different parts of the empire and af- ter fortnight's examination eight or ten selected from hundred and put into preparatory school for six months training in the English language. At the expira- ton of this term thirty were selected from seventy or more and sent over. Install ments of the same number are to be sent over yearly for the period of four years.
 He's stated that the two residing here had made as much progress in our language Tn six months as they would have made in theirs in six years.
 On Friday morning he spoke upon the geography of China-a territory embrac- ing some 1.2OO, O,OOO,OO of square miles and more than one third of thepopulation of the earth. In it's history, China prop CT consisted of eighteen provinces, which about two hundred years ago fell quar- reling with each other, and the Tartar or
 Manchou dynasty came from the north
 and easily established their government
 over the warning provinces. To mark
 those who were loyal to the new dynasty.
 their heads were shaved in front and the
 back hair done up in cue, and this is the
 reason why Johnny Chinaman wears his
 pig tail. Laisun's idioms were often rich
 and telling. For instance: sI am glad
 that you are doing so much to educate