, 1873-04-19

repeat the works of Confucius and Mencius
is no doubt good, but examining mere
words into one is not quite the best system
of training. The mind has other and
more important powers than that of mere
memory. Limiting the sources of know
ledge to these old classic authors is
another defect of the Chinese system. We
have had the struggle about the classics
aud more modern knowledge going on in
our own Universities. No sensible person
would object to the study of ancient
knowledge. The limiting of a national
system of education in any way must be
a fault. The whole temple should be
thrown open. The American who an
n"ounced The History OF the World, from
the Creation to Halfpast Ten Last Night
was upon the right track OF education.
Our kilograms from all round the globe,
which we read at our breakfast in the
morning, are the last p'ge IN the history
of the world, and bring that history up to
somewhere about half-past ten last
night In China the ~leterati, or educated
class, are said to be the haters Of foreign
ers, the opponents of teIegraphs, rail
ways, and of everything new, Their clas-
sic books date from the time of COnfuCius,
and the history of the world, or of i|ntelIec-
tual thought which is the essence of all
history and knowledge, ceased at that time.
The Chinaman has been grinding his teeth
on these dry bones ever since, and he
growls if any other dog should venture
to approach. This education confined to
such narrow limits, has been going on till
his mind is as compressed AMI diminutive
as the small feet of the women of the
country. A Chinese girls feet are stopped
growing in her infancy, and a literary
mans mind has its growth arrested at the
early date of Confucius. A woman here
goes about something very like a goat
trying to walk on its hind legs, and an
educated Chipaman seems equally incapa-
Bile of treading the paths of modern
knowledge hence his total incapacity to
comprehend the strange foreigners who
have of late years invaded his soil. The
whole civiIisatiOn Of these foreigners began
ages after the date of Confucius, and the
educated Chinaman has not in his training
acquired even the preliminary knowledge
necessary to form a notion of their science
and power. Over the outside of the
gateway of the Examination Hall at Pekin
there is an inscription saying, 6 If you are
high up in the classics you will gain a
scholarship; and over the inside of the
same door it says, Those who pass
through here afterwards learn to govern
the country This simple means that a
knowledge Of the classics is all that a man
requires to entitIe him to be a governor of
men in the nineteenth century in China.
One is almost tempted to advise the Con-
sentative party to emigrate to this region,
for in this happy spot they would find a
true devotion to their principles. would
rather recommend that some impartial
man, free from all political bias, or at
least able to see for himself and to Judge
honestly, would come out here and give
us a good account of the whole educational
system of this country. 1t would be of
the highest Importance as a guide to those
who direct and Iegislate in the matter of
our system at home"
From the European Mail, March 1873.
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