Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1902-01-03
D0E0E FCHINESECHAIR
General II. W. Carpenters Idea
For Helping China.
WlshLs MORE S cCIABLE RELATIONS

Officer " REQ Gave 800, 900 to Colum-
bia University to EndOw Professor
ship Actunted by a Desire to Bring
About a Better Understanding De-
tween China and the United States. |
1t is now known that General Horace
W. Carpenter is the donor of the $780,
COO recently given to Columbia univer-
sity for the founding Of n chair Of Chi
ncsc language, literature, religion and
law. The gift is intended as Il nucleus
for a fund which is expected to reach
Something like $1,000,00O.
1t is the idea of the donor that the
chair shall be the means Of bringing
about ii better understanding between
the Chinese nation and the people Of
the United States. The professorship
will bear the name of Dean Lung,
cultured Chinaman, who Is friend Of
General tsr:entier. When asked by a
reporter of the New York Herald con-
corning the Gift, the general made no
denial that he was the donor
ut would be mere affectation in me-"
said he, Ito try to conceal or to make
mystery of what has in some way be.
come known to everybody who cares
to know about it. If | gave the money
to Columbia university, my private
reasons We're simply that l wished to
give it and that could give it. The
public reason has been so much dis
cusscd that think it is obvious"
What the general meant by the pub
lie reason which actuated him may be
learned from a document which is now
part of the records Of Columbia univer-
sity. 1t is Il note which was inclosed
with check for 100000 sent to ITesl-
dent Low. At that time it was under
stood that the name of the donor was
not to he made public. 1t was only re-
Gently that the identity of the donor
became generally known.
In this note the reasons for making
the gift are set forth as follows:
I am told that doubts have been ex-
pressed whether such an appropriation
would be wise or practically useful. Pos
sibly not. 1t Is not always easy to toresee
, results or to measure their value, especlal-
ly when the means are largely tentative.
1t is said that the Chinese have no reli-
zion. II this means only that our religion
is not their religion, 1t need not be denied.
If religion may be we'll defined as emo
ton concerned about obligation and duty
then the Chinese are a religious people.
And when it is considered that they are
made up of several hundred millions, OF
i like origin race and character, earth born
, and firmly rooted in the soil, bound to-
, gether by the common usage and tradl'
| tons of incalculable generations and weld
| ed into one nation by many cooperative
causes and especially by the unifying
force of a written literary language; that
I with their uHiivaled endurance, temper
7 ance and industry, their devotion to fam
ily and almost superstitious love OF home
holding to their purpose with the CON
servatsm Of Englshmen and the tenacity
of Israel-they are possessed by pattern
! patriotism that never changes or loree's
that, with common, though varian
J spooch. full and expressive amy older prob
I ably than any other living tongue nov
spoken elsewhere, they are also scholar
| " people with an abundant literature ne
! less venerable than those we call claSslca
| and that have done SO much to soften ant
| reform our institutions and manners; tina
! they have inherited a civilization reaching
! back into tie forgotten past as far as any
| of those that grew up around the Mediter
| ranean, Tut less sensual and superstitious
| that they have a complete system OF an
| cient and customary law well fitted Il
| their needs and condition. regulating al
| the varied relations of civilized lfe-o
| family. society and governmental system
| that had grown up through infinite tflal:
and failures until habit acquired the forc'
and sanction of moral law, long befor'
the makers of our common law had conn
| out from their immemorial savagery
without arts, agriculture or letters ant
| clothed, IL at ALL with the skins of beasts
| that be 1t for good or III and whether '"
like 1t or not by manifest destiny M
longer unrevealed, but now in course o
swift fulfllment, we are brought togethe
in close neighhorhood, facing each othe
and separated only by quick ferry acros
a Pacific sea hereafter to become in larG
measure a Characterization sea, with in
| dustrial and trade relations already OF NJ
| mean proportions and which must soo'
grow to billions annually, and, hnally
| that we claim to have higher gospel
| which, in it's own spirit OF peace, falrnes
! and good will we would impart to othe
less favored peoples. Considering thes
| among other things would it not be re
nroach to this university-"Mo Mother of HUI
| manities''-not to have taken a f1rst ste|
! in this direction TO promote better un
Outstanding, a larger comfy aid NOR
hospitable relations?
No one has been chosen as yet to III
the chair which General Carpenter ma
founded. The name Of WI Ting tah
has been suggested. The genera
thought that it was unlikely that W.
Ting Fang would accept such a posi-
t,on. as his genius and ability fitte
him for the broader field of statesman
| General Carpenter is an aiumnus Q
Columbia university He Is now seN
enty-seven years old. He lives at III
East Thirty-seventh street. lie h'i
made his home in New York for tn
last twenty years. making tfeHuen
Journeys to san Francisco to look afte
his interests there.