Tue project of establishing a school for Chinese has been often talked of in Shanghai; and there can be no doubt tothe desirability of such an institation. Of vourso we all know that a people should take measures to edna cate itself, It is not for France to establish public schools in Italy, or Italy in France; etch country has to look after itself; and does so. But China does not. Education of the traditional kind is cheap enough, here, bat education in such knowledge as will raise and enlighten the people, there is none. It is both our interest and our duty to move the Chinese from their present stagnation, and our best menns of doing this, is by imparting to them useful general knowledge which shall make them think and overcome their mental torpor. The question is, how to do this. The Peking college does not promise much; the literati are by far too closely wedded to their traditional classics, to care for Western principles of thought or learning. Would an attempt to reach the middle and lower classes answer better; and could not a beginning be made in Shanghai? We have been persuaded to moot the subject, by a letter from a correspondent who urges that Municipal aid should be given to start the project. *Self-protection,' he argues, is no less the duty of the State than of the individual. A Government adopting all the improvements in the science of war, and looking well to every enemy from without, should not be ind sources of danger from within. There is scarcely a more dangerous foote the State than ignorance, the fruitful source of vice and crime. We haven Shanghai "the principal elements of a State, and "though we occupy an anomalous position, yet we owe to the members of the community all the obligations growing out of the relation of governors and "governed. Among the many duties "thus arising there is scarcely one more important than that of furnishing the means for education.
Some may attempt to shift the responsibility, and maintain that the privileges and property which the "Chinese residing in our midst enjoy, are all that can be expec-"ted from a government like the "Municipality, and that to provide for intellectual culture is beyond its scope. This is perhaps true to a certain extent; yet upon the low ground of expediency, is it not wise to give the youth among us such an education as shall tend to make them peace fa and industrious members of Society? Acting upon this principle, some of the European countries are just beginning to renlizo that it is "cheaper to furnish their youth with a wholesome education than to support them, in after years, in the penitent flary, or transport them to a penal colong. Though we cannot be indifferent to the hard lot of the natives amongst us, yet our hands are so tied that in many important respects weare unable to ameliorate their condition. We must wait patiently till some favor able opportanity arises, or public sentiment works'a change. In this matter, however, action may be taken at once, and there can be but little excuse for delay.
Aside from those whose parents ave able to send them away, there are 'a large number of children, foreign and half foreign, to say nothing of the thousands of Chinese, to whom we might easily offer the boon of a good public school. It is to be hoped that "such an institution would become so popular as to assume considerable dimensions, that in a few years we should have a commodious school edifice, and a corps of teachers able to give instruction in all the branches of a good common education. "To make n beginning would require but a small outlay, and the step once taken is not likely to be retraced. As in many other matters, we must set an example, must give the "Chinese a practical illustration. We "have here almost all the machinery of "a little State, and it may be safely said that there is scarcely another government in the world so pure and high "toned; and hardly another element of 'a good government lacking. An appropriation of a few hundred dollars would be sufficient to commence with, "and a step in the right direction.' It may be questionable how far the writer's argument in favour of State aid will be held conclusive, in the pecular circumstances of Shanghai; and he certainly underrates the sam necessary to start such an institution. But the idea is a good one; and sooner or later, by some means or other, we expect to seo it carried out,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.