Letters on the Moral and Religious State of South America / Written during a residence of nearly seven years in Buenos Aires, Chile, Peru and Colombia

by D.D. James Thomson

Before I leave San Juan, I wish to notice the meritorious conduct of Don Salvador Carril. In the meeting referred to, he was one of the principal defenders of our objects, and strongly urged the adoption of the proposed plan. Some time after, this gentleman was appointed Governor in that province. When holding that situation, he wished to use all his influence for the establishment of religious liberty in his native province. I have great pleasure in stating that in this he completely succeeded. He has thus had the honour of leading the way in this important matter, and of making his own province the first part of South America, to declare for Religious Liberty. The date of this era, for such it may be called to this new continent, is the sixth of June, 1825. The province of Buenos Aires has adopted the same wise and liberal policy, but the first honour is due to San Juan, and to its Governor Carril.[8] I must not omit to mention here, Mr. Rawson from the United States, and who has long resided in San Juan. His name is connected with every measure for the improvement of that country.

In regard to the other provinces of the Rio de la Plata, I can say very little, but I believe education is in a very low state in all of them. The names of these provinces are, Santa Fé, Entre Rios, Corientes, Paraguay, Salta, Tucuman, and Córdova. It is, however, very probable, from the general spirit diffused through these countries, that plans for the improvement and extension of education would be very favourably received, particularly under the recommendation and fostering care of the President, Don Bernardino Rivadavia.

I omitted to mention before stretching across the Pampas, another Lancasterian School and Society. This School and Society are situated about 500 miles to the South of the City of Buenos Aires, at the mouth of the Rio Negro, where there is a small fort and town. Colonel Oyüela, who was appointed Governor of that quarter some months before my leaving the eastern side of the continent, attended our central school to get acquainted with our system, and on going to the place of his appointment, he carried with him a supply of lessons for the commencement of a school. I afterwards learned, that he had endeavoured to interest the inhabitants of that place in the education of their children, and that he had succeeded in establishing a school, and in forming a small society for its support. To this small society, contributions were made by the inhabitants of such things as they had, and these were turned into money, and kept the school going forward. The conduct of Colonel Oyüela in this matter is truly praiseworthy, as it springs from a sincere desire to promote education, and to benefit those over whom he is placed. If all governors, far and near, were to act in the same manner, we should soon see ignorance turned into knowledge all the world over.

The British System was begun in Chile, in July 1821. The Director, Don Bernardo O’Higgins, manifested a sincere desire to extend education throughout the country over which he was placed, and was ready to listen to any improvements in the manner of communicating knowledge, which might be brought before him. The principal Secretary of State, Don Rafael Echevarria, was also much interested in the subject. Three schools were established in Santiago, the capital, one in Valparaiso, and one in Coquimbo. Some months before I left Chile, Mr. Eaton arrived there, having been sent from London, by Mr. Irisarri, to promote education on the Lancasterian plan. The government intended to send Mr. Eaton to Conception, in the south of Chile, to establish schools in that province, but on representing to the director, that it would be better to concentrate our labours in the capital, and from thence to send qualified masters to the various provinces, it was acceded to that Mr. Eaton should remain in Santiago. Our labours were continued there together until I received an invitation from General San Martin to go to Peru. Upon considering fully the importance of this invitation, as affording an opportunity for extending the blessings of education, in that interesting country, I thought it advisable to accept of it, considering that Mr. Eaton would remain in Chile, and that thus what had been begun there, would be maintained, and that by degrees, through his labours, the system would be generally extended in that quarter. These expectations, however, were not realized, as Mr. Eaton, in a few months after I went to Peru, fell sick, and was obliged to return to England. In consequence of this misfortune, the cause in Chile began to decline, and I believe, at the present moment, the schools formerly established are in a very low state, if not given up altogether. It is much to be regretted, that things should remain in this state in Chile, and that the great work of education should be retarded there, whilst it is making progress in other quarters. During my stay in Peru, I had some notices of how things were going on, and where they might probably end, unless I should accede to their invitation to return there, or at all events send a well qualified master to sustain the system. I could not go myself to Chile, although I had a great desire to go, because my leaving Peru at that time, might have occasioned a retrogression similar to what had taken place in Chile. In consequence of this, I looked out for a well instructed master to go there. Before I succeeded in obtaining one, the Spanish army took possession of Lima, and General Rodil, who commanded the fortresses of Callao, refused to allow the master to go when I called on him to obtain a passport.

From the representatives of the Chilian government, now in London, I have learned that there is a great regret at the disappointment met with in regard to the schools; and that there exists a sincere desire to remedy the evil as much as possible, and without delay. I mention this to the Committee agreeable to your request that I should point out the best means for forwarding education in South America. I would suggest the propriety of seeking out a well qualified person to go to Chile, and if the one selected is well fitted for conducting education, I have no doubt of his obtaining a favourable reception, and of his being the means of greatly benefiting that country. For the encouragement of such a one, I would say, that Chile enjoys a delightful climate, and its inhabitants are, I think, more moral in general than in any other part of South America where I have been.

The persons you might correspond with in Chile upon this subject, are the present Director, General Freire, Don Rafael Echevarria, Don Henrique Camillo, and Don Manuel Salas. General Freire was Governor of Conception when I resided in Chile; but, on a visit he paid to Santiago when I was there, I had an interview with him, in which he manifested his satisfaction at the progress of our schools on your system, and his readiness to encourage the introduction of the same plan in the province of Conception, when we should be able to send a master there. I have, indeed, no doubt of his hearty co-operation with any measures which the Society may adopt on behalf of Chile. The other three person mentioned will lend all their aid in this good work. Mr. Echevarria was First Secretary of State at the time I was there, and encouraged education on this system by sending his own son to our central school, and by a frequent attendance himself in the afternoons when his public business was over. Mr. Camillo was, and I believe is, contributing to the enlightening of his countrymen respecting education and other improvements by publishing a periodical work which had these things for its sole object. Don Manuel Salas is already known to you by my letters from Chile. He is a man up in years, and his only desire is to benefit his countrymen in every way he can, and he looks upon education as the most effectual means of doing permanent good.

I have only further to mention respecting Chile, that Mr. Egaña, the present envoy from that government now in London, will be ready to give the Committee any information or assistance in his power to the furtherance of this object.

My arrival in Peru, in the end of June 1822, and the favourable circumstances in the establishment of schools there, is detailed in my letters written about that period. Some time after these prosperous days, the war in that country greatly hindered the progress of education. We had often been scourged by this foe before, particularly in Buenos Aires, but the occurrences in Peru were to me, at least, new. Our former wars were among ourselves, and whatever party gained the ascendancy the schools went on unmolested, or nearly so; but in Lima we came in contact with the Spaniards, the well known encouragers of ignorance, at least so far as South America is concerned. Twice was Lima taken possession of by the Spanish armies during my residence there. On the first occasion I left the city along with some thousands, who fled at that unhappy time. The schools suffered an interruption of three months by the first visit of the Spanish troops. On the second occasion, to prevent a like interruption, I remained in the city, and the schools went on, though not so prosperously as we could have wished. The protection we enjoyed at this time was owing, I believe, in a good measure, to the general feeling in the place in favour, of education. After remaining six months under the Spanish dominion, in that city, and finding it impossible to advance, I left that place on my way northward, and finally came to England. Of the result of this journey you are already acquainted, through the publications of the Bible Society.

The Central School established in the College of the Dominican Friars in Lima, contained, on the entrance of the Spanish army, 230 children, and was going on well; there was another school on the same plan which had 80 scholars in it. In both these schools printed sheets of extracts from the Scriptures were used for lessons, the same as in Buenos Aires and Chile. But in addition to this, in Lima the New Testament entire, printed by the British and Foreign Bible Society in London, was used as our principal school-book. In this precious volume the children in the higher classes read, and were questioned as to its contents. The same volume was carried home by the children, and read by them there, and portions of it also were committed to memory. These portions were recited in school, and premiums were awarded according to the accuracy of the recitation, and the clearness of the views which the children gave in their own language, of what they had recited. Besides the sheet lessons, the Scripture extracts were printed and used in the form of little books. Requests at times came from the parents to have a copy of these to read, which requests were complied with, and thus the word of God became more known, and I trust more revered and obeyed.