“Joaquin de Echevarria.”
Upon enquiring who this Don Manuel Salas was, I found he was a man very highly respected by every one, and a modest but decided philanthropist. I have since been frequently with him, and find him, indeed, as described to me. I next give you an article from the Public Gazette of the 4th current; I think it is from the pen of Salas, but this is only conjecture. It is, however, either from him or from one of the Ministers of Government.
“PUBLIC EDUCATION.
“Ignorance is one of the greatest evils that man can suffer, and it is the principal cause of all his errors and miseries. It is also the grand support of tyranny, and ought, therefore, to be banished by every means from that country which desires a liberty regulated by laws, customs, and opinion. None can be happy unless he study religion, morality, and his own rights, unless he improve by the knowledge of those who have preceded him, and enter into social connexion, as it were, with those who in former times, and in other places, cultivated the sciences and the arts, and who have deposited in their writing, the fruit of their studies for the improvement of others. The only way by which we can form such an acquaintance with great men is by reading. The happy day is now arrived when the infinitely valuable art of reading is to be extended to every individual in Chile. We have now the pleasure of announcing this to all classes of the community. This will be considered as the most interesting news, by those who know its importance, and who consider it as the basis of solid prosperity. Deeply impressed with this truth, our benevolent government has brought to this place Mr. James Thomson, who has established in Buenos Aires elementary schools upon that admirable system of Lancaster, which has spread through the world. He is going to establish schools on the same plan in this city, from which, as a centre, this system will be propagated through all the towns of the state. The readiness with which this mode of education has been generally adopted, its economy, and the quickness and order with which children learn by it reading, writing, arithmetic, and the principles of grammar, strongly recommend it. It has been particularly useful in those places where rural or mechanical occupations allow but a short time for instruction. There is, therefore, now no obstacle in the way for every one in Chile to obtain education. Notice will be given, from time to time, of the progress of the central school, which is to serve as a model for others. In it masters will be instructed, and those masters who show the most attention in acquiring a knowledge of this system will be appointed in preference to the other schools.”
Santiago de Chile, 8th October, 1821.
I seize the opportunity of sending you a few lines by his Majesty’s ship Owen Glendower, which sails for England from Valparaiso immediately. I enclose you a copy of a letter of this date to Mr. Owen, which will inform you of my concerns here, touching the Bible Society, to this date. In addition to this, I shall now communicate to you some notices regarding our schools here, bringing down my accounts upon the subject from the 1st September (the date of my last letter to Mr. S.) to the present day.
I am happy to say, the favourable reception I met with here, and of which I wrote you on the 6th August, was not a momentary feeling. It has been kept up till now, and I might also say, it has rather increased than diminished. Soon after my arrival in this city, a large room in the University was pointed out to me as the place in which we were to begin our school operations. This hall is capable of containing 200 children, according to our plan, and this is a very good number for a model school. This hall was to have been the University Chapel. The building I here call the University, is not occupied at present in the way its name would indicate, though intended for a place of learning. There is, however, another building appropriated to the objects of a college, and of which I may write you afterwards. My present object is to speak of our schools. Through the delay of the joiners in fitting up this place, it was not completed till the 17th September. On that day our school was opened. From day to day our number increased, till, at the end of a fortnight, our number (200) was completed. Since that time, we have been daily importuned to admit others, which we are unable to do. We are, however, about to commence fitting up another large hall in the University buildings. At the present rate of applications, we shall certainly have more in readiness for that second school, by the time it is prepared, than it will contain. The fitting up of others is also talked of. From the short time our school has been going on, it promises to do well. The children are docile and agreeable. I am now so much familiarized with the appearance and manner of the children in these countries, that I feel myself quite at home among them. There is more resemblance to the English or European face among the children and others here, in Chile, than in Buenos Aires. I have been this moment interrupted by one of my scholars, who has called upon me, and brought me a ham, a present from his mother.
All classes seem to take an interest in our schools. We are daily visited. The First Minister of the Government pays us a visit regularly every afternoon. We have already four masters studying the system, and these will be ready in a month or two to open schools on our plan, either in this city or in the provincial towns. In Conception, Coquimbo, and another town of inferior population, they are preparing for establishing schools upon our system. The principal things we stand in need of for the rapid extension of our schools, are slates and printed lessons. I am expecting 2000 slates by the first vessel from England, and am at present getting some lessons printed in the government printing office. To defray the expense of these, we have opened a subscription, which I hope will do well. I have already got upwards of 270 dollars among my English friends here, and expect more.
Thus, you see, the Lord is with us, and blessed be his name. May he, in his own way and wisdom, make his great name glorious in the eyes of Chile, and of all South America.