At the end of the Qing Dynasty, because of the war, many intelligent imperial examination ministers began to think about the reason for the gap between east and west. Among them, Zeng Guofan, as the most knowledgeable pillar of the imperial court, had the most thorough understanding of the Western humanistic system, science and technology of his time.
The Empress Dowager Cixi was actually a smart person, and she never refuted Zeng Guofan's excerpts, even if Zeng Guofan once said to her: "If our country wants to improve itself, it must learn from the West." It is not only machine manufacturing to learn, but also the national system. It's just that there are still too few people who understand the mysteries at the moment, and most of them don't know much about it. I would like to start with the cultivation of Western scholars, and when there are enough talents in all aspects, then the imperial court system will be reformed together, and there will be a smooth transition without trouble. Cixi agreed very much, and did not go to the platform to dismiss it on the grounds that the ancestral system could not be moved lightly. These words had a profound impact on her, and when it came to the Wuxu Reform, the reason why she fiercely opposed it was because of this. Without talent, isn't changing the law a fool? Regarding the constitution, Cixi asked for a 20-year preparation period, and later generations thought that she was reluctant to hold the power in her hands, but in fact, it was not, and the reason was also because Zeng Guofan set this tone when he was alive. After those who did not believe in evil overthrew the Qing Dynasty, they did not establish an imaginary advanced state system of Chinese and Ming, but were unfortunately told by Zeng Guofan and fell into the disaster of warlord division and continuous civil war. So when this old man passed away, someone said, "There is no one who understands again." ”
Where does the talent come from? It doesn't grow out of thin air, it has to be cultivated, so the idea of a young child in the United States was formed. On the third day of the seventh month of the tenth year of Tongzhi, Zeng Guofan wrote such an excerpt to the Empress Dowager Cixi:
I would like to send bright children to study in the West to nurture talents.
Last year, when I was handling foreign affairs in Tianjin, I discussed with Ding Richang several times, and I felt that only by sending young children to Western countries to learn everything could we fundamentally benefit the country. It only takes more than ten years for these people to return from their careers, so that all Westerners can understand it, and then the country can gradually become self-reliant. I've played this twice last year, and I've documented it. Now Li Hongzhang has also come to me many times to discuss, and thinks that in the future, all those who have successfully studied abroad will be invited to various schools to be teachers, teach them separately, and strive for excellence. Since our country is determined to learn from the advanced, it is very necessary to be proficient in Western laws. Now that the atmosphere has opened, it is a good time to send international students.
The United States is the most suitable. Article 7 of the Sino-US agreement states: In the future, the United States will give preferential treatment to all Chinese students studying in the United States in accordance with the most-favored-nation treatment. This spring, when the US minister visited Tianjin, I asked Li Hongzhang to have a deep understanding of this idea with him, and he was willing to take proper care of our country's overseas students. Later, when the British minister came to Tianjin for an interview, Li Hongzhang also received a positive reply, that he could first study in the United States and then go to Britain for further study, because it has the most famous universities. These are all things that foreigners really hope for, and they will be beneficial and harmless to the overall situation of Sino-Western friendship in the future.
I think that since the strengths of foreign countries are willing to be open to our people to learn from, we should seize the opportunity. It is not difficult to travel from the Pacific Ocean to the United States by steamer in more than a month. Some ministers did not understand this, and they said to me: "Tianjin, Shanghai, and Fuzhou have all set up Western-style steamship, gun, and arms manufacturing bureaus, and they have also set up Western schools in Shanghai to teach young children, and the Jingshi Tongwen Museum has invited many foreign professors to teach Manchu and Han children. As everyone knows, these are just the foundation of the beginning, studying in the West, brainstorming, in order to achieve far-reaching results. Westerners' learning is pragmatic, whether it is administration, industry and commerce, or military affairs, all of them enter the school to study, specialize in technology, and teach each other, so they are changing with each passing day. If China wants to be as advanced as they are, it can't just buy products. Not only is there not so much money, but the mystery is not self-evident unless you have been reading it for a long time. As the old saying goes, "It's better to see than to hear". What's more, the fundamental things have been learned by us, and in the future, they will be bypassed, and will not be extended to infinity?
We send a large number of students to study abroad, although not all of them are talented, but the number is huge, and there must be magnificent talents among them. Half of this theory can be used to help the world, and the country will be very promising.
In short, we should take a long-term view of this matter, not be stingy with money because of huge expenses, and we should not be too strict with the effect. International students who travel across the ocean are to reserve talents for the country, and they must not be recalled halfway because of occasional financial difficulties, and they must not worry about ruining the atmosphere because the students' thinking is not similar to ours. Stick to it, accumulate over time, and the results will gradually be considerable. I have prepared everything and am now waiting for your consent, and if there is any unfinished business, please order the Prime Minister's Yamen to change it at his discretion, and I will amend the details of this work at any time.
Soon Cixi agreed with Zeng Guofan's opinion, and the young boy in the United States went to sea. More than ten years later, Zeng Guofan has been dead for a long time, because the foreign students have Westernized their thoughts, and even cut their braids, the conservative forces have put a lot of pressure on the imperial court, Li Hongzhang can not stick to his principles, because he does not have the authority of Zeng Guofan's words, even Cixi can't stand it, so he has to recall all the students studying in the United States. The Qing Dynasty no longer had any hope of self-improvement, and the foundation laid by Zeng Guofan was destroyed, and this decaying dynasty could only gradually go to extinction.