AN APPEAL TO CHRISTIAN LADIES, IN BEHALF OF FEMALE EDUCATION IN CHINA,
INDIA, AND THE EAST.
From the last census taken by the Chinese government in 1813, it appears
that the population of that empire was then 362,447,183; a population
more than twenty times as great as that of Greenland, Labrador, the
Canadas, the West Indies, the South Sea Islands, the Cape, Madagascar,
Greece, Egypt, Abyssinia, and Ceylon,--_i.e._, more than twenty times as
large as nearly the whole field of Christian missions, India and the
East being excepted.
In 1821, the missionary, Dr. Milne, calculated the population of Cochin
China, Corea, Loo-choo, Japan, and other districts tributary to China,
to be about 60,000,000. If there should be in those countries, with
Burmah and Siam, only 20,000,000 instead of 60,000,000, they form
an important field of missionary labour. The British subjects of
continental and ultra-Gangetic India, are 77,743,178; the population
more or less under British influence in India, is 33,994,000; making
a total under British influence in India, of 111,736,178. Of the 362
millions of the Chinese empire, probably 150 millions are females; and
among the 111 millions of India there are about 50 millions more; so
that, in these two countries, there are 200 millions of heathen females
demanding our commiseration and Christian care.
The condition of the Chinese women is thus described by the missionary
Gutzlaff:--"Such a general degradation in religion makes it almost
impossible that females should have their proper rank in society.
They are the slaves and concubines of their masters, live and die in
ignorance, and every effort to raise themselves above the rank assigned
them, is regarded as impious arrogance. As long as mothers are not the
instructors of their children, and wives are not the companions of
their husbands, the regeneration of this great empire will proceed very
slowly." As might be expected, suicide is a refuge to which thousands of
these ignorant idolaters fly. "The unnatural crime of infanticide is so
common among them, that it is perpetrated without any feeling, and even
in a laughing mood. There is also carried on a regular traffic in
females."
The condition of the Hindoo women is, if possible, worse. They are
treated as slaves, may not eat with their husbands, and are expressly
permitted by law to be beaten. Degraded and despised, they naturally
sink towards the level assigned them by public opinion. They have no
mental employment whatever; and being very much excluded by the extreme
jealousy of which they are the objects, from missionary instruction, it
appears that their miserable condition must be perpetuated, till Hindoo
society undergoes a radical change, unless they be improved by Christian
schools.
To meet these necessities, a society has been formed of ladies of
various denominations, united together by Christian piety, for the
wretched female population whom they wish to elevate and bless. Some of
the objects to which the Committee will direct their attention, are the
following: