Robert Morrison (3) (1782–1834)

"they are real curiosities, and give us a better idea of the state of science in China than the relations of travellers have effected. it is surely impossible that they can make much progress with characters so complicated, so voluminous, and inadequate as theirs are, it must take a life to learn the characters only, & then their expression of ideas must be very imperfect. I imagine that some fortuitous circumstance will some day call their attention to the simpler alphabets of Europe, which show more with proper improvements may be made to express the sounds of their language as well as of others, and that then they may enter on the field of science. I think missionaries to instruct them in our alphabet would be more likely to take good effect, and lead them to the object of our religious missionaries, than an abrupt introduction of new doctrines for which their minds are in no wise prepared." — Thomas Jefferson to Charles J. Ingersoll, 20 July 1818 show less

"they are real curiosities, and give us a better idea of the state of science in China than the relations of travellers have effected. it is surely impossible that they can make much progress with characters so complicated, so voluminous, and inadequate as theirs are, it must take a life to learn the characters only, & then their expression of ideas must be very imperfect. I imagine that some fortuitous circumstance will some day call their attention to the simpler alphabets of Europe, which show more with proper improvements may be made to express the sounds of their language as well as of others, and that then they may enter on the field of science. I think missionaries to instruct them in our alphabet would be more likely to take good effect, and lead them to the object of our religious missionaries, than an abrupt introduction of new doctrines for which their minds are in no wise prepared." — Thomas Jefferson to Charles J. Ingersoll, 20 July 1818 show less

University of Hong Kong reprint, 2009.