Press enter after choosing selection

Communications: For The Signal Of Liberty: Moral Education

Communications: For The Signal Of Liberty: Moral Education image
Parent Issue
Day
21
Month
November
Year
1842
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

When I reflect on lhe immence iïiiporiance. with which the subject beibre me ie invesied, I n!. most shrink from the taak, that I have impored iipon myself. But there is a something wrhmpers in my Cfir.perhaps you rnay suggest aorne thoughu that will prove usefu'. I thercfore, haeten to offer for your consideration, somc of thosc rcflections, which. itj view of this subject, have arisen in my own ñíind. So familiar to our eart, h'ts become the oh rpet-c! expresaion. "iTian niust and v:i!l Le eJucutcd," that we cease to feel us'orcc. But, who hae weiglied the fu!I import of thn: short sentencei who hr,? fn'.ly realizeri. that upoti the right cultivation. of the moral, pbyjücol, nm! inteliectunl nature, dependa, n.)tonly the prosont, bu: lhe future 'dl bcing of every intelligent crea, ture? And, though the cultivation o'' eneh of theée. sessential to thé fulJ development of the otliers. and ihough neither mny bé nglected with impunity. elill the eiiucntion of the moral jnwers, is of parnmount importonce. Thöugh claiiping the higheit degree of imeüectunl .uperiority. and the most perfect phyaical stronth mif} proportione, what i man, w'thput fixed rruirnl principie? Vblot - n being, tbat ehoulci hide a!-i-hed, from the preeence of his fellow rain, let his very brcath should pollutc thein. Intellect isa íearful thing, wheri u:ir.ccompnr.:'rJ vith njornl strefigth of character. I wou!d chrink, from coming in contoct with it, with a more frarhil áhudder, tlian from the deaJIy fold of t'ie most hideous serpent. Do you nek the cr.use of this?Look nbroad through the land, what ia it, thal bas poüuted the fountains of our literature. thaa causing those streams, which ehould send iorth nought but purity and reiinoment, to become corrupte!; and ihat, wliich should serve os nutri-.uni to the immor'.al niind, to ttccomplish the work of nn ineidious, but fuial poison. I3 it not, thit tlic intellect basbeen cultívalo:1., wbile t:e moral powers have been sufTored tö lijf (IdrnúTjil? I am happy to say, ihat amör.g our li'tèrarj and scienliiïc wriiers, moy l'O clusscd ifiujlitmjcs, i:i v. l.i'i-i ;.- ben'útifully combine'!, high mtellewnal anti !itor&! att'oinmënts. Hut (he soul sickon-.. nml tur::s wnh loathing. from a perusal of mary df 0OT populr.r worK's: Korfce, exeriitcd by thrse. nfhóae nnmes are enrolled on the records of fanse. Doé$ noi the heart of the pliilnnih'-pioí hlred. na ho caets his eye over, rjotour gountry alone?, but t!ie world, when hc views the morel waste, espccially when he aeea the npathy of paren.'B u:il iqnchers 011 thie point. I wbufd, were it in my power urge tlie:n with all the enrncatneea of wqWls, nml a feeüng heart. to üúnli iipon this sübjsct, to givc it ihat wcight, which its importante deinand? and at once, to revive L)nn ifkeítn'g a A chtinge must be w'rought, anr] lurit s;ec(hly or the tremsndous trinli, !i:u it hrií= i.-.-ji too ns. neglected, forced upon is. Who will aitinpt a reform? Some have nssertetl. t hn t the cultivatron of the moraj facu!:i8. belongs exchic-ivoly to pnrenw others have nilowed (he rpoftsihjlity l t in this respect 3ut. how many of this eir.ss. rtp. by their own depnrlurcs frorn (he putl oí rec:iíiide, unfitted for tha d}8chArg n( his mjsnventQue ■ Itjiy. Let us uppoio for t, moment, tbnt pnrenií :nd ir.stiuctora were itl!. that thosc sus;iiuin." these imp.-t tnnt re!a:ioiis shoilid be fiút is n true. tii.it there are none. 8jve ihe guardián oi our early yearii, wlio cert an infiuence over us? Let the blighted hopos of mauv a fond pVtrent an-í.'t. A.-k ihe lone widuw of yonder beuuieotih uinnsi'on. wiiv such an neby pn!cm-s3 res's n ieheek, wiiy sch te.irs of anguieh darkeu her eye. aö 6he lists to the npproaclmig fo:s'eps of hoi oiilv son. Híis ?he fy prí'cept or cxuinple, nstillod n 'his heart, tiioíe fe r fu I principie, thüt he 30 freely advocates? Has fhe, by soft perau::sive wemis. t.iuo-ht hnn to ep the poiaouous draught, which luis transformad the once obedient, enécíionate son, into the infuriaied Inebríale? As she poinis you to ihe monster, who fii-gr ured hin from ihe p.iihs uf vuitie; ress no' vour eye, on sorno favorite coriipanion. thet hn. ixferti ;i his i:)íluenee, btu to wither nnd hl.mt a!!, hát w.is lavt'ly in inoralH and ehi?racenit 11 .piy. indi-e'!, viu!t! it be. '.ir nisfaj a ri-crear: 'ourh, were the word. educa ion, tuuie lüniied i. á siirificriíion. Tiie question hre -irises, at what seaeon óflífi hould ihe work of íiiornl educlion commepce Let it be when the Hist gjean of iDteüigence. p : kies 'm tiie tye oí your tender ofÍBpfinpA'hen fust% theheart iá suscepiible of Tecciv: ng in pu'Fsions. which shuli be enduringas time. fimo, did I auy. Al), tine siuil oa8 to bei-■ i ii nmnii i mi iwi iiwnwij ntm m mu imii Uu.. , : 60 .vüii ilioae iíiti t-kiiit.i?. tirtt iiitv hecn inf.laiiii'ii ia liic inii!or::il niiii'l. The repjisse cornos fipoJti fvcry heart, tliese, unükc al' {ixe, c.-ii novor cc:iko to cxiat. Lcr os tfti fi!. iht now, "whilc the ev;l liaj como noi," iiftké sí9un whfii we should v.-uh earnes:rrKT er'4nf in )) injt a fouiuia;i m, upon Mrich, we nny hope (o ree rire, uperjtn't írp, t?nutiíul uukrd 10 the view. Lei 11.1 realizó, that we are iimkinjj'impreB.iorjs, tha'. wiiill bc Inwirijr a r ernity. Oh tet u feel, hst it is not a thing of trii1:ng tTioinent, tlist eoch ihnuznt aa it vme. of onrn, hall he hown. to have psisrvd in preporinit olhers, for a happy or uuhappy iiiimortaüty.

Article

Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News