The Sun.
London, England, 1823-11-10 00:00:00

MR. 0 WEN
AND THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND.

(LETTER VI.)
TO THE EDITOR OF THE GLASGOW CHRONICLE.
SIR-An institution for the formation of elm-

racter, which htd been commenced during the former partner.
ship, was now completed ; and cr. the Ist January, 181 b, it was
opened by an addreart to the i :habitants of New Lanark._.
This address, whichlwas published the same year, and has gone
through several edttlons, thy be refured to, as explanatory of
the general principles which have uniformly governed my

proceedings.
Knowing the incalculable importance of proper early
training and education, I directed much of my attention
to this subject; and some of any new associates having
taken a deep interest, and a very prominent part in fos-
tering and improving the British and Foreign system of
education, as it is called, I gave, in conformity to their
wishes, a full trial to that plan under masters and miss
trades sent down by thim from tire Parent eetablishment.—
I soon found, however, that for all the real objects of edu-
cation, these masters and mistresses themselves required to be
instructed even more than our children. They were familiar
with a particular fbrm, which consisted in some 'unimportant
mechanical evolutions • but even the elements of the Old Sys-
tem of instruction hadbeent for a century, much better taught
in Scotland than by the method which they practised. In con-
sequence, after a very complete and fair attempt was made to
establish this new mode of education in Edinburgh and
Glasgow, it proved incapable of bearing a competition with the
old parochial plan t. and now I believe scarcely one school upon
the British system is to be .found north of the Tweed. It Is a
system indeed in which mind is almost entirely overlooked ;
and it rem be useful only as a first step to lead a population out
of slavery,' igrionince and. barbarism—the condition in which
many lathe lower classes in England actually were, when Mr.
Lancaster introduced this, at first, very popular plan to public
attentite. The greangood mating out of die exertions of Mr.
Lancaster, and of those benevolent men who supported him,
end afteftvaideehis system, consisted in awakening public at-
tentiorrio the ..reel importance of education as a means of pro-
diicing, .through the rising generation, a powerful influence on
society at large, and in carrying into practice some general
scheme of instruction for the poor, however defective, upon
which improvements might subsequently be made.
Finding this system so completely mechanical, and so ill
adapted for the development of intellect, or for moral culture,
I gave an attentive examination' to various other plans which
had been brought forward at home and abroad, anti had ob.
tained a greater or less share of popularity. I visited, among
others, Dr. Bell's institution in this.country—Pere Girard's at
Fribourg—Pestalozzi's at Iverdun—Fellenberg's at flokyl,
and many others of less celebrity. In all I observed a great
deal to approve and imitate; but the parties by whom these
institutions were formed or conducted, were obliged to act con.
triry, I inn sure, to their own feelings and judgment—under
the bondage of tire Old System of Society ; a system which, as
heretofore, will of necessity exert its utmost influence to stay
the progress of knowledge, and keep tire humierspecies in
mental slavery.
It being the fixed purpose of my life to break these bonds,
and to enable mankind to attain to freedom, in its highest se.
ceptation, I prepared to introduce arrangements in the new in-
stitution, that should, by degrees, show something of 'the
power of education, when properly directed, evert on minde
hitherto supposed too young to be instructed.
The view which I had been enabled to take of this subject,.
opened to me the knowledge, that the education of the old world
for all classes in society,, is calculated to repress the superior
powers of the human mind, and to cultivate only the inferior
and subordinate faculties; to .destroy the judgment, while it 1
gives precocity to the infant powers of' imagination ; thus stor-
ing the mind with the most incongruous notions of unreal ex.
istencies, filling it with fear and dread, end creating in each
child to whom such treatment is applied, the most unnatural
and injurious apprehensions, feelings and conduct, throughout
life.
As this treatment has been liberally applied hitherto to all
the upper classes, and as it is the upper classes who have go-
verned society, we discover the reason why no nation, of which
we have any records, has at any period of,its history, exhibited
any symptoms of rationality in its laws and institutions, or
modes of governing,' or of forming the character of a people.
And hence have error, sin and misery, been so easily and
surely perpetrated, and transmitted from generation to ge-
neration.
At all times the governing power in every country has really
been instrumental in forming the character of each of its sub-
jects, and it has always hail under its calumet the means, if it
had possessed the knowledge, to direct them aright, to form
well the character, physically, mentelly,
_and morally, of each
individtial born within its dominions. This knowledge hav-
ing been wanting, man in every country over the face of the
earth, has existed an irrational localized being, far less happy,
in all probability, than any of the other animals, who possess
:he liberty of living according to their respective natures.
These views and considerations determined me to prepare
the means of doing justice, in some degree, to a small portion
of my fellow-creatures, that they might become an example to
others, and enable me to say to the world ; " Come and see
how oacleand all of you have been injured from birth by the
old system of society; and behold a mode, simple, easy and
delightful, by which you may obtain the full extent of human
wishes and desires."
I had now however to contend against the deep-rooted no-
tions of the parents of the children and of the public. Many
of the parents had been taught to think, that to read, write and
account, constituted:the sum and essence of education, and some
of them, that to read the Bible was all that was necessary for
their children.
Knowing the source of these opinions, I gave them the weight
only that properly belonged to them; and I proceeded in my
measures to develope in a slight degree, some of the beneficial
effects, which I knew might be produced on the human charac-
ter, by a rational plan of education. •
The children were received into the Institution of two years
of age, or sooner, if they could walk to the schools; the great
object being, to lay a foundation at the earliest period, for good
health ass well as for good disposition;, habits and manners—
They were trained to play with their companions without fight.
ing or quarreling, and to be always kind to each other ; while
full liberty was given them to enjoy themselves, to their hearts'
content, in all their sports and gambols. It was delightful
to observe, in the progress of this part of the experi-
ment. the excellent capabilities of human nature, when it is
not the victim of ignorance and injustice; and to witness,
daily, the proof of how much may be so easily effected,
even under circumstances, not by any means the meat favOur-
able, when it is allowed the benefit of a comparatively rational
treatment. Children daily associating together from their
earliest years, in numbers sufficient to comprehend every
variety of natural character, and among whom each may
find plat-metes of congenial temperament—all being at
the same time under the care and superintendence of judicious
kindness and undeviating impartiality—.cannot fail to exhibit,
in their feelings and conduct, all that can be wished for, or de-
sciirrsectire simiotnrontthnecaesitri
cn which
give us the assurance, that if we do them
in
subsequente fttraainerinwwo
training and
placethem, they education, andewilll
in the
ichw
become without exception, although in different degrees, Intel.
ligentt virtucus and happy members of society.
To introduce, at the new institution, a system of instruction,
such as I contemplated, required general arrangements very
different from those in. ordinary use. In the matter of instruc-
tion itselfi'ais well as in the mode of communicating it, con-
The first great problem, in regard to this subject is,
siderable innovation upon former practice was indispensable.
sthheoirrtemstitnimdseatroeatcoguhieresatodredisdin„ct caonndceiptiiioand ofp ethrcetegiveened.no:,fctotis:
children may be enabled, in the easiest manner, anti in the
that are to form the foundation of the knowledge, with which
ccoonrrfuectudandandinjuri
factory solution of it in the prevailing methods of tuition. To
rue these in general appeared to be calculated to create disgust
to load tire memory with words to which little useful
ideas,
or no meaning
injurious
notions, and to paralyse the reasoning powers.
I was therefore led to adopt the practice which nature seem.
ed to dietate, of employing sensible signs, or representations,
for the purpose of conveying to their minds, thro
that precluded all misconception or obscurity, a
a medium
those useful and undisputed facts, which wereY,a llowlede
of
to found the
ground-wmk of their mental and moral improvement.
also of the greatest importance thatthis lt was
communicated to them, in such order knowledge should be
sult of a well constituted mind in
which each
lead to the re-
in unison with every.other ; for
taus
only
each idea should be
men to become consistent or rational is it poseible to train
so far as the prejudices of those beings. This principle,
would permit,. I endeavoured to
by whom I was surrounded
of paintings, an a large scale, apply to practice. A series
tions, were provided, andthe and a variety of other 'Hume.
lures and convereations between
instructions proceeded by lees
The-se of course stmerseeled a the
masters
and
scholars.
practice,.eini very tsilvanta a considerable pert of the former
time during which the ously occupied a portion of the
reading what they could not children were previously employed in
poet the catechism of the unfi:l74nd, and in learning to re.
however continued, and Churchß °-
Scotland. The Script:tree
two days of the week, u continue, to be read as befitre, on
which the
children
of
those
as in our Sunday schools—in
catechism, and in which TeParent* who desire it are taught the
• psalms or hymns, "aey repeat portions of Scripture, or
according to the whites of themselves and