The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-11-21 00:00:00

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efficacy lo prudes,. I entertain a conviction eqoalty
that no human power can stop their prOgrets, or
their rapid diffusidn throughout society.
But before proceeding to consider the mere geserallr
mini of exteadhig the knowledge and the practice of the
New Syiteas; I shall' recur to the experiesent at New%
Work; where I man now to carry into 'sedition sweat.
, Measures for the re rther impefteineotof the physical saystat
I and naertai Modifies of the villagers, which I have lone. •
had is coolemplation: but before the introduction of whisk. 4
some yeas' Of experience were necessary. ' s
At prevent, the Males are employed in the mills and
inifactory, they, do not acquire the degree of strength Loll
activity which they ought to attain: There is a decided.
eaperiority in the apparent health of the.fensales over,
that of the *site. This may arise from the female con.,
ititotkin besg better adapted by nature than the male foe
sedentary oneapitioni. M., it may arise, in a comriderables,
degree; &maths cireadnatance that thefemales wear week%
int clothe*. and cheep them freinently, Au" keeping.-
their perMity clean ; while the, greater tart of the Wield,
dress beiag-Of wool, mint milted, And
orldoin changed,
imbibes the effluvia. of the oil, and' ofh;d. substances
, Ahlp itb mutt in eonsequence.
-the' weber aßrayi odirWertb-hiss en unwholesome at., _
mospheee. To counteract this evil. convenient Means
frequent bathing rill be prowided ; it will be ',commended
toshern to use clothes that wilt wash, and facilities wilt'
he afforded for wishing them frequently, 'at a moderates.
expense. Gymnastics will 'dm be Introduced.
I intend, also, that measures shall he soon adopted to .
snpsrsede ti s ioconvenienceand loci which arise from taking
upon a very limited scale; the disadvaeitages of whims
no one can fully estimate without baring had various op-
portunities of comparing this mode with sed.ntific arrange— •
insists on an extended scale. This pert of the systret has
been hitherto withheld, because many obstacle' were lathe
way of its beneficial introduction.'
In effecting these changes in the bahits of the people,.
the same principle will be acted epee, which .was the meant..
at a former period, of Inducing them to purchase at that:
General Store, and to alter the dress of their childrer...
The benefit of the change will be rendered obvious to them
by experience; they will not be required to adopt it until.
their interest and inclination lead them to do so. They wilt;
be at fall liberty to continue their present practice, or Kik
purchase the cooked provisions, and take them home, or t•le,
net their meals in the spacious and comfortable rooms pro.;
sided for their accommodation. Ultimately, there can b a
no doubt, as many will prefer the latter wade si the apart.
merits will conveniently contain.
These are the measures about to be carried into effect.,,
to improve the health and comfort, or the physical eMtii.
tion of the villagers, without encreasing their experielitere:
But it is intended that the mental and moral condition'of,
the population should be advanced yet more than the Op%
sisal.
I have already expreised my opinion of the .ollewstena
of instruction ; that it is calculated only to make caldron'
lar with sounds. which to them have 11,1 meaning, of
which to convey to them very erroneous notions ;
that expe:rience has proved it to be a very erraneens mode
of cultivating their faculties, and the most injurious to
their health and temper, that &lull well be devisee'. The
system to which nature directs is, as was before observed.
to .place the object. of which a knowledge is to bee
ed. distinctly before their minds, and then to talk to t '
upon the subject, and allow theta to ask their own OA-
tione, and to reply to the questions Of their instructors ire
their own language, The Mind of a child should be well
stored with useful facts, before it sees the • alphabet ; nor
should I torment Any child with a letter or figure befors
it was eight years of Age, at the least. By that period, if
he had been properly taught by sensible signs and cow..
versation with his teachers, he world possess an acendt'ai
general knowledge of the various divisions of the worl.l.
of the natural productions Of each climate, of the natara
history of each country, of the ancient and modern history
of each nation, df its existing political and commercial
relations, of the relative advance of each nation its thee
sits and sciences, of the real value of the latter to society.
and of the errors, which now keep the world in a state' of
comparative ignorance. demoralization and barbarism. He
would know how its own character, and the character of
every human being was formed ; he would be practically.
acquainted with the science by which the character of all
human beings can be well or ill formed; he would know
the causes which produce good, and those which produce
evil to man; he would know from experience how the
former could be winded, and the latter made perpetually.
active ; he would, in short, become fully conscious of the
error and folly whicb
,diave hitherto characterised the pro.
ceedings of mankind, and which history renders cons/nous
Gaily manifest.
_ _

And yet, note ithstanding all this, he would remain, ac-
cording to the common notion of education, uninstructed:
for be would know nothing at all ofletters or figures. It is
now only that this intelligent and rational being shoull
commence the alphabet, and the nine digits; and thus re.
pared, I should be greatly disappointed, if in less than
twelve months he did not pass all of the old school l:a
reading, writing, and arithmetic, although the latter had.
been hammering at their lessons in these branches excia-
, siva), for four or five years preceding. And, having passed.
them, I should be equally odisappointed, if, in every six
months afterwards, he did not make a greater progress in.
these and all other scholastic exercises, than the average of •
his competitors could in twelve months, carrying with blot
at the same time all his previously acquired knowledge, anti
day by day making large accessions to it.
It is, therefore, in contemplation that the young children ak
New Lanark shall be more and more instructed, as nature di-
rects, by mainly signs and conversation, and less arid lest by
the tedious, unhealthy, tormenting and irrational mode of
forcing sounds without sense upon their unwilling attention.—
The former method is calculated, in an eminent degree, tit' cul-
tivate the mental faculties and moral sense of children. lbw
latter, as daily experience testifies. is singularly well adapted
to destroy, not only the health and temper, but tbe judgment
also; and hence it is that a mere book-learned man so ofte's
heComes a diseased, peevish, conceited, troublesome; useless
being; and that next to the poor female outcasts, who are
nightly dying of reglect and disease in the large towns end
cities of what is called the civilized part of the world, lie or-
serves most of our pity and commisseration. Such a charac-
ter could never he formed in the new state of society.

In addition to this improvement in education for the young.
it is now my intention to carry into execution plans, long
since devised, for the instruction of the adult psrt of the pa-
! potation of the village,. which plans were suspended, Latta
their curiosity should tie.swakened by the rapid progress of
their childten in knowledge and superior conduct, and until •
the influence of cirCurnster.ces should prepare them for their
reception. A certain time must elapse before important kw:
provements can be put in practice ;,rand it requires great pa-
tience to waft for, and a prompt and decisive judgment to
seize upon, the earliest moment, when they can be snqessfull;
introduced and adopted.
But the utmost extent of the improvements, which can be
, engrafted on any of the arrangements of old society, and par-
; ticularly on an establishment conned 36 years ago, solely /or
the •pinning of cotton, must be fiery limited indeed. Ever*
thing appertaing to the old narraugements is so vicious in pill,
• eipie, and so detrimental to Innann 'nature in ptee.tica.•tbat.
'ollie any portion of them sraill remain to mar the benefit of
1 Lb.: new, it sill ba a wain hope to expo!, more than a Tar•