The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-04-06 00:00:00

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11

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Mr. Lancaster's attention was next directed to the
popaloutecity of Kilkenny. He had not been dis.
appointed in the calculations he made upon the bene-
volence of Lord Ormonde, Lady Carrick, and seve-
ral persons of the first respectability. It is needless
t.l add, that by Lord 01-morale's liberality a school
kto be established at Kilkenny. In this neighbour-
hood 2000 children alone are likely to be educated.
Tullamore afforded another scene of pleasure to an
unwearied traveller, having, enabled him to witness
a gratifying example of Lord and Lady Charleville's
zeal in the advancement of his system. It appears
hat Lord and Lady Charleville, who rank among kis
warmest patrons, were at Weymouth at the time
the King and the Royal Family honoured Mr. Lan-
e icter with AQ, much attention in 1805. They ex-
pre•ssed a desire to see him, and he was favoured by
:to invitation to become their guest. 64 It was then,"
%aid Mr. Lancaster on some occasion, " I first
learned the character of Irish hospitality." Lord
mid Lady Charleville availed themselves of this op-
portunity to procure the instruction of a schoolnuts.
rto be sent to .Ireland; and the success of this
teacher was the source of the satisfaction Mr. Lan-
caster felt at Tullamore.

Mr. Lancaster's next visit was made to Belfast ;
anti its object was merely to inspect a school esta-
blished there for 500 children. He found this in-
stitution in the highest state of perfection. The ut_
most order prevailed, and to such a state of tractabi-
lity were the children reduced, that all acted under
the direction of their teachers as if they were stiunt-
lated by one impulse. The boys appeared contented,
and even cheerTul and happy, in the midst of all this
subordination ; presenting a captivating illustration
of the superlative excellence of Mr: Le:waster's
discipline, under which a rapid progress is made in
the requisitions of knowledge, and an-almost incre-
dible controul obtained over the mind, without the
appearance of irks( me restraint or a loss of mental
enjoyment. It is worthy of remark, that some of
those children were the sous of seafaring peei,le,
whose early habits had given them a marked rude-
iaess and ungovernability of manner; yet those very
boys had not only been brought through their grada-
tions with nearly the usual rapidity, but they had be-
side learned a decent and modest demeanour. It has
been recently observed, that among 600 children ad-
mitted this year there has not been discovet able a
single instance of truantism. Mr. Lancaster gave two
public lectures while he was in Bellest, which were
attended •by the Marquis of Donegal, Sir Edw. May,
Gen. Mitchell, and an immense crowd of the most re-
spectable inhabitants of the town. Ile lectured iu .
Newry on his %at' back to Dublin ; and in this cit,
he arrived time enough to receive an invitation to ;
the celebrated dinner given to the Friends of lteligi_
ous Liberty at the Rotunda, on the 19th of December.
We have followed Mr. Lancaster over a rag tract
of country, comprehending several hundred miles,
which he traversed, lecturing and propagating his
principles of Educa.ion as he went along, with a ra-
pidity wh;ch would appear almost incredible to those
who know not how " speed is wingel" by a sincere
ardour to serve 'rankled. Mr. Lancaster did not
arrive in Ireland until the 6th of November ; his first
Lecture eas not deliveied is this city for some, ime
after ; there was an interval of a week between each
of hie three Lectures, yet he was able to leave Dub-
lin in a bad and unfavourable season, visit the
distant quarters we have alluded to, exclusive of his
numberless bye-joartiee s, and return to this metro-
polis before the Ioth of December. An early enco-
miast, whose fancy was made a little creative by
obseiving the extraordinary exertions of this sin-
gular character, remarked, that " Lancaster is
here now ; the next instant he is in the East.—
We hear of him there, and he is prosepily in the
South. Ile is exp.'cied in the West, but next
day he is found in the Notre!" W'' gill not go so
far as the warrntlt of this Gentiomatt's enthusiasm
has led him, but we will with si:icorily say, that if
the colouring of this picture be pencilled down to
the score of human eve tint), it will exhibit a faith-
ful portrait of Joseph Lancaster. Commendation,
when it is ereptoyed to compliment any Mall who
disinterestedly sect Pico his property and repose for
the good of the human race, never fai:s to run into
evlgget &lion ; het if there ever was a man on whose
behalf there was least danger of its running into ex-
cess that man is Joseph Lancaster. Mr. Lancaster is
now several years at his present pursuit, without a
relaxation cf energy. All kinds qf bodily fatigue and •
mental anxiety he has suffered in his caleer of phi-
lanthropy, and he has never yet either looked for or
enjee cd the slightest reward, except the approba-
tion of a lecnevolent heart. We have never known
an instance in which the gratuitous efforts of any
wan have been so ardent or so indefatigable. There
is no man whom the shaft of calumny ,have not
reached, even Joseph Lancaster can describe their
malevolence. " Ile certainly has been profuse in his
contributions for the good of his country ;" say the
envious to whom the fame of others is ever unsup-
portable, he has been laborious and Active without;
promium or compensation., but he is—svain ! By !
what criterion is his vanity judged? Is it deducible!
from all his hardships and fatigues, from all his
sacrifices and losses ? Is it to be inferred from his
plain and humble demeanour, from his unostentati-
IIM:4 habits, from his contempt of parade and shadow ?
Is it to be inferred from the entire teuour of his life,
from the rigid uniformity of his conduct that has
left him the same man in 1812 that he was in 1805 ?1
But forgetting our narrative, we are arguing the
point on a qv; et- a upon the merits of which there is
never a dissennut voice, except envy and malice
make their combination to prove that no effort of
man can obtain the meed of universal suffrages.
We have already observed that Mr. Lancaster ar-
riled in Dublin previous to the celebrated 19th of De-
cember. lie received-a specific invitation from Lord
Fifteen to dine at the Rotunda, and the high honour
of Caving his name toasted and associated with" The
Friends of Religious Freedom," was beside con-
ferred upon hire. We were witnesses of the sensation
that seemed to run through upwards of eight hundred
Noblemen and Gentlemen of the first respectability
when Mr. Lancaster rose to return thanks. for the
•omplinwnt of having his'health drank, and really if
we were not present we could be never persuaded of
the universal interest excited. His address had. all the
strong characteristics of his mind; it was plain, candid,
and energetic. lie confessed that large fieeoes of
conviviality neither suited the turira his dibposition)