Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1817-05-09
From the Connecticut Courant.
THE BRIEF RENaRHER.


The love of power is as natura, as
TO breathe. 1t shows itself in the
first dawn Of reason. How saon TIE
infant begins TO struggle TO have his
will and way : Ere he can speak or
walk, n the tone OF his cry and in his
visage you may plainly read the
stout words, r 7cM and I tcoat.
With impotent violence he sguirms
in his mothers arms, in order to
command the utmost Of Der attentions.
The oftcner he gains his point, with
.ho more reso.ute boisterousnoa,
does be proceed to assert his claims
10 bcr Submissions. and to the deyo-
ton of all her !:&e ard faculties to
The service OF bis SINGLE self.
Having brought under him his
nIn,si3g mother, no sooner is he able
10 ran about upon his legs than he
strives to extend his dominion. He
exScts of the other children, and Of
ali about him, ar Implicit eOmpii-.
aRoe with bis viii. When opposed or
tiiwartCd, he regards it as downright
rebellion against his rightful auth0ri-
ty: accordingly he swclls with rage.
which he deals oat by blows, or yeuts
of III harsh and grating music.
Moreover, among the earliest OF
his coverings is that of property.
Scarcely any thing Is more common
:han for little children TO ask. with pc
ca!iar earncstncss, may we have this
for our own ? Nor are they willing
u take up satisfied with any thing
short OF such n covenant. And why
IS It, that, not cortent with the mere
use Of the thing, they are SO Iain 10
have it as thcif Own2 II is because
property is pOwer.-One has exclu-
siye power over that which is excla-
sively ores own. Of this matter of
fact, the chi,d Of four, seems almost
as sensible AS the man OF forty and
hence 1t is, conceive, that our appe-
tie Tor pIoper;y-whiCh Is but a.
mother name for powei.-hesins even
in infancy, and enlarges as oar years
encrcase. So true is it, that the pas
sion for power is the ruling passion
in human nature.
4 question. then arises here, rs TO
the, bearing that early education and
discipline should have Ola the predo-
minant passion or principle under
consideration "a question of vast
Importance, which however, could
but barely touch now, even wers
better able to do it justice.
In wedding a sar1ea We take great
care, lest with the weeds, we root up
also some precious Plant. Ia like
manner should we endeavour to weed
as it were the faults out of the minds
Of our children; looking diligently
that we neither spoil nor mar that
which the Eternal Wisdom has plant
ed in them, or any part of the natn-
tural constitution Of their frame. Ii.
then, the love of power be a part Of
the radical constitution of man, the
proper method OF education is not
to eradicate, bus, to temper and curb
it.
This species of discipline should be
begun at very early age, and ma
usged with a firm but prudent hand.
1t is a task which, for the most part,
devoles chiefly upon the mother. As
soon as her infant offspring evidently
appears to set up a resolution fpr the
mastery, she has no alternative but
either conquer or submit for there
is no such thing as balancing or di-
Iiding the power betwiXt them. Ii
she submit fer the first time, it pre-
pares the way for a second defeat,
and indeed for an endless series OF
submission as the child, in such a
case, constantly becomes mere reirac-
tory and usurping, and she more
tame, yielding and slayish. Thus
she nurses up, not so much son as|
an imperious master. But provided
the mother begins betimes and ma
nagcs the matter with discretion, she|
may sabdue the infant to her aatho-
rity, and that without over much cor
ection, even Though she have to en-
COUNTER more than ordinary obsti-l