Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-01-31

anu at play, ditOSelner distracted from
) labor, that his relish for play will cease,
and his relish for labor commence the mo-
ment his discharge from school shall take
place Ii nature, then, true TO her own
dictates, should unfortunately increase
his love, by his habits ofpiay, and for the
want ofthe habits of labor lessen his dis
position 10 labor, what would be his con-
dltion when thrown from school back up
on his poor parents, when destitute of the
means ofindulging him III these acquired
habits Would his reading. writing and
cyphering add aught TO their means Tor
ms indulgence, on Tor their own comfort
WOuldnot the want Oftbese means sharp
en- the regreis ofpoveriy, when beholdinS
child, with these accomplishments, a
drone iii the family, III consequence of
| habits acquired, in the acquisition of the
accomplishments themselves A great
pogtiom of the merits of this question,
then, will necessarily be tested by the re-
suit OF this enquiry. Willihe three years
schooling tend toincrease or TO lessen the
disposition TO labor That it will tend
To lessen, if not TO eradi, ate the DISPOSE
ton TO labor, there can be no doubt, and
1t so, then no reparatIon can be made for
its Injurious consequences. The of
surprising great benefit would arise TO the
poor from this gratuItouS schooling seems
10 have arisen IN great degree, from an
inaitention 10 the practical and necessary
course, now pursued by those who depend
| solely upon labor rthcir support, in ac
| curing The simultaneous hOWiedge of labor
and of learning-In practice, a knowl-
edge OF labor is made the principal OBJ
| Iect; the knowledge of learning merely
the incident but they are both pursued
at the same Gme-Labor is the general oc-
cupation learning is the occasional. 1t
Is obtained at convenient intervals, of
which the parent can best Judge. In the
| slan OF schooling, learning is the sole &C
equation for three iUhOie gears, and labor as
altogether neglected aud abandoned during
that time-lt is not even the incident TO
learnng-itiS not possible i'll the nature
| of things TO be otherwise. Hence, one of
! the great miSchiets OF the system. Other
very important items in this estimate
seem TO have been altogether overlooked.
They consist of the boarding and CLOTH
ing of the poor children, whilst al school.
| LII Is not proposed 10 comprehend these l.
tens within the benevolence of the gov
ernment. Will not the means necessary
for these Indispensable objects, press with
| great hardship and severity upon the poor
| parents, when to be supplied by their la
Dor alone, unaided by the labor of their
| children Suppose poor family 10 CON
slst'of father, mother and Il half dozen
sons, raised by the cares and labers of
the parents till they had acquired strength
and capacity for labor themselves, and
they should then be taken for three years
| for the purpose of schooling would il
not exceed the utmost powers of the pa
rent 10 furnish them with board and cl, til
! ing during that time, and add new
pressure TO their former poverty !...
| Suppose, that instead of putting the
| sons to school, they should be put te la
| Dor, in cooperation with their parents,
| and thus discharge one of their first ma
tural obligations 10 tlIem-Wouid not the
poverty of the family disappear, and most
probably be substituted by comfort, affec-
ton, morality, prosperity ,and happiness
| Instead Oithis happy, envable lot, how
| different would be the condition of the
! family, if after the schooling should be
| az an end, the SOILS should be- returned
| without the habits OF labor, and with the
| habits of play and idleness, The common
attendants of school boys! W hich course
would be most conducive to the true l.i-
! terests of the poor, and of the common
wealth? Which would be most likely to
conduce TO The laudable discharge of all
the reciprocal duties OF nature, of reiigi-
| on, and of morality Let this subject be
presented i'll another yiew-I.et The in
| curry be made, which would lend to give
TO the sons the greatest portion of real
knowledge? The knowledge of reading.
writing, and arithmetic, is moi compare
BILE TO the knowledge oflabor-Woulda nv
man of common sense exchange for if,
knowledge of any mechanical art? 1t
is believed here will be found another err
ror of the system-Learming seems TO be
! COMPOUNDED with knowledge, whereas il
is thought there is an essential DISTINCT
| on between them-Learning may be de-
fined TO be, information derived from the
experience and observations of others
knowledge, consists Conformation first de-
rived from our own experience and OBJ
servatons-and although the scope of
knowledge, may be greatly extended by
| adding to orr own information, the infor-
nation OF others; yetit requires great
portion OF learning, requiring great por.
ton OF whole life, 10 enlarge, in any es-
sential degree, our own stock of know
ledge from the information of others
The mere arts of reading, writing and a.
rthmetc afford very little of The expert
ence, or observations of others they are
only the means of making the acquisiti-
on; and time, attention and study are all
essential 10 their useful application
Hence is the business OS the poetic re-
mark
little learning is "A dangerous thing,
Drink deep, or taste not the Pyerlan spring.
1t must be admitted, that persons who
have TO depeHd solely upon their own la
Dor for their support, have not the time
to apply these means to the acquisition of
any useful information from others by
reading; and ifnoi, the mere possession
of the means without the capacity TO ap-
ply them, can be of very little real utili-
| ~ to their possessoT. Ii will be readily
! admitted that in CASE a man nossess the