Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-04-24
From the Richmond Compiler.
TO THE NATIONS OF THE OLD DOMINION

| TO THE NATIONS OF THE OLD DOMINION.
We look to you our last hope for the re.
suscita,ion Of our moral, literary and political
character. You may by your examples, implant
in the youthful mind, those moral, literary and
political principles, which animated the gieat
spirits Of Washington, Henry and Jefferson.
But We have fallen from The thigh estate" which
we once proudly occupied. We owe much of
our degradation TO acustom, as odious, as il is
inimcaI TO our moral character.
This custom, which is so much to he depre.
Gated, and which has so much contributed to
ihs Our 'infanf onsp1ng 60 coarse ahG fpffoHfgsfr
servants, whose acts and words are fraught with
vice and immortality. We seect base and aban-
doned servants from our household train, for
that purpose, too frequently strangers to every
vlrtuous propensity, and we make them the
guardians Of our infant offspring. We COM
mil them, Tor nurture and tuition, and in this
bad society, are all our youths broue ht I'D: inn
billing contemplate folly and vulgar envy from
this impure fountain. Yet this is not the only
deplorable evil Of which we have to COMPLAIN.
DO we not see parents themselves give exam
pies TO their children Of vice and luxury; and
40 we not see how readily children adopt the
examples OF their parents and soon lose all sense
OF shame, and forget the respect which thew
owe to themselves and their country? Dothey
not contract passion for all the vices Incl.
dent TO deprayed society? their minds bee ONE
averse to all pursuits Of knowledge? and are
not children encouraged by the examples of their
parents in all their habits Of vice and folly?
You have the power, and il becomes your du |
ty to correct these propensties in your sons and |
daughters, before we can expect or hone for a |
Change, or any amendment, in our general cha
racter You must adopt the system o! youth.
ful education here, as mentioned by MasseIon
in ancient Greece and Rome.
here the sons and daughters ofe every family
were considered as the Legitimate offspring Of
a virtuous mother There the infant as soon
as born, was not consigned to the care of hire
ing nurse, or slave, but was received aid cher.
shed IN the bosom OF tender parent, or that
d matron relative TO The family, distinguish
ID by the purity Of her life; who watched over
he progress of,he tender mind In her pre-
ence not one indecent word was uttered. moth.
ng was done or said against propriely C good :
manners. 1t was thu, that CorneIia, the moth.
r OF the Gracchi, superinlended her illus,ri- :
us issue, and thus il was that AureIia trained
p Julius C9sar-thus it was that Alta formed 4
he mind OF Augustus-and thus it was with all
he Roman and Greek matrons, who watched
yer and protected the morals Of their infant
Inspiring, as well as their household affairs.-
he consequence ofthis matron pride Of Greece q
nd Rome, and the regular discipline of the q
outhful mind was, that children grew up in
irtue.
The voice Of wisdom calls upon you; BY all
lat Is great and good, and by all that is sa-
ed, to abandon our present odious custom, & "
adopt the habits Of ancienlG Gree &C and Rome. .
ct US sacrifice our pride and folly, to the good W
our country and our children. ~