Piney Woods planter. (Liberty, Mi. [i.e. Miss.]) 1838-1840, 1838-12-01

pressions he receives is at time when he
is too young to 60 to school. How often
do we hear the aged, whose minds are in
sensible to passing circumstances, or who
have bu. an imperfect impression of recent
events, refer with feelings Of lively sensi-
bility, TO the scenes and amusements Of
their early childhood. Hence, we may
date the commencement of his education
from the very moment his existence be-
gins. Would it not be well for parents to
be apprised of this fact, for it does appear.
that the common bulk Of mankind is igno-
rant Of it.
Much has been said and written on the
subject of human nature. When man
is bad, we say he is naturally bad, and
when he is good, we say he is naturally
good. Poor human nature. both good and
evil are ascrbed to thee!
1t depends entirely upon circumstances
whether man is good Of not. No man is
honest or dishonest, Sccundm naiuram,,
and this is the position which wish 10
, establish. DR.. Locke says there is "no
innate idea in man. and there is no Ma
tlral Philosopher at this day, who will
J pretend to reason otherwise. The fact
then appears plain, thatwhat we are, we
are bv education, and not by nature, and
that the great diversity Of characters
il owing to external circumstances operat
ing on different individuals, in different
degrees, as they are more or less exposed
TO their influence, ia the same manner
that mans health becomes impaired by
breathing a vitiated atmosphere, and inyi-
gorated by healthy one. II is the ma
ture of swine TO wallow in the mire, but
it is not the nature of man to get drunk.
| No man has natural disposition to swal-
low the inebriating draught, indeed, this
practice is unnatural, for il has tenden-
cy to destroy life, the preservation of
which is the nature Of man. Are not those
guilty Of impiety, who ascribe to human
nature the evil dispositions which some
men have9 And yet there are some who
do it. But hope the time is not distant.
when these false notions of human nature
will be eradicated from mems minds
They will then find that there is no innate
proneness in man to do evil, or that no
man is liar, thief or murderer by ma
ture on the contrary, that the laws of hui
man nature forbid it. That the tendency
in man to lie, to steal and to murder, are
dispositions not natural, but acquired from
early infancy, which, by cultivation, take
on the appearance of natural propensities.
That the circumstances by which man
is surrounded influence his actions, and
that if the society in which he has been
raised is bad, the individual himselfwiI be
bad.
Seeing then how important it is to have
a good beginning, in order to have a good
ending, we cannot be at loss to devise
ways and means to bring about so deslra-
Bile consummaton. The materials are
TO be found amongst us. Man has not fall
len entirely from his original greatness of
soul. He yet possesses redeeming quail
ties. Every infant does possess them in
the highest perfection, and it is with much
diligence and ingenuity that VIC can in
duce them 10 yield up a seeming natural
propensity TO do right, to an acquired one
to do wrong---to do violence to their na-
turc. say natural propensity to do
rig u, for ii must be conceded by all, that ,
man has but one nature, and that nature ,
s simple, artless and unaffected; and that |
which is simple, artess and unaffected
must be good, therefore, his original ma
urs must be good.
But we do find that there are bad chill
Iren in the world, and that bad children,
generally, make bad men, and mirGbile
Iicta, some parents are at loss TO tell
row it happens that their children are not
s gool as they wish them to be, and
therefore,, have dreadful forebodings as to a
heir future success in life. They say d
heir children. will swear, (no child ever y
wore that never heard an oath,) that they
ill tell Jfbs, alins ohitc lies, steal their 8
laymates' marbles, &C., and after having y
affected severe corporcal punishment on Ii