The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-03-09
THE VOICE OF FIRE DOM

Chap. Is s 10. "Ifany child or children above
sixteen years old, and of sufficient understanding,
shall curse or smie their natural father or mother,
he or they shall be put to death, umleSs 1t can he
Isufciently testified, Mat the parents hare been We
RY UNNECESSARILY NEGLIGENT IN THE EDUCATION OF
SUCH CHILDREN. Massachusetts Colony Lars,
1916.
Chap. 2. 10. Z" If any child or children above
sixteen years old, and of competent understanding
shall Curse or Smite their Natural Father or
Mother; he or they shall be put to death, unleSs
it can be sufficiently testified that the Parents hare
been VERY UNNECESSARILY NEGLIGENT IN THE EDU-
CATION OF SUCH CHILDREN" -Plym0uh Colony
LalUS 1871.
These enacments, it will be remembered, are
borrowed from the Mosaic law, but qualified by a
very strong amendment. The Mosaic law declar-
ed the acts Of cursing and smiling parent to be
capital offences, but did not admit the plea of q
neglected education as an excuse. May it not be
said, however, that if any child, having arrived
at wears Of discretion, ever curses or smes his
father or mother the fact is of ITSELF proof that they
deserve it mot at his hands, indeed, but that they
have been guilty of such in justice towards the be-
inc, they have brought into the world, to merit
the retributive pangs of flial impiety. We would
not say, that the misconduct towards them was the
cause because there are various social influences,
constantly operating upon children, which it is not
in the power of parents wholly to prevent or con-
troll But it cannot be denied, that fearful a.
mount of responsibility lies upon parents And
this extends much further than an obligation to
direct and govern children, in each successive case
or trial as it arises, we'll the parent may hap
pen at that time to know how. 1t embraces an
obligation to study the whole subject beforehand.
All practicable knowledge is to be previously OBJ
tanned Of the nature, the endowments, the propen-
sites which constitute the distinguishing attributes
of human beings Every parent is bound, by the
most sacred obligations, to make himself, as far
as possible, acquainted with the various modes in
which the susceptible nature of children can be
influenced and their active powers directed. This
is to be done by reflection by conversation, by
reading. When parent has chastised child, un-
der circumstances where punishment was wrong
or inexpedient; when he has INDUCED him. where
restraint would have been better; when he has
given him advice or counsel, which is found to
have led him astray, or omitted to advise and coun-
sci, when the child might thereby have been res
cued from misfortune lit is no excuse for him to
say, a." acted as wisely as knew how" unless he
had first awaited himself of every opportunity to
kno10 ho10. What should we say OF a wretch who,
without any neutrality-suspicious. any know
ledge of the human SYSTEM its diseases or the rem
edes for them,-should audaciously proclaim
himself TO the public as a master of the healing
art; and as a beautiful child-the hope of his pa
rents-lay before his eyes, the breathless victim
of his presumpuous wickedness, should excuse
himself by saying, prescribed as we'll as knew
how" What right had he recklessly to touch the
wonderful mechanism of the human Frame until
he did know something of its nature its manifold
laws, its exquisite functions And what right
has parent to touch the image of God, in the
spiritual nature of his child, until he has guarded
himself by every possible means, against all dam
ger of DETACHMENT or mutilaton!