North American. [volume] (Swanton, Vt.) 1839-1841, 1840-05-27


Try are already too AigAly ,inciured with
the principles and practices Of EnglaEd'
naughty nohles. Their garments, iAei
furniture, ilrit carriages, their walk. iheiI
gestures and their buildings, must ell b
patterned after English arisiocracy.
Your schools, academies. and colleges
are all conducted upon English principles,
Your sons and daughters are educated up.
on the same principles as The sons and
daugbieTs Of English Dukes and Lords
They are taught music aud dancing, fen
cling and equestrian exercises, together
with May other u%nimporiant branches,
while the useful sciences, aud such things
as will be Of utility 10 them in their in
i~ercourSe with the world, are more or less
neglected. Your daughters must be learn
ed 10 play the p~iano-forte, and 10 move
with grace and precision in the ball room,
even though their minds remain as uncul-
tivated as the untutored daughters OF
Africa. and as ignorant of domestic econo-
my and the duties Of n wife and a mother
as The companions Of the red nen of the
west. Your sons must be taught fencing
aud horsemanship in conaexion with the
less important branches Of science and lit
teraiure, while those studies that would
qualify them for usefulness and honor are
treated as things Of secondary importance,
or entirely neglected. From whence comes
this wonderful change ? In the days Of re-
publican purity and simplicity things
were not so. Your fathers Of the revolu-
ton were plain unsophistica,ed repuhli-
cans. They despised the gilIed trappings
of the rich and high OF their mother coun-
try. They had experienced the baneful
effects ol The supercilious habits and Gus.
toms OF England's privileged gentry. They
had but just emerged from the degrada-
lion into which they had been brought BY
the aristocratic principles and habits Of
their native country. They taught their
sons & daughters the useful lessons OF eco
nomy, industry and perseverance. They
educated them at home, or sent them to
such schools os were conducted upon re-
publican principles, and where they could
be taught such branches as were both or
namental and useful. But at The present
day how changed is the system Of educa-
ton. BY this | do not mean the parti-
cular method Of teaching, or the different
manner OF instruction ; for in these, great
and important Improvements have been
but refer TO the particular bran
ches which You select for your children 10
pursue. It's your duty, as republicans, to
educate your children thoroughly in all
those branches that are calculated to adj
vance their usefulness and responsibility.
But it does not become you to throw
away your money and time in giving
them such an education as will have a ten
TO carry them beyond republican
principles and republican manners. II your
are taught 10 revere repubIicanism
md detest despotism in the morning oflife,
here rs a possibility OF their continuing to
adhere TO the free institutions of your
But if they are taught, by their
of education, TO look upon repub-
lean manners and customs as degrading to
human nature. they will most assured!y /,
become aristocrats-and join their inhu. ,
nee with the aristocrats OF England to
this republic. ,
ANEpIrTrC !