New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-01-20
From The Democratic Review.
CHE gyest<3sorbrrp Community.
LETTER TO o. a. BaowssoS.l

Community, as IT IS called, at Nc5thoXpury, ahu
find tina, il more than answers the expectation held
on, in that account of it which appeared In he
Dial last January. mean taat the degree OF sue
cess already attained, is greater than it was there
animated it could be, for many years 10 come La
pecuniary point of view it is not falling and that
is success, considering the great embarrassment
under which they began. There are seventeen
associates. Had each Of these been able 10 con-
tribute one thousand dollars apiece, they would
be at this moment under no embarrassment at all,
but instead of that, NOT one-third OF the sum was
contributed For the cost of thei. farm, as un-
derstood it, they are paying interest; but by means
of the farm and the school, they are able to pay this
interest and to feed themselves although there are
seventy people already there and the number will be
one hundred in the of the winter. The JOIN
ing Of few associates, one with SC me money!
would render them quite independent But they tee
they have gained so much morally and intellectually,
BY having been 80 poor as to have had none Join but
those to whom the accomplishment of the Idea ap-
pears worth working and suffering for, that it is no
Logger to be feared that they will be tempted to re-
ceive among them any, of whom money Is the Chief
Recommendation. They prefer TO sacrifice many
conveniences, to endangerins the social and IDEAL
character of their company. Several mechanics
who have been hired to do jobs upon the place
I mean carpenters, blacksmiths, shoemakers
tailors,-haye at FIRST expressed themselves nmazes
that people should go together, of such apparent
inequality, and make a common cause and share
the fruits of their labors equally among themselves
bat after seeing the operation for weeks they have
desired to join, and to forego some ct the income
they were already receiving from their trades, IN
order to have the enjoyment, the moral advantage
and the intellectual Improvement, OF social lie on
principles so consistently democratic and Cbrlstan
and more especially, in order 10 have all their chill
dren have every advantage of education to which
their abilities can do justice. speak OF facts
The Association has actually under consideration
such propositions Alss, one Of the farmers, the
most thriving one whose farm joins theirs, has,
for the sake Of his children, made them the offer,
if they can meet him half Way, Of throwing in his
farm and becoming one. He would be richer IL
dollars and cents to remain as he Is, but this ad-
ditional money could not buy for him that educa-
ton of all his children, which he must receive In
this community, if he is one of them; TO say
nothing of his Own enjoyment and Improvement
To me, it is an inspiring thought, that they have
already showed to the agricultural population
around them, that with the cultivation OF the earth
may be combined an intellectual and tasteful lite
and that the true democratic equality may be OBJ
tanned by leoeling up, instead of leDeiing doNn.
But let me speak of the education in detail, and
show that the children of the actual associates
have even greater advantages than those sent there
though for the latter, it s think, the best school
! ever saw. | will begin with the a-b-c.d-arans
There is one lady among the associates, who loves
to keep regular school the old-fashioned plan,
with kind but efficient discipline of rules and les
sons. She has as many OF the younger scholars as
L 4
ferent sys.em,-in which their children are only
confined a very short time, while they can be ind-
vidually attended TO by the teacher. And there
are among the young women several who take two
or three at once making one little class, and en-
list their undivided, unwavering attention for an
hour, or an hour and half and then let them
play all the rest of the day. These children, in
this way, get more instruction and do more intel.
lectual work, than in ordinary schools, and yet
have none of the WEAKNESS and bad physical and
moral effect of confinement. They never
obliged to sit still and do nothing; nor do they in
this plan become troublesome TO others. There Is
so much room, they can spread round, and lind IN
finite amusement on the place. never saw chill
dren at once 80 happy and so little in the way OF
other Seople. There seemed TO be great love tor
the little things, in all the men and boys, as well
as the women aud I observed that when The young
men went to walk in the woods, or about any out
of.door occupation, they would let two or three
children go too, and keep their eye upon them,
and so relieve the mothers and make the children
happy, and this without troubling themselves either
Children from the ages of nine or ten up TO thirteen
and fourteen. go to the school of gentleman who
has been very successful teacher for many years
and understands the drilling processes But of
this class ALSO if there any, whose parents, on
account of their health, or peculiar genius, sex,
wish to receive separate attention, there are found
those who will attend to them in the desirable way.
Then there is very fine teacher of Greek, and
another of Latin, and another of Mathematics,
anaeng the gentlemen associates. Several teach
German, French, Italian and Spanish, and de
not know how many other things. One lady has
classes in History, Neral Philosophy, various
branches of elegant literature; and with all hei
cares, Zone of which is the care OF house OF tour
teen rooms), she told me she had not tor more
than year set aside two Iecitations ms VIII
show what real method lies under the graceful eX'
terror, whore not mathematical lines, bat only the
curves of beauty appear. This lady told me, too,
that never in her life had she had so much leisure
md enjoyment Of herself, for hours together, and
never had The occupations OF life been SO little
fatisuing 10 her.
would have yos observe that grown-up persons,
as well as children, are members of these various
classes, The worSmen in the field pa,sake, jus, as
much as they please, of these means of education
One man, who does as much hard work, If not more
than any one on the place, and who nsver learned
any language, and il forty years old, husband anc
father, having been engaged in mechanical trad,
All his life, studied German last winter. on Ollen
DORIS n.eshcd, with the greatest perseverance
They had eighty recisations a week, last winter
All have access also to all The books owned By an
Of the members, the most of them being colleose'
in o charming room, designated as the Library
of which all are free, young and old.
IN another common parlor there is p'ano-toEse
- ,l,ar. !, 10 ax,e,;ne ,he lovers of music cor