New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-09-03
NETWORK TRIBUNE.
Objections 10 the Free School Law-Edu-
cation and Crime,

cation and Crime
To he Editor Of The Tribune:
Ihaye elsewhere considered some oE the lnJari'
GUS effects produced upon society BY the operation
Of this law I now propose to examine the dan
gerous influences upon the public mind, produced
by the pernicious doctrines and fase reasonngs al
vsnced In favor OF the Free School theory
Tho advocates of Free Schools take the ground
that when Education shall be universally dlitused,
we shall no longer hays any need OF jails or poor
houses those expensive funcsionkries, the Dis
trict Attorney, he Sheriff and the Judge. WHICH,
in plain English, means that nothing is wanting ous
proper cultivation OF the intellect to render hu
nan Mature perfect Il at men will cease 10 com
NIT crimei-thatif every person has Free Schooi
education be will instnctivey know what is right.
and will always practice it, without any other To-
centive to honesty or induitry, or providence. So
the leaders assert and their satellites, like 30 many
chimes oil bells, take up the echo and ring all the
changes OF this miraculous power OF nnere inter
lectu0l culture to convert the Human Race. The
Syracuse Address procaims this doctrine the IN
vited guests in their answering letters, seiteFate
the assertion, and the masses are expected TO swat
low the whole animal, bristles aud all, without
atopuing for moment to reflect orinqalre whether
suob ia really the fact The object appears TO be to
get every body to say SOL and the proof is to de-
mend upon the axiom that what everybody says
must be true
But have these new light philosophers get pre-
scented anything yond their bare, nakef assertions
that such is tho wondrous power Of mere human In
telect even when cultivate to the highest possible
degree? Have they offered any proofs of this
pow err Can they bring any such proofs Can
they show even the probability OF such an etfecs7
Can they prove by referring to the history OF hu
man nature as exhibited in all times paat; in al
counties generally or in those coun'res in partlcu
lar u hich have made the greatest progress in the
arts, the sciences, and in philosophy? For the only
way to determine what mon waU do or can Go IN
ADV particular state of circumstances is yreferrlng
to whas they hare done heretofore under like cir
cumstspces. The Influences which actuated or re-
stra1ed them in one case will be likely to produce
similar effects in another case like it. Can they
nroye il by referring to the lives and acts OF the
philosophers of the French SCHOOL, Dldthe highest
cultivation of the highest inteects humanizs and
rnoralize the leaders Of the old French Revolutions
or the Red Socialists Of the new onef Did it pre-
vent crime among them then 7-or does it prevent
crime among them now Z
Or. will these new lights prove their proposition
by referring to the annals Of our own country Will
they cite the case of Bishop, member OF Congress-
who returned from Warrington, only to take his
place in the Penitsptiary for forgery! VIII they
cite the case OF Colt, who was an educated man
oF 9TH
who have been convicted of high crimes, within
few months past? Will they bring forward as
a witness in support of their theory, Monroe
Edwards of whom the Judge that tried him
declared from the bench that he exhibited an IN
telec of the highest order, and the highest oultl-
vation. THAI he had met with IN the Whoe
course OF bis experience w III they go 70 oosoh,
a civ viii b. for It's intellectual Guilty. alton, and in
tallectuAl refinement, Ia called the Athens OF Anne.
1ica will Shey 90 there, and drag from his con-
demned c. H. Us scientific it's polished inmate, and
place him npon the witness stand, TO prove that
mere intelS ctual culture will renogate the heart,
and prevent the commission OF crime And last
thous not least will they go to the State OF Mas
sachnsets itself where according to it, advocates,
this boe s ted system which is to "turn our poor
toueea into academies, and our jaiIs into acade-
miee'-w where this syatem is said to have existed,
liz all it's perfection, for two hundred years-Wlil
they go there, and point out 10 us It's tenantIese
prlsof q. and its empty poor houses Why, with
about one.fourth OF the population we possess,
more capttal crimes, and other ohenses OF the
hiphsr ersdes, have been committed in that en-
liehtened land within the past two years, than IN
the whole length and breadth CT our 6en1yhted
State And this ia the exemplar, the perfect EN-
bodiment of theory-the Aladdin 9 lamP-Wnlch
il to work ouch miracles among usl WY has 1t
rot produced this magical effect 10 that State! ls
hnn
ment2 | much fear that it will require two hum
bred wears more to make good mea out OF bad ones,
by she mere "ptrfectib1iHy Of human Te9Son AS
said before, the only way tojudge OF the stiects
OF measure or principle Ia to examine ene eHects
such measure OF principle has already produced.
Thus far, in every case, the attempts TO cnan5e
the nature Of man, by merely cultvatlng ha rea-
soning powers, have proved total failure NO
man ever committed crime because he was no
ignorant az not 10 kD0to that it was a cro.e; and
trequires high cultivation OF Intellect 10 make an
accom- plished villain l have above exhibited the
teachings of history. II, with these facts staring
them in the face, our people are prepared 10 aee-
render their own judgment, and taae the bare, I'M
SUPPORT ed assertions of these theostsdS authority,
ard go 3D. to fix this calling yok upon their necks
Tor ali future time then, one thing at least, ap-
pears 10 he certain-wheher our poor houses and
iails are emptied or not our unstlc asylums VIII
have fair chance for being filed to OVERLOOKING
III 1t be objected bnat ehe aouao VI any mug 10 o
proof gains. its use admit the argument so tar
as regards the real legitimate use; but the tact
that any good can be ca red far an to DO abused,
is proof and decisive proof, against The indefinite
extensibttty OF any particular good 80 as make
it perform duties beyond its sphere and make it
supersede the necessity OF the only principle
which can perform that duty. Sach an attempt
ed extension Is in itself an abuse OF that par.
tcular good and the very abuse, which is moss
certain to lead its votary astray, is in this new the
Org. Although the fact that these men, aud thou
sands of Others with highly cultivated intellecss,
have become criminal, does not prove that educa.
ton is OF no value yet it does prove, in tones OF
thunder that mere intellectual cultivation ls not OF
Itself sufficient to rencuate tho haman heart; taat
it will not, of itself, make men good, nor prevent
them from becoming bad that it does nor, Of itself,
alone ard unaided. Posaess the ameorasns iniu-
ences which are claimed for it. These men be-
cana criminal in splte OF their education. Not be.