Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-05-29
VARIETY.


The choo1mabtef.
Since Lord Brougham's famous words
which proclaimed an era of universal edu-
cation as already begun, we have seen
nothing that more strongly marks new
dating-point in that era, than the following
fact,which for the 6rsttime makes usacquain-
ted with the arrival Of principles in educa.
tional legislation. that are certainly new
even in the present philosophy Of the met
aphysical practicians. A leading and SOL
id old Boston paper chronicles for us the
following event:
TkUANTs FROM ScHooL.-The first case
under the new law Of Massachusetts, con-
corning truant children and absentees
from school, came before Justices Court
in Bostona few days ago. The defendant
was a lad about ten years of age, and was
proven 70 have played truant several
times. His master testified that when in
school he was very good boy, but he had
absented himself SO frequently that his
name had beep stricken from the roll. He
was senfexasf to one months imprisoameat
in I'll horse Of rstorn,ation.- Boston Daily
Adrertisey.
Such is the last mprovement-the la
test step in @thc march of mind. tits
henceforth to be the Courts that are to
whip our Children for as! Or rather, they
are not to be whipped At all; but to be sent,
instead. to house Of reformation, place
ofpublic sentiment, and there become, at
the age of ten, jailbirds and convicts. The
State. in word, is to become the father
Of every body's children; and these are to
be emancipatcd from all control except that
Of the public officers who teach or who
imprison them in what-its inmates being
all bad boys-is necessarily an Academy
Of boy wickcdness. Most delightful fruit,
no doubt, win the new phlosophic sys-
TEN Of paternity delegated to the State
bear!
What take poor little fellow, merely
because he has mt the taste which Horace
says) comes of Melpomene's having looked
kindly on him when he was born-thc
taste for Learning, to wit-or, far worse
still, take dear little giddy pate Of girl.
because she doesn't love what yos call
knowledge, and clap the poor little things,
fall of life and spirits and affections and
perhaps sense, and torn from all the fond
ness and sweetness and holiness of home,
into villainous prison, detcstable childs
Penitcntiary, more cruel necessarily ICON
sidering who are to be its inmates and Of
what to be dcprived) than even your
Grown-up Lazar-houses Of crime, but not
filter (fop that was Irnpossible) to encour
age it.
1t isa daring and goddess idea, more
brutal. stupid, unnatural and heaven defy
ing, than any which even infidcl humanity
has ever before mentioned. in its vain con
ceits, to impose upon a silly generation,
that have been prated to, until they no lon
ger know what any human thing is, except
as a discourse and an argument.
Forwhat does all this plan come to! No
less than taking out of the parents hands
the education and the government of the
child. and assuming as City Council, or
Parish vcstry, or Select-men, or School
Commissioners, the parental Office towards
all children. In New England, generally,
they began by compelling all children to
be sent to the public schools; and now, at
tic next step, they tear the child from what
ever was left of daily parental care, and
send it to prison for a month, fit runaway
from (pcrhsps very foolish) lesson.
There can DO nothing of human wisdom
or human control fit for one instant to be
substituted for the family, its discipline
and its ties. Break these, and thH-c-can
be no government, no morss.l.ss no affections.
Certainly we-afay be answered that it is
only in hersingle case of wilful non-atten-
dance in School that the child is thus dealt
with. But the answer is clear; it is upon
the parent alone that the right Of punish
ing ia such case must rest. You break
that sacred rclation-the pivot on which
all society turns-thc great object of even
the blessed and holy condition Of Marriage
-ifyou interfere Except in unnatural
cases) in the domestic government. If
you usurp the parental right in this case,
why not in all othersl There are many
--as lying, stealing mothers preserves
and pranks and mischief of many sorts
where Government might just as well
chas,ise as for the offense oftruancy. You
cannot take upon you parents feelings;
how dare you think Of taking on you pa
rents dutiesl
1t is strange to what passes modern spec
ulations about Government are bringing
men. We can imagine no greater stretch
Of kingly despotism than it would be, if
an absolute monarch were to issue an cdict
like this. Had Nicholas of Russia got the
start Of Massachusetts and passed such an
&kase last year, heavens! what barbarous
piece Of Russian tyranny Massachusetts
would have considered it.
We, down here in the South, are no
doubt very cruel; but you would never in
duce Southern master to punish in that
way, for a petty offence. negro child of
such age. and its parents. For negro ia
theirs and mothers would grieve and
mourn, IL their children were torn from
them for month and clapt into prison
Richmond Wig.
RETURN OF DISAPPOINTED GUARANTEES.
The Savannah News of the 10Th announ-
ces the arrival in that city of twenty-five
men more from Jacksonville, who were
connected with the late Cuba movement.
The News says:-Ndf. Int.
during the past week there had arri-
we'd, in the neighborhood ofJaoksonvillc.
some three hundred men, with upwards of
one hundred and fifty horscs.from different
parts of this State and Florida, whose in
tention it was to have joined the Cuba ex-
petition. These men have been encampcd
near that town for upwards off week, and,
having learned on their arrival that the ex-
pedition had been postponed for the pre-