The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-02-20
THE NATIONAL ERA.
WASHINGTON, FEBRUARY II, 1851.
For the National Era.
THE MOTHERS OF GREATNESS.
BY L. 4. HINE.

we ofteu no1F ~ fVhnos No. fs'~~ o
have almost universally been indebted TO nooh
mothers for their distinction. 1t has been assert
ed that every child before the age of seven is i'm
messed with the essential elements of character
that follow it through life; and, as mothers have
the principal care and training of children until
this age, it has been inferred that nearly all Of
goodness and greatness in human character is due
to maternal influence. In pronouncng this no
er,0geration. would not underrate the power OF
the father over the destinies of bis offspring. AZ
both the male and female, harmoniously united
in wedlock, are essential to complete the compile
ment of their respective characters, 30 is the in
Auence of both parents necessary to the true edu
cation of the young. All things in the vegetable
and animal kingdoms are distinguished into male
and female, and it were stupid to attempt an eX-
sltation of the one above the other in power and
ipapence But this may be said without dispar-
agement-that maternal imperfections rs well as
maternal virtues have more to do with the fortune
Of the child than have those Of the father. | say
that this is so in the present condition of society
nevertheless, it should not be so, and will not in
a state of truer development Now We seem to
regard the woman ~ predsstined to the exclusive
care of her children during the first septenniad
Of life and the father is apt TO regard them as
anuoysnces or at least to excuse himself from oil
attention in their behalf until they are old enough
to be monty O. of his regard. But, if mistake
not, the true system Of infantile development re-
oures the united counsels and care Of both pa
rents. For truly, if there be character peculiar
to the male and also to the female, and if they
were designed to mutually influence each other,
that education is one-sided which is conducted ex
clusively by the one or the other.
But, not to dwell here, have said that, in the
present state Of philosophy and society, vastly
more depends upon the errors and the virtues of
the mother than upon those of the father, in the
early Development of children. The influence Of
the mother extends back, even for months anterior
to the birth of her offspring That they are highly
susceptible to impressions communicated through
the maternal mind during the embryonic period,
no longer admits Of doubt. During this time,
the mother exercisss supreme dominion, except 30
far as the conduct Of tho husband may influence
the mind of his wife This is her peculiar en-.
pire, in which she reigns the almost absolute
queen of individuals and Of nations. She has
now the young mind exclusively under her con-
troll and, if she understand the manner of impart-
ing character to it, she can by the exercise of her
own will bring into the world such being as she
plesses. II she would give birth to Josephine
or Howard, Timor or Nero, she can do 80
by simple and silent exercise of her will If
she has an enemy she hates, this hatred can be
made dOubly strong in her offspring. II was
probably in view of these considerations that
Plato laid down the rule that education must
commence previous to the birth of the child in the
parents themselves.
But mere assertion Is of little account Though
has often been repeated that greatness is chiefly
indebted to noble mothers, still the mere asser-
ton is Of little worth. Let US glance into the
history of Greatness, and see how the proposition
is sustained by facts. In consequence of the mea-
ger character of almost all biographies, the facts
concerning the characters Of the parents are not
cined to claim over-much for his hero, and conse-
quently it is an object to make as brilliant con-
tras as possible between the position in which he
originated aud that which he attained by bis in
dlVidual efforts. With the early English biogra-
piers, who partook the spirit Of the times, and
were aristocratic in feeling, we find an effort to
conceal the msonaess (?) of their heroes origins,
and to lind in their ancestors at least the dstnc-
lion OF G'mlemen But, in our democratic times
rather an objec, to trace the lives of the great
TO an humble origin. But even our recent biog-
raphers seem destitute of the Science of Great.
ness-that is, they do not appreciate the value Of
all the circumstances under which great man
came into the world and was educated and con-
sequeh'iy that minutia Of facts touching the men,
tsi constitutional requirements, virtues, vices, and
general habits of psrents is not given by which the
causes and consequences can be linked together,
and valuable information obtained concerning the
formation OF human character.
The hrst examples shall cite are those in which
nepeculiar characters Of the distinguished person.
ages seem to have originated directly in singu-
LAT mental constitution of the mother. Some OF
'ae cases VIII also show that the mental exercises
VI tue maternal parent, even previous to birth,
inus' have done much in giving character to the
offspring
among the earliest in time as we'll as highest
:" renown on the page Of modern Biography,
su'n's The name Of Lord BACON Ii 10 said that his
,ame may be chiefly attributed to the attention Of
MS excellent mother, who insilled into his youth
III mind the rudiments Of science, and early AVA
Aehed his speculative curiosity. Il would doubt
Tess DE easy to say nearly as much Of any mother Of
distinguished parsonage; but other facts that may
gwen are by no means common. His mother
"" oorn In 1928, and In 1850, when twenty-five
years OF age, she made an accurate and highly
C''eora'ed translation from the Italisn of twenty
"'e sermons on the abstruse doctrine Of Predesti.
"a''on and Election. The mind Of Lady Bacon
must have been chiefly attracted BY speculative
philosophy to have induced her 70 undertake the
translation Of such work. This 10 also seen iu
we iact, that subsequently,, when the controversy
between Papacy and the Church Of England ran
h'eh che translated the work Of Bishop Jewell
,a','led An Apology for the Church Of Eng.
1au'' from the Latin, in which 1t was written, in
O''er to bring it within the understanding Of the
common people. This also was . scholarly per.
O,"ance, for 1t received the praise Of the best
,Ar' Of the time, and the hearty thanks Of thu
n0r' TO whom shs sent copy, accompanied BY
'p,'''e In Greek With such mother, 10 II
Uprising that Sir Francis was endowed with
' nigh mental qualities which enabled him u
p''e Aristotle from the throne on which he had
p' for two thousand yssrv over the realm Of
.a'ophyf 10 II astonishing that Lord Bacou
1'''ed revolution In human thought, and be-
~s 'As srsa, he'd Of modern proerssl