Litchfield enquirer., 1852-05-20
For the Litelfsld En- Quirt,
"PareutaI RESPONSIBILITY"

The New York Observer comments
with some severity, ON my remarks on
"SIo.le, for Cnidre.l," bu. seems to
have overlooked one thing, viz, that
had reference on Y to the social,
not the religious training of children. !
may not have expressed myself in SO
many wo!ds, but such was the general
temo, ol my slrIctuts. Ia the extrac'
tom my article. which tn: Ohselver
gives, (Which l suppose was thought to
oe The most objectonal pal1 OF it.) there
Is one remark, and but one, which !
Won d alter, and yet even that if under
stood DIS it was intended, | do not con-
elder either unsc'iptural or contradic
tory 10 reason, OF experience. 1t is the
following "A propensity, or suscepti>
blllty, may exit, but it is only II pror~n
sit.. and may be diverted or modified
at pleasure This is perhaps too strong,
100 general. And yet had sh. Observer
seen AS much OF the paliuble fruits Of pa.
rental neglect, as have seen in ccl>
lain quarter, it would hardly have cor-
{ mned even this - laps not suffi ;lcntly
sua' dcd remark. Let II be Understood
As 1t Was meant. | admit i.s liability to
be mlsundc'slood,) Mud it would not,
'mnk be wholly unpalatable even to the
n. Y, Observer.
But the Observer says, con the basis Of
general Truth. the wIller Of this ii, licl,
constructs u theory false in principle and
at variance With fact" Ans. IL is It's
accerdGnce with fact. as observed by. the
writer himself, that led to the construc~
tions the theory.
but this willer assumes that it is just
as easy to fo'm good habit in chlId,
as "a bad ons; and denies that there is
naturally any more tendency in the hear.
Vi a child. 10 u bad habit or vicious prac>
ice, than to good one" Not exactly
MIR. Obse, yer bu. in the FIRST case he
maintains, that the habit is tho result OF
frull Of education, or Of the want OF it,
AMI might With proper care, have been
prevented and in the second, that the
tendency, (p'opensity.) may be diverted
OF modified at pleasure. (Too strong.
perhaps. see "bove.) Our blessed Lord
said vi "liitle child en-, ''-"of such 10 the
kingdom OF heaven How could he
nave SAID this, II the children were already
vicious, or confirmed in vicious habits ?
No, their habits were not yet formed
These we've To be the fruits of an educa'
ton, which could at least restrain and
prevent the formal Of those offensive
aabiLs which these Stories for Child
rem are designed to correct.
There must be line upon line, preGept
upon prscept, de-" This is the true
doctrine cerlalnIy. but the practice OF il
must be begun early, be followed faith
fully, and sometimes, il need be. eaf)rced
| oy something more efficient Ltan mere
admoni.lon. Why was eli visited with
such severity because he restrained MOI
his sons" II parents are not under obi
gallons now to restrain their children
And If required 70 restrain them can
they not do it? Are they required 70
perform impossibilities
| The idea Of reducing the buoyanl
spirits Of children. de-, suggests tine idea
OF seating them upon q stool in q strait
jacket" Not only is such an idea abb
hOlrsnt 10 every feeling Of kind parent,
but such practice is wholly unneces-
sary. The great evil iss that the train