, 1854-08-19

or scourge, but discipline in a general sense,
and especially that kind of discipline which
addresses itself TO the understanding and
affections, rather than to the animal nature
Of the child The whole tenor of the New
/ Testament teaches us that this is so. 1t
every where addresses US as moral, intellect
ual beings, to be drawn, not driven, to be
persuaded, not forced. 1t every where dis
| tinguishes us from the lower animal creation
by this capacity to be won, this suscept-
bllity to moral, rather than a subsection to
physical influences. And he who does not
recognise this distinction in discharging his
duty as parent or a teacher, oyer-looks
and outrages the first great principle of the
Divine Economy in establishing the parent
al office, and constituting that relation Of
reciprocal authority and submiSsion--care
and dependence-solicitude and confidence
on which its happiness and usefulness de-
pend
The use If The rod, literally the inhiction
of cOrporeal punishment in the family or
the school, hold to be opposed, in all It's
influences and results to the true ends Of
discipline. 1t often degrades the parent or
teacher in the estimation Of the child. 1t
is virtual acknowledgment that his moral
and intellectual ascendency is at an end, 1t
is an abandonment of that high position
from which a word or a look should have
the force of a command. 1t often meta
morphoses the parent into a monster and
the child into slave. The whipt child may
fear the p0rent-may obey him-but there
is danger of his not loving him. Corpo-
real punishment hardens the hcart-this it
does in two positively and negative
ly. 1t does it positively by provoking his
WRATH" against this we are warned in the
Scripturc--negatiyely, by ceasing to appeal
to his aIections-by abandoning the discip-
line Of his moral nature, and substituting
for Reason, Persuasion and Love, mere
physical compusiOn. 1t destroys confidence
and fosters deception. Nothing, except the
example of deception on the part Of the
parent, so soon begets or so strongly con-
firms habit of falsehood in the child, as
undue severity and degrading punishment.
The child should be taught obedience and
respect to both parent and teacher, for thus
only can he be inspired in after life with
obedience to the laws and with enlightened
patriotism. A word or two about patriot
ism.
Patriotism Is the first sentiment-the first
duty Of man, whom nature binds to his
country before all things, by ties of family
and of nature, and Of society, which is on
y the family enlarged But there are two
kinds Of patriotism. One composed Of the
hatreds, prejudices and antipathies which
nations cherish against each other. This
patriotism is cheap-all it requires is to be
ignorant, to hate, to revile. The other
kind, with which we' ought to inspire our
youth-while it loves its own country above
everything, allowsi It's sympathies to flow
beyond the barriers Of race, of language
or of territories, and regards the different
nationalities as part Of that great. whole of
which the various nations are so many
radii, but of which civilization is the centre.
This is the patriotism of the christian re-
ligion-the patriotism of the philosopher
the patriotism of our great men, 1t was
the patriotism Of the men of lT76, who
tore in Uunder tie chains of despotism, and
planted on the Western Continent the tree
Of liberty to flourish forever. Never was
it more eneumbent on America to educate
her children with care than at the present
time. The higher she rises in the scale of
nations the more imperative is this duty
How important then is the teachers Office?
What an arduous task is his2-the rearing
up Of future America. To his care are con
ided those who ore yet to uphold her name
among the nations of the earth-to form
those minds which are yet to enlarge her
bounds in all the realms Of thought and
virtue. They are yet as pOtter's clay in
the hands Of the artist, noble work this!
glorious functionl but, gentlemen, let us
procure the proper means-let us surround
ourselves with the appliances fitting to full
fill this noble work-to carry it out in a
manner worthy of its Importance and glory.
Found not this other country which is to
come after US in the sands and shadows Of
mere temporal advantage. There is no
bier destiny for this great nation than the
heaping up of piles of gold to scatter them
again. Gold-worship is at best but base
idolatry. State may be added to State
Seas covered with naaies-the wealth of
mankind poured tribute like at your feet.
This is but paltry prosperity compared with
that which should and must be the aim Of
America. Her pride must be that her sons
stand first among men, by those attributes
which raise man most towards the image of
his maker--not alone in the triumph of in
telleet, not merely in subduing nature to
her behests, not merely in making the ele-
ments her handmaidens, but hand in hand
with her civilization, leading on those high
er guardians of her happiness and fame
virtue, morality and relgion--by which
civilization best deserves the name, by which
only it can be made a permanent blessing
Your schools and teachers have not only to
teach, but they have also to train, not