Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1856-10-25
THE NATION OF CHILDREN.

After all, "the ola folks are not orso cery much
account. There are more children than there are
parents in the world, or else the population would
not be increasing as Ii is; and if "all men are born
free and equal" of course the majority are worth
the most. Besides, there's no more hope for a
grown-up person. You can't teach an old-indi-
vidual--new tricks. The adult must remain as he
is. Reform can't come within a mile of him for
if he is already reforming, that's him, and he
won't reform his reforming, how mistaken soever
it may be. Misery makes him harderhcaded, and
prosperity, solter-headed, and both of them hader-
hearted, and so he goes. lie has ouigrown in
nuence and completed development; and any
amelioration must come as it does to a book in a
second edition of him-children to wit-with adj
ditiOns and Improvements by the Author.
Seeking to influence grown people is almost ut
terly II waste Of time. 1t is to modify the Inca
ments and outlines of a porcelain figure. lou
may do some little, perhaps, in the way OF chip
ping and filing; but many tools Will not even touch
the brittle shell; you are Hkeller to break than to
modify and the forms are complete us they are,
But children are clay not yet hardened their
plastic natures implicitly receive the shape which
the a~rtifcer's hand would impose, and then after
the yielding period of youth is gone, they pass
as it were through a furnace, and behold they are
Immediately hardened into the stubborn finish OF
maturity.
The old folks must be left pretty much alone.
1t is with the young that earnest well wishers to
humanity and workers for human progress must
labor. To use a different figure The field where
work promises returns in tie future is the field
where the young plants are growing-not where
the fruit is already ripe. The farmer hoes his
young green corn he doesn't make a fool Of him
self 10y digging and delving to help the old yellow
stalks, whose leaves are already whitening, and
whose hardened kernels are perfect and ready fOl
the garner.
Let the old folks alone it may be observed, this
rule would save a good many people from running
against each other-and if we want to accomplish
any thing, let us expend our efforts upon the
young. If you haven't faith enough to wait until
they grow up and become the acting nation, for thC
results of those efforts, clear out you are not en-
titled to train with true laborers.
See what the result will naturally be.
If to-day's children are taught sclf-control, inob'
and rebellions and Lynch law and armed attack.
to satisfy personal vengeance will be extinct il
twenty years. Who has any hope of their presen
discontinuunce2
If the children of to-day are taught how to take
care of themselves, we shall be a nation of strong
healthy, happy men and women in twenty years
Who thinks of curing our wi2ened millions Of dys
peptics and tobacco chewers now?
If the children of to-day are taught to do thei
own thinking, correctly to consider fact and truth
and reasoning thence, correctly to apply prin
ciples to every days new cases of conscience, polit
ical measure, and expediency questions, we shall
be a nation wisely and honestly governed, both a.
federal ana as otate cltlzens. VINO, impartialll
refecting-ior every politician vaunts his panacea
and dins at every ear his threat of cataclysm, if i
be not swallowed next November-who hopes t.
see that political millennium at present?
If the children Of to-day are imbued with tn
truths Of Right and Goodness, as they should be
in twenty years our gigantic army Of traders, grea
and small, will be n noble, m~agnanimous, and pure
ly honest body of men and of like complexion
will lie their transactions. Who has lost by
Wholesale swindle in bank or corporation, tina
has been cheated Of thousands, or contemptibl
shaved out Of a halfpenny by a cent-pinclintg re
taller, expects that result from our present bushes
public?
Enough the catalogue would be too long. On
future is growing up among US. The Nation c
Children is the hopefullcst part of us: Refurmer
and benevolent brethren, labor with them Lii
Illustrated.