The Westerly echo, & Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1854-1858, 1856-03-21
Che nesterlp Gfbo,
AND
PawcaGwok Advertiser.
Westerly, Mar ch 20, 1856.
Family Government.
Continued }

ful to discriminate between them an
wilful misdomeanors. Accidents ar
often unavoidable and to 10 censurs
for them, in such a case, outrages tn
best feelings Of humanity; human ma
turs rebels against it; and yet nothin,
is more common in all departments o
society. If a disaster occur on
railway, or a steamboat line, or it mat
ter not much how or where, indignation
meetings must be called forthwith, ant
somebody must be resolved to be guilt.
Of Wholesale murder, and fit to become
an indwellsr Of the penitentiary or t.
grace q scaffold. No doubt there is 9
great amount of carslessness and rsck-
lessnsss in regard to these things, but
we have as little doubt that very fire.
quently such indiscriminate censure as
we often meet, is unwarranted and un-
just. Nothing is more roprshensible in
families, than this practice of finding
fault at every little mishap-it has a
serious effect upon both parties, and
causes no small part Of dom sstic infelic-
ity. Fathers, provoke not your child
rem to anger, lest they de discouraged"
What will sooner provoke Or discourage
them, than blaming them for casuali-
ties' We are sorry to say, we have
seen mothers regardless of the feeling,
Of their children, when an accident hap
pens and some article of furniture OF
clothing is injured, which perhaps might
not have occurred had the child had the
foresight, and been as steady as the pa
rent. Who has not witnessed time and
again, scenes similar to this /? A daugh-
ter Of eight or ten summers is sent into
the pantry for dish. She bounds of
cheerfully, proud to think she can do
something to assist her mothsr lNt in
her haste to obey, she makes mis-step
-falls--and breaks the dish. She
picks herself up and runs to tell you Of
her mishap, and how sorry she is. Then
you break into a torrent of scolding and
vituperation--perhaps blows--which
grieves the heart of the innocent child.
All, we'll would it be, if it did not also
harden its heart. Would it not be
much more becoming woman--not to
say Christian mo:her-to administer
kind and loving words with gentle ad-
monitions 7 Yes, indeed it would
And no one, with tho most superficial
knowledge of human nature, can, for
ono moment, doubt the effect would be
much more lasting and salutary.
Parents should guard against AN abuse
of their power, The family govern
ment is, in tho nature of the case, mon
archial. God has constituted the man
supreme head and ruler over every 9th
sr member of this little commonwealth.
The wife should, of course, act as a sort
of cabinet, to advise and assist 10 carry
out tho laws laid down by the head
The children have no voice in making
or administering the laws--cannot resist
them, but must render to them implicit
obedience. If one fact be more clearly
developed in history than another, it is,
that among rulers, from the chief of
savage tribo to the emperor of many
nations, the tendency has been to abuse
their power-to become tyrannical,
cruel. And no where has this weakness
Of human nature been SO fully develop
ed as in the heads of families from the
fact that their conduct is less open to
He who wiclds power sole
ly for the good of the governed is an
object of moral grandeur; the world
has but too rarely witnessed such.--
Many parent is perfect tyrant on a
small scale, and would be as really so
as was Nero, had they his position. =
They seem to delight in driving and
knocking their children about to crafty
a desire to exercise irresponsible power,
or to witness their servility. And SO
far from exercising any regard for the
feelings of those under them, they scant
he very idea Of any one else having
ny but themselves. They fall out with
he world, and then, like arrant towards
8 tyrants always are, they vent their
age on their helpless dependents. -
What parent is there who has net cx-