The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1856-10-08

4 fellow creature, no matter how ignorant or
debased, who is not capable OF Improvement,
through the agency Of the proper means.
Crime in very many cases amounts to disease,
durable disease, while the great majority If
criminals are, to some extent at least, tIhe
victims OF bad example. Several wears ago,
an inquiry was was made into the eases of one
hundred criminal children at Manrhestrr,
when it was ascertained that sixty were born
Of dishonest parents, thirty had profiyate
parents, and only ten had parents who were
honest and industrious. thus, ninety Of the
whole number were the victims Of bad ex.
ample. Lord Stanley recently observed, that
all inquiry was calculated show, that in
crime as in panpersl, there wasa tendency
to become hereditary" Tins, he thought
that the parents should be dealt WITH in or
der to prevent the eorruptius process in carly
life. THIS is especially the fa,e in great ci-
ties. There are hundreds Of children II this
moment in Philadelphia, who are Absolutely
educated for our penientiariGs, by taclr pa
rents themselves. TheYdo not seek such an
end directly, and some Of them would be
hOrrisied. il such result shuGld be pointed
out. And yet they permit lhem To be beg
gars, paupers and thieves, and often cncnur-
age taem in the ways of tduiag. How,
with such beginnings, can We look tal' any
but dcplorable results: Mr.. Clai Of Pres
ton, Eng., some time since, analysed with
great carncstness, thc specific agences tnen
at work, III creating iuycnile crimInalty, and
he found thai N thirtyfyc per cent. OF the
cases. the faults ot the children lay at the
door OF the parents. In fifty per cent the
Chief cause was habitual drunkenness, often
accompanied by brutality, on the part oi the
father. In the remaining eighteen per cent,
indifference and neglect were discovered.
Thus, in three out of every i0dr cases III iu-
venie Delinquency that passed under his
observations, the victims were misled aud
badly guided. They, in fact, were indirectly
taught 70 become rogues. Tie power of
early impressionssand the force Of example
can scarcely be pictured in terms too strong.
Children are initiative beings, and thus they
follow in the footsteps Of tlluse Immediately
before and around them. Their natures are
plastic, aud their minds and hearts are rea.
,lily influenced and moulded. look, for il
iustraton, at the habits of smoking, chewing,
drinking AMI swearing. Thtch prevail 30 fear
fully among tn young mes nf tbs country.
The inajgrty are add,ctrd Ia some of these
vile practices aud not iew 10 all. 1t can
scarcely be otherwise, with the parental ex-
amplrs hplnrf, ihem The aisd fha ,ni i"l
are constantly shocked VITA hlasphenty lron
the lips OF mere BOYS, vEu are induced tO be-
lieye that tie habit indicates readiness, ~
smartness, and thus tiey often employ Ian
gnagc, at he utterancc of which tbs plnperly
cultivated rink an shu der. itis true, that
10 snme cases, children becnme rebellious
and li.saute, with thr best parents and The
best examples before them. But these lnsiaa-
ces are rare. Paternal counsel exetcise,a pow
ertul influence. The example, however, must
mt consist only in words, but acts, for the
parent who advises without practising, only
illustrates the vice Of hypocrisy. Clran-
liRcss, temperance, integrity aud truth are
amnag the great essentials. These, CONSTANT
~ aud 2ealously inculcated il early life, and
the eileci cannot but prove wholesome. In
this country. moreover, We pnssrss great
advantage in our system VI popular education
- system, which is open TO the child Of the
poorest citizen. lie can send him thther.
without money aud without price. and thus at
least, aliJrd him an opportunity Of developing
and srengthening bis nentaland moral nature.
But hume teaching within the family circle.
and parental example, are quite Is essential and
important. Let these be added % the iuStrlc'
ton that i afforded through tie agency Of
our schools. aud the nature must be perrer.e
indeed that waulers in;ltc paths Of error
aud cl crime. In grea, cit5e., however, the
temptations are numerous, especially for the
ynpnr They may BE- seen Oh al SIDES, Wee
assumes u thousand fascinating forms and
wiihpnt same powerful mnril check, The dan
eer il imminent Indeed Hence tic necessity
0f every possible rrstrtiut, aud t,e exerglsr
af the virtue ol scli.denal. TIE young can
not be expected 10 ua er.tand tht world as
well ~ i.use uha nave beel piia rs aud way
iareis i1r halt i century, and while due IL.
lawlnee saoul ar made lar tilair lacxperi-
cucc, thc pare I'll ete should be watr iaI
and yigIant, aal li.c parental mind kin9ls
and furbearing, Sc observing, jldieiUas and
firm.
-.s~,~s>I>eSs@.~s
4 WICK - NAN PREACHING.
"ur. Thorpe a1. one II Wbitieid'. mo.t