True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1857-02-25
Parental Responsibility.

Long ago il was said by wise man,
,snght lronl.ab0ve. I" Train up child
In the wayln which he should go. and
when he IS old he will not depart from
it,
You, as parents sustain TO your chill.
dren, a peculiar relation. You are Of
nearer kin to them than 10 others. It's
presumed that you love them more than
you love others. You are charged to do
more for them than for any others. You
have duties to do for them, which if you
neglect, willneyer be done by others.
As you have more to do for them than
others, SO you have better opportunity
and greater ability to do it, You have
more influence over them than other per-
sons have, and they will be like you in
their dispositions, principles, and habits,
more than they will be like any others.
Out OF these facts grow the obligations
which rest upon you more than upon
Others 10 make them what they ought 10
be. They are committed TO your care
aud management at that period Of life.
when their characters are most suscepti
biz Of formation. The clay is put into
your hands when in its most pliable stale,
and when il will receive most readily the
Impressions ofyOur hands. l! is subject
10 your control when the impressions
which you give it will be most enduring.
You yourselves, now bear some of the
lineameuts which your great grand par
enls drew upon your ancestors three gen.
eralions since. You bear less Of the
features Of their countenance Than you do
Of their principles and habits. You are
making upon your offspring similar i'm
pressions daily for three or more genera
lions TO come. Your image, after your
coun.enance is forgotten, will rise up in
in the distant future in the children that
are then 70 be born. The men that are
10 rally around freedoms banner in re-
mote iulurily, will receive an impulse
from your feelings and doings Tor your
country's good. The interests of sObrle-
ly and temperance are 10 acquire perma-
nency and widespread influence by the
momentum which you give them as the
rolling power passes through your gerer-
alton. The children, in numbers, and in
enthusiasm, are to rally around our ill.,
stilutions, civil and religious, around the
Sabbath School, and the temples Of a
distant age according as you mbue their
minds with interested feelings in refer
ence 10 these objects. The children tc
be- born are to Use up 10 call you blessed
orto remember with regret that they
had an ancestry which failed to give to
the upper streams of The current right
direction. So true it is that none OF us
liveth 10 himself, and none dlelII 10 him
self.
In fulfilling yon duties 10 those
whom God las committed 10 your care
three grand objects are 10 be had Ii
view.
They are to be educated for good clll'
zenslip in the state for good membership
IN tie church, and for heaven. 'Ot these
the last is the most important, as 1t III
cludes, in an important sense, both III
others. The certain candidate for bet
ter world, will not'be Indifferent as tt
his duties in the present. The tTu'
christian will not be likely 10 be bat
uember of the community, bad patriot
or a bad church member. Your chlIdrel
are therefore TO he educated religlousIy
The head is TO be educated that ther'
may be light i'll the understanding; iht
heart is to be educated thal there may be
love for those things which are exec!
lent and of good report. The heart is Il
be trained that there may be love to God
and love to man, that society may b
bound and cemepted by the. delightful
bonds OF benevolence, and the soul b
prepared for the peaceful society OF til
blessed.
You, parents, stand at the portals q
society. 1t is for you 10 say who shaj
enter to bless or to trouble the world
You hold the flood gates Of the fish
waters, which are elther'to inunddte an
destroy the growing vegetation, or nvlg
crate and fluctly the soil. You hot
tie preventing power at the starting poln
Of society, aud you can prevent what til
world beside cannot remedy.
Then be Interested for the right train
ing of your children. Educate them
yourselyes-by example and by precePt
Educate them by Ieachcrs-educate thel
BY books. .