The Feliciana Democrat., 1858-09-18
CHILDREN'S RIGHTS.

"Why am TO do that. mother I!
"No matter why 30 and do as I tell You"
II would like TO know what you are goiug
to do with it'
"Go this instant is enough that tell You
to do i'll"
Such is a specimen Of the manner in which
many probably The maiority-of mothers talk
to their children Children" II is said, "hayc
no business 70 ask so many questions They
could not understand it if we were to answer
them. Their place il obedience"
Wen, let Us look at This little closer
There is Q feeling with parents that their
children Should respect them obey them impc.
itly, feeling that their parents Judgment is 81.
perior TO their own There may be some truth
in this But what is the result Of this feeling
carried ont lis II il IN families II Is, "comc
here, go there, do tAis do that" "If You dc
yon will be punished, If you don't you will be
punished" and tie whole government is spc.
cios Of slavery What Is called the TRAINING
Of children is calculated either to crush individ
uality, Independence, and to begct feeling ol
dependence and incapaeily for self.rcliancc. or
else to create m undue activity of destructive
ness rehellious dOnt.care disposition Con.
slant chalng and thwartinr Of the natural in
cnationS necessarily produce this But still
worse-thc affections are blunted, and the mo-
ther and father, who should always be the oh
.icct5 Of love and confidence, are felt to be ty.
rants. The time is longed for when the child
shall De man or woman, that this thrnldom
may be escaped
VINO has not seen something of this In life
Doubtless my readers have heard many eyclnim.
as ! have, "CIdrcn are not much pleasure af,
ter they are babies" If this be so, there is
something wrong IN their bringing up Chill
dren, like adults, are too much GOVERNED. Pa
rents become 50 much accustomed to the dcta.
tory dennnciatory fault-iinding disposition with
regard 70 their children, that it often continues
c9en after they are grown up. Their homes be
como associated with these qualities instead Of
being, as they should be. associated with kind
nees, genteness, and love. Thus chasm is
placed between parents and childrrn-the lat
ter finding more attractions in almost any 9th
er place than at home.
heard an old gentleman say a few days ago:
My boy never spends an evening at home.
Any place or anybody pleases him better than
to be with bis poor old parents" lie was II
stern old man perhaps had he looked within
he might-haye found the cause in himself of his
sons conduct
Children should always be a comfort and
pleasure to their parents. This is self evident.
Children are human beings, little men and wo-
men They have, in the first place, everything
to learn, and they must learn from Others Ii
i, then, natural for children TO ask questions,
for all 70 them is new. why and chow" are
eyer rising IN their minds II is this cnpidity
which DISTINGUISHES them from every other form
Of animal life. It's that which makes the man
OF science and the philosopher, 50 fur, then,
IS we succeed in crushing that disposition, we
crush true manhood-we clip the wings Of tile
bird and prevent it from soaring on high.
Children, too, are independents: they have
some idea Of propriety and respect They see
with what Difference grown people treat each
other, and feel as if something Of that was due
to them. All Of the above characteristics are
to be found in all children above the grade of
idioey. The question arises--shoaId they be
respected and encouraged, or crushed and as
lnr as possible destroyed, or as is commonly
and corrnptly phrased, "broken in ~
we answer, they should he encouraged,
Drought ONT and respected, il we wish them to
ne anything more than brutes, slaves, or rdiots,
lof the iattef IS the inevitable tendency of the
"breaking.n" system
Allow me to speak of myself Go and do
that come and do this; 90 here, 90 there
H"n ush my 1ucshohs 40 II! THIS Is the way
my parents spoke TO me. Child rs | was I re-
solved that if ever had children would new
cr ORDER them to do anything. / taught school
ten years successfully and never commanded a
child once My method was, "WI you Please
TO do soand-so" Hereitwas put in the form
OF request, the feeling of CONFUSION being
taken away My requests were, without eX.
ccpIion, anhesitatingIy complied with
Why can not This be carried into families Il
IL can. All that is needed to accomplish it is
10 give up that false dignity and "far aboveo
feeling that parents have when they look away
down OH their children. Itneeds but to gath
er them little closer to our heart, and real.
re what is truth, that they are not different,