Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1859-03-17
AN ESSAY
DELIVERED BEFORE THE "sQUAN VILLAGE
LYcaUM," By
William white.

Mr.. PRESIDENT Ladies and Gentle
men In appearing before you as an
essayist, L will not waste your time III
useless or unmeanipg apologies, -but pro
coed to give you the effusion Of a brain
that, if not over-stocked with knowledge,
is at least willing to impart what little it
has, although that little may turn out to
be the smallest mite.
When first accepting of the appoint
ment to deliver an essay, / thought |
would select for subject" Reading"-
but, at the suggestion of an esteemed
friend, | changed my'mind, and have Sc
lected for subject" Obedience to Pa
rents"
When we consider that obedience is
the first and universal law of nature, and
not only the harmony and happiness OF
the celestial world, but the best interest
and the greatest good Of the human fam
lily, depends solely upon strict, faithful,
and cheerful observance of those laws
that have been given to US in the form of
codes, or else have been written indelibly
upon our hearts, it will be readily con
ceded that without obedience, it would
be utterly impossible for Nations or
States to exist, and that, without a due
observance of this universal law, all would
be anarchy and ruin. Obedience thus
necessarily constitutes the happiness of
the world at large without it, there
would be no such thing as individual com
fort. In fact, all national prosperity and
happiness, if permanent, depends upon
that individual happiness that owes its ex-
istence to due observance to those laws.
ltwould be extreme folly for any one to
calculate or expect to be prosperous and
happy, without having first cheerfully
coupled with that Divine INDUCTION
!" Children Obey thy Parents" or" Hon
or thy Father and thy Mother, that thy
days may be long in the land which the
Lord thy God giveth thee" There is No
one duty more forcibly enjoined upon
man, save that which relates to honoring
and worshipping his Maker, than that
which exists between parent and child.
The reasonabeness and justice Of the
duty required, is apparent to the most
superficial observer, and none but the
most hardened and profigate, would
sanction or approve of the least omission
in the discharge of this high, holy, and
most reasonable duty
That children owe duty-a deep and
lasting duty-one that should be cheer
fully discharged-will be denied by no
one. But while this duty is thus univer,
sally recognized. it is we'll known and
lamentable fact, that in many instances it
is entirely neglected. Nay, worse than
this; it not unfrequently happens that
the most reasonable and judicious com
mands of parents are not only disobeyeG,
but an opposite course of conduct is pur-
sued. that if persisted in, must inevitably
end in the ruin Of the disobedient child,
and the blasting of fond hopes, reasona-
bly, and fordly entertained by kind and
loving parents. How children can thus
be guilty of violating the first law of ma
ture, law sanctioned by divine author
| ity, and embodied in that unerring code
from which there is no appeal, is most
strange, and cannot be reasonably &C
counted for. One would suppose that the
certain knowledge they have of their en-
tire dependence upon parents in early
life, and the constant need in ripper year.
of parental advice, would not only make
this duty imperatiyely binding, but would
call forth the most cheerful obedience
The disobedience Of children is still more
unwarrantable when we take into consid